KEY EXPERT – OPERATIONAL COORDINATOR

Empreinte territoriale

KEY EXPERT – OPERATIONAL COORDINATOR

Place & duration of posting

• Project : SecFin Africa
• Place : Project Management Unit, Brussels, BELGIUM
• Type of posting: Long-term
• Working Languages: English & French
• Duration of Posting: 27 months, starting approx. May

Context

The project “Securing a robust AML/CFT Framework Against Illicit Financial Flows in Sub-Saharan Africa (SecFin Africa)” aims to contribute to the fight against illicit financial flows linked to transnational organised crime, money laundering and terrorist financing with the ultimate goal of increasing domestic resource mobilisation, stabilisation and security in Sub-Saharan Africa.

To achieve this general objective, the action offers to work in an integrated manner at all relevant levels of intervention: at national level, regional level and with civil society organisations. Consequently, the Specific Objectives (Outcomes) of this action are:

• National capacities, including law enforcement and judicial capacities to prevent and counter IFFs linked to transnational organised crime, money laundering and the financing of terrorism are strengthened and Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-compliant;
• Effective regional and inter-regional cooperation and information sharing in the fight against IFFs, money laundering and the financing of terrorism is enhanced;
• Increased public awareness and civil society’s role promote greater transparency and hold States accountable to take action against IFFs and organised crime.

These objectives will be implemented through the deployment of five teams: a Project Management Unit (PMU) based in Brussels, Belgium and in charge of steering the action, as well as four regional hubs, in Yaoundé/Cameroon, Dakar/Senegal, Pretoria/South Africa and Dar es Salam/Tanzania, tasked with the delivery of the activities. Addressing the large number of countries targeted under this action will require varied levels of intensity, in particular for engagement at national level, outlined as follows:

• A common training programme, offering standard trainings to all requesting beneficiary countries under the mandate of the Action;
• A facility option to support requesting countries featuring systemic deficiencies in their AML/CFT framework to improve technical compliance with FATF standards;
• A high-intensity programme to provide specific longer-term support to selected countries, answering a specific, wide-reaching issue faced by the jurisdiction, notably with regards to major FATF recommendations and/or immediate outcomes.

Regional engagement will be conducted in support of existing processes between peer-jurisdiction or through supporting key organisations, such as FATF-Styled Regional Bodies (FSRBs). Finally, the civil society will be mainly supported through grants, targeted to civil society organisations (CSO), consortiums of investigative journalists, whistle-blowers and/or research labs to support investigations and research on the fight against IFF.

The present Action is expected to be a substantial building block of the continental Team Europe Initiative to support Africa in Combatting Illicit Financial Flows and related Transnational Organised Crime (TEI IFF-TOC). It will contribute to all three associated components and be implemented in coordination with TEI’s members parallel initiatives.

Job description

The Operational Coordinator, as part of the project management unit in Brussels, will have the primary mission of coordinating law enforcement missions under the auspices of the SecFin project. The expert will support the Project Director in the technical coordination of the network of regional experts and to ensure coordination with other European and international projects working in the domain of Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) Anti-Money Laundering and the Terrorism Financing (AML/CFT). A polyvalent role, the coordinator will, in direct collaboration with the four regional hub coordinators, identify opportunities for collaboration with beneficiary country institutions across 49 sub-Saharan African countries, and encourage concrete collaboration with EU law enforcement institutions with the aim of increasing concrete law enforcement actions (asset forfeiture, arrests, joint task forces, etc.).

The coordinator will also take charge of the project’s “knowledge management” under the Common Training Programme, piloted by CIVIPOL. Concretely, the expert will oversee and coordinate the archiving and analysis of activity deliverables with the assistance of the Monitoring and Evaluation team.

The coordinator will report to CIVIPOL via the project manager in Paris, and will liaise with project partners via the project management unit (PMU) in Brussels to respond to the various requirements of the project.

Primary Tasks:

Coordination of operational activities

• Identify opportunities for operational cooperation between beneficiary institutions across partner countries.
• Liaise with relevant operational stakeholders and initiatives, in particular with EUROPOL (and its European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) with its operational action plans driven by relevant EU Member State organisation), EUROJUST, INTERPOL and others.
• Facilitate the organisation of operational coordination meetings, workshops, and exchanges between investigative, prosecutorial, and intelligence services.
• Support the establishment of joint operational initiatives, including joint task force activities between partner countries and relevant European partners (Europol, Eurojust, etc.).
• Promote the exchange of operational methodologies, investigative practices, and practical tools between beneficiary institutions.

Facilitation of international AML/CFT cooperation

• Promote and support the integration of partner countries into relevant international and regional AML/CFT networks (e.g. Egmont Group, Sphinx Initiative and other relevant cooperation platforms).
• Identify opportunities for operational collaboration between SecFin partners and international enforcement networks.

Coordination with regional hubs and project teams

• Maintain close coordination with Regional Coordinators and experts to identify operational needs emerging from their hub countries.
• Contribute to translating training outcomes into practical operational cooperation opportunities.
• Provide strategic input on operational aspects of project activities and emerging priorities in the field of AML/CFT enforcement.

External coordination and representation

• Ensure, together with the Project director and Deputy Project Manager, coherence between SecFin Africa operational activities and other relevant AML/CFT initiatives implemented by European and international partners, and to avoid overlap.
• Maintain working relations with relevant national authorities, regional organisations, and international AML/CFT actors.
• Represent the project in relevant operational meetings, conferences, and coordination platforms when required.

Coordinate & Oversee the Common Training Programme

• Oversee the Common Training Programme with the MEAL teams in the field, with the objective of stocking and categorising training deliverables for future use within the project.
• Coordinate the updating of the internal database of short-term experts linking them to their training missions and deliverables to provide an easier follow-up of project objectives.
• Ensure that the deliverables developed under SecFin projects are conforming with the project contract and financial donor’s objectives.

Contribution to overall project management

• Contribute to the preparation and implementation of annual work plans and operational priorities.
• Provide reporting and analytical input on operational cooperation activities conducted under the project.
• Support the PMU in identifying opportunities to strengthen the operational impact of SecFin Africa interventions.

Required profile

Professional Experience:

• Master’s degree in law, public administration, criminology, finance, or another relevant discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in investigation techniques, preferably financial investigation.
• Experience working with international cooperation networks or agencies (e.g. Europol, Eurojust, FIU networks, asset recovery networks) is a strong asset.
• Good understanding of AML/CFT issues and ability to identify relevant actors in this domain as well as their importance (FATF, etc.).
• Experience in AML/CFT frameworks or strategies a strong advantage.
• An excellent understanding of the criminal justice system in both civil and common law systems pertaining to financial crime (financial intelligence gathering and analysis, asset seizure, etc.).
• Experience working in or with Sub-Saharan Africa and/or on large-scale projects would be an advantage.
• At least 5 years’ experience with EU-funded cooperation or technical assistance projects or with similar donor structures.

Professional skills

• Excellent level of English and French, both spoken and written.
• Strong drafting and analytical skills, including the ability to produce structured reports and synthetic operational notes.
• Ability to facilitate dialogue and cooperation between multiple institutions and jurisdtions both to law enforcement and civilian audiences.
• Strong interpersonal and coordination skills in multicultural environments.
• Experience in managing or coordinating in a team is a plus.
• Ability to identify operational needs and translate them into practical cooperation initiatives.
• Computer skills: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Outlook. Work on databases and some experience with file categorisation a plus.

Please send your CV and cover letter to:

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Limite de candidature

17 avril

Durée de la mission

Long terme

Zone géographique

Belgium, Bruxelles

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