Compliance, Risk and Safeguarding Officer

World Relief is an international Christian NGO working in health, economic development, disaster response, and refugee resettlement. World Relief’s mission is to boldly engage the world’s greatest crises in partnership with the church.

World Relief invites applications from interested and qualified candidates to fill the following vacant positions:

Job Title: Compliance, Risk and Safeguarding Officer (1)
Reports to: Country Director
Location: Lilongwe
Project: Faith and Community Initiative (FCI)

POSITION SUMMARY

The role is accountable for assessing, monitoring and mitigating both internal and external risks across the WRM FCI Project and associated implementing partners; and providing independent oversight and assurance on the effectiveness of risk management, internal controls, compliance and safeguarding systems. The postholder ensures effective monitoring and response to risks and compliance with donor requirements, organizational policies, applicable laws and regulations, and project agreements. S/he will serve as a liaison for all external audit and regulatory agencies. S/he is responsible for overseeing external and internal audits and monitoring and reporting on the implementation of audit findings. S/he is responsible for fraud risk management, prevention, detection and response. The postholder will also ensure that high quality, effective systems are in place to monitor and respond to internal risks.

The potholder will oversee and strengthen safeguarding, SEAH, complaints and feedback mechanisms (CFM), ensuring safe reporting channels, effective case management processes, compliance with organizational and donor standards, and a culture of accountability, ethical conduct, and continuous improvement throughout the project.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Audit Management

• Conduct periodic internal audits of financial transactions, procurement processes, grant expenditure, asset management, and internal controls.
• Assess whether project internal controls are established, documented, maintained, and operating effectively to provide reasonable assurance that the project is managed in compliance with donor requirements, organizational policies, and applicable laws.
• Verify the accuracy, completeness, and compliance of supporting financial documentation.
• Review training records, incident logs, compliance documentation, and action plans.
• Monitor implementation of audit recommendations and corrective actions.
• Support external audits, donor assessments, and compliance reviews.
• Prepare compliance and audit reports for management and the Advisory Board, highlighting significant findings and recommendations.

Fraud Awareness and Investigation

• Raise awareness across the Country Office and train staff on fraud reporting and investigation procedures
• Deliver workshops and presentations as required in areas of integrating internal control frameworks, mainstreaming risk mitigation, reinforcing fraud awareness and raising awareness on impact of decisions on delivery of organisational goals
• Work closely with senior management to conduct investigations into cases of alleged fraud and/or serious negligence; provide advice to management on corrective action, as appropriate and in accordance with WRM’s policies and procedures.
• Provide fraud updates to senior management – identifying possible control weaknesses

Compliance Management

• Support managers to comply with operational management policies, procedures and standards and build their capacity to do this.
• Ensure that internal control mechanisms are known, applied and adhered to.
• Conduct safeguarding, PSEAH, operational, and compliance reviews across programs and functions.
• Monitor compliance with applicable U.S. government award requirements, including 2 CFR 200, award terms and conditions, cost principles, procurement requirements, prior-approval requirements, mandatory disclosure obligations, and donor-specific compliance provisions.

Risk Management

• Lead the development, implementation, and monitoring of the organization’s risk management framework.
• Maintain and regularly update organizational and project risk registers.
• Identify, assess, and monitor strategic, operational, financial, safeguarding, reputational, and compliance risks.
• Support departments and project teams in developing and implementing risk mitigation measures.
• Conduct periodic risk assessments and report emerging risks to management.
• Assess partner safeguarding, compliance, and risk management capacity and support organizational strengthening efforts.
• Monitor and support partner and subrecipient due diligence, compliance assessments, safeguarding capacity assessments, and risk-based monitoring. Verify that applicable donor, safeguarding, PSEAH, fraud, procurement, reporting and data protection, requirements are appropriately flowed down to partners, sub-recipients, consultants, vendors, and other implementing entities. Track partner corrective actions and escalate significant compliance concerns.
• Promote a culture of risk awareness, accountability, transparency, ethical conduct, and continuous improvement across the organization.

Safeguarding responsibilities

• Lead the implementation, review, and continuous improvement of safeguarding, and PSEAH policies, procedures, Codes of Conduct, and reporting mechanisms.
• Ensure compliance with organizational standards, donor requirements, and applicable national legislation.
• Conduct safeguarding and SEAH inductions, training, and awareness sessions for staff, volunteers, Advisory Board members, partners, and communities.
• Integrate safeguarding and PSEAH requirements into recruitment, onboarding, contracting, and performance management processes.
• Support safeguarding and PSEAH risk assessments and monitor implementation of mitigation measures across programs and operations.
• Coordinate referrals and support investigations while ensuring confidentiality, impartiality, dignity, and non-discrimination.
• Monitor incidents, trends, compliance gaps, and implementation of corrective actions arising from audits, reviews, investigations, and assessments.
• Prepare safeguarding and PSEAH reports for management, donors, and governance structures, ensuring that they are de-identified as appropriate, exclude personally identifiable information unless expressly authorized, and are shared only on a need-to-know basis in accordance with donor, legal, and organizational confidentiality requirements.

Complaints and Feedback Mechanism (CFM) and Accountability

• Establish, maintain, and strengthen safe, accessible and survivor centered complaints and feedback mechanisms for communities, partners, and other stakeholders.
• Register, categorize, track, and monitor complaints and feedback from receipt through resolution and closure.
• Maintain secure complaints databases and reporting systems.
• Analyze complaint and feedback trends and identify opportunities for organizational learning and improvement.
• Produce periodic accountability and complaints reports and recommend corrective actions.
• Promote accountability to affected populations and ensure stakeholders are aware of and can access reporting channels.
• Ensure safeguarding and PSEAH-related complaints received through any channel are promptly triaged, safely referred where appropriate, documented, and escalated through the FaceUp reporting channel in accordance with WRM procedures and donor requirements.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelors Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Public Administration, Law, Social Science or any related discipline.
• Professional qualification such as Certified Public Accountant (CA), Association of Chartered
  Certified Accountants (ACCA).

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• 5 years’ similar work experience, 3 of which should be at audit and/or compliance level in a busy non-governmental organisation or in a commercial/public sector international organisation
• Substantial experience and knowledge of effective financial and budget management
• Extensive experience in relevant operational areas (e.g. in programme/project management in an NGO context)
• Experience evaluating systems and processes, identifying weaknesses and improvement areas
• Experience in countering fraud, fraud awareness and case investigation management
• Experience in strengthening safeguarding, PSEAH, complaints and feedback mechanisms
  (CFM) for NGOs.
• Computer fluency; highly competent using MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint and experience working in complex financial systems
• Experienced in preparing both financial and management accounts (knowledge of working of charitable organisations is preferred, with IFS knowledge important)
• Familiarity with grant requirements of major donors
• Good financial analysis aptitude
• Experience of IT audit
• Ability to look at the bigger picture when assessing organisational performance and risk

Method of application:

Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications to Hrmalawi@wr.org by 27th August 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be communicated.

World Relief is an equal Opportunity Employer. World Relief considers all applications based on merit without regard to race, sex, colour, tribe, marital status or disability.

Prospective candidates should be willing to adhere to WR’s Child Protection Principles, and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Policy.