Integrated Partnership Risk and Internal Controls Executive

Reports to: Functionally to the Integrated Partnership Board (IPB) via the IPB-AFRC. Administratively to the Executive Managing Director (EMD) as the Chief Executive Officer of the SO as the employing entity.

Location: This position will be based in a CGIAR Center in the Global South (LMIC) in a duty station to be determined or Montpellier, France. Montpellier, shown above, is a default system setting and not the confirmed duty station.

Grade: SO8 / CG13

Date Published: 31 March 2025

Closing Date for Applications: 22 April 2025 at 16:00 CET.

About CGIAR

CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food-secure future. CGIAR science is dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services. Its research is conducted closely with hundreds of partners, including national and regional research institutes, civil society organizations, academia, development organizations, and the private sector.

About the position

Driven by its Research and Innovation Strategy 2030, CGIAR has an ambitious agenda to deliver science and innovation and advance the transformation of food, land, and water systems to deliver diverse, healthy, safe, sufficient, and affordable diets, and ensure improved livelihoods and greater social equality.  CGIAR operates as an integrated partnership of thirteen research Centers and the System Organization with some ten thousand staff operating across the globe. Each Center has its own governance and leadership structure operating alongside the integrated governance and leadership arrangements of CGIAR as a whole.

The Integrated Partnership Risk Management and Internal Controls Function delivers the risk management strategy and architecture for the Integrated Partnership. The function is responsible for driving the risk management culture and developing the appetite along with the Global Leadership Team for approval by the Integrated Partnership Board. The function is responsible for risk performance and reporting by analyzing trends and coordinating with management to identify systemic risks that could impact the integrity of the Integrated Partnership, to ensure risk management practices remain robust and proactive. The function ensures that risk oversight is consistent and aligned across the Centers and System Organization (SO), promoting coordination and collaboration among risk professionals to standardize practices, foster transparency, and share risk information effectively across the Integrated Partnership, ensuring alignment with global standards and partnership objectives across all Centers and the SO.

Reporting functionally to the Integrated Partnership Board (IPB) via the Integrated Partnership Board’s Audit, Finance, and Risk Committee (IPB-AFRC) and administratively to the Executive Managing Director (EMD), the Integrated Partnership Risk Management and Internal Controls Executive is responsible for leading the Integrated Partnership Risk Management and Internal Control Function, driving consistency, quality and continuous improvement, and addressing gaps and escalating issues as needed to ensure effective risk management aligned with partnership strategy-setting and performance objectives. The Incumbent will ensure active collaboration between Centers and SO Risk Control Leads in strengthening risk management control capacities and processes, including the identification and analysis of trends and risks that may impact the integrity of the partnership and will provide consolidated reporting across the entire partnership and to the IPB-AFRC, ensuring informed decision-making by monitoring, analyzing, and communicating key risks along with findings and recommendations.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Advance and lead the Integrated Partnership Risk Management and Internal Control Function, driving consistency, quality and continuous improvement, and addressing gaps and escalating issues as needed to ensure effective risk management aligned with partnership strategy-setting and performance objectives.
• Advance and lead the development and implementation of a common global risk framework, policy, methodology, appetite, strategy, approach, tools, and templates, creating a structured approach to assess, mitigate and monitor integrated partnership risks effectively.
• Lead the development of an Internal Control Framework for the Integrated partnership - articulating the expected entity level controls for each Center, the SO and partnership function to ensure compliance with the Internal Rules Framework and Funding Agreements of the Integrated Partnership.
• Lead and provide consolidated reporting across the entire partnership and to the Integrated Partnership Board Audit, Finance, and Risk Committee (IPB-AFRC), ensuring informed decision-making by monitoring, analyzing, and communicating key risks along with findings and recommendations.
• Promote and advance the adoption of best practices and standards across Centers and SO, including through knowledge sharing and developing and providing training and capacity building to strengthen the capacity of risk and control functions throughout the partnership.
• Lead the active collaboration between Centers’ and SO’s Risk Control Leads in strengthening risk management control capacities and processes, including the identification and analysis of trends and risks that may impact the integrity of the partnership.
• Collaborate and ensure alignment with other assurance functions and leverage existing capabilities in Centers to ensure consistency, quality, and continuous improvement in the partnership risk and controls approaches.
• Provide the Internal Audit Executive with up-to-date risk assessments to enable risk-based audit planning.
• Inspire, support the development of, and empower the staff of the Risk and Internal Controls function.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, inclusiveness and respect through modelling behaviors aligned with CGIAR Ethical Values.
• Plan, guide and advise on periodic reviews and updates of risk management policies, frameworks, and practices to reflect lessons learned, new technologies, and shifts in the operational landscape.
• Address any gaps identified through audit engagements to refine and strengthen risk management strategies, ensuring integration of lessons learned in framework and policies.
• Serve in an advisory capacity during relevant Global Leadership Team deliberations, presenting concise and insightful summaries of risk identification and assessments, recommending effective mitigation actions to support informed decision-making.
• Lead the development of risk assessment tools that enable meaningful analysis and support informed decision making.
• Develop annual budgets and plans for the Risk and Internal Controls function. 

Education and Experience

• Advance university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Business Administration, Finance, Risk Management & Finance or other relevant field. A certification in risk management, e.g. CRMA, is  an advantage.
• Experience at senior level in risk management and internal controls roles, preferably in international organizations.
• A demonstrated track record of collaboratively leading the development and implementation of risk management and internal control strategies, frameworks, methodologies and tools in complex matrix organizations.
• Extensive knowledge of and experience in implementing best practices in risk management and internal controls.
• Experience with regulatory compliance and understanding of standards, with a preference for standards relevant for international agriculture research organizations.
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders, including Boards and executives globally.

Key Competences

• Ability to identify, analyze, and prioritize risks across diverse operational contexts.
• Proven ability to lead the development of creative solutions
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to effectively communicate complex issues and to a variety of stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret data, identify trends, and draw meaningful conclusion.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills to build trust, influence, and work collaboratively  with a  range global stakeholders to  deliver results within approved timelines and budgets.
• Excellent change management skills and an ability to positively influence key strategic processes and decisions.
• Uphold the highest ethical standards, inspiring trust and treating all people with respect and personal integrity, shaping an inclusive, diverse and open organizational culture.

Languages

• Excellent command of the English language, both written and spoken.
• A working knowledge of an additional language such as Spanish, French or Arabic is an advantage.

The selected staff member will be offered terms and conditions commensurate with the grade of the position, qualifications and experience.

Submitting Your Application

If you face challenges in submitting your application, please email recruitment@cgiar.org with the position title in the subject line.

Please note that shortlisted candidates will be contacted by our partner, SRI Executive.