Job Description

This is a project management role with responsibility for the planning, delivery and reporting function of various initiatives under the financial crime component of the WABiLED project. The overall role of this position is to sensitize and capacity build with key stakeholders on the use of financial investigations and application of financial crime law, in the interdiction and conviction of wildlife crime offenders. The Financial Crime Specialist will also provide line management and co-ordination role to the two other TRAFFIC staff based in Accra.

Specific responsibilities will include:

• Encourage and support financial investigations for law enforcement agencies where it relates to Wildlife and Forestry Crime cases. 
• Conduct sensitizsation and awareness program to ensure that partners in project countries are aware of the need for financial investigations in Wildlife and Forestry cases
• Conduct needs assessment within target law enforcement agencies
• Provide training and advice to investigators on appropriate financial strategies to follow in ongoing cases.
• Assist in connecting law enforcement agencies across borders to facilitate completion of key cases being worked on
• Build networks and engage with the local Finance, Transport and any other sector that would be a conduit to IWT / Money Laundering
• Provide IWT/AML detection training/awareness to these sectors
• Encourage Finance and Transport sector firms who are not members of UfW to join the membership
• Targeting FIUs and the private sector, conduct situation analysis to better understand the skills and resources currently dedicated to financial crime investigations. Based on findings, develop recommendations for resource deployment and provide and deliver financial training packages (e.g. covering forensic accounting techniques) in collaboration with relevant regional networks, such as GIABA (Inter Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa) or others.
• Identify sources of data on financial crime in IWT, provide support to project partners in sourcing this data and assist in advising on case reviews as they become known.
• Lead and develop a financial typologies (case study) report detailing IWT case studies where financial data is known. Additional typology reports may be developed depending on the number of case studies found.
• Conduct a series of workshops for validation of the report
• Hold an event to launch the report officially
• Use the data for educational and training events
• Building on relationships with United for Wildlife Financial Taskforce, explore the feasibility of developing Public Private Partnership Forums in key countries to support sharing of data and progression of knowledge around organized crime syndicates involved in IWT.
• If/where possible, advocate for asset recovery in known IWT cases with appropriate enforcement units in select countries.
• Act as TRAFFIC project team lead, providing line management support to TRAFFIC staff based in Accra (TWIX Manager and Transport Sector Specialist) with overall project reporting responsibility to TRAFFIC WABiLED Project Supervisor (based at TRAFFIC Head Office).

Required Skills or Experience

• Advanced university-level degree is preferred (e.g. Masters) in finance, law, economics, policing, political science, international relations, public administration or other related field, or a relevant advanced level profession qualification;
•  A first-level university degree OR equivalent academic education, professional training with certification from a recognized international/national police, customs or other staff training institution, with specialization in criminal justice, crime prevention, criminal investigation, law enforcement, border management, border working techniques and/or other related areas, in combination with additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree;
• Significant experience in addressing financial crime (e.g. money laundering);
• Some experience of working in Africa is preferred, ideally West or Central Africa;
• Knowledge of environmental crime issues would be an advantage;
• Previous experience in delivering training / teaching in the field of international or transnational crime /anti-corruption/ AML and cooperation; and providing mentorship support to governments;
• A minimum of five years relevant experience working in a project management capacity, covering planning, budgeting, and financial reporting;
• Demonstrated experience of preparing donor/project reports;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with experience of staff management;
• Fluency in written and spoken English and French;
• Must be able to travel extensively throughout the West Africa region, which may require frequent periods of up to ten days away from home.