Director, Incident Management & Investigations at Mastercard Foundation

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

Leadership & Strategy

• Lead the design and implementation of the Foundation’s incident management and investigations capability aligned with the organization’s safeguarding, program delivery, and ERM efforts.
• Provide strategic direction and oversight for incident response and investigations across the Foundation.
• Lead development of investigation methodologies (fact-finding, interviews, documentation, chain of custody) with emphasis on protecting vulnerable beneficiaries and whistleblower protection.
• Collaborate with Assurance, ERM, and other functions to ensure cohesive and proactive risk management.

Policy & Framework Development

• Develop and maintain policies, protocols, and procedures for incident management and investigations.
• Ensure frameworks are aligned with legal and regulatory standards and the Foundation’s values.

Incident & Investigation Management

• Oversee the intake, triage, and resolution of reported incidents.
• Lead or coordinate internal or external investigations related to safeguarding concerns, fraud, misuse of funds, misconduct by staff/partners/volunteers, and program integrity incident and manage external investigative consultants.
• Ensure investigations are conducted impartially, confidentially, and in compliance with legal/regulatory requirements and coordinate internally and external with Legal Counsel as needed.
• Conduct root cause analyses and recommend corrective actions.
• Lead incident response for high-risk or high-severity incidents affecting beneficiaries or program operations; coordinate with Programs, IT Security, Compliance, Legal, HR, and Communications.
• Ensure timely containment, remediation, and transparent, appropriate communication to stakeholders as allowed by policy and law; conduct post-incident reviews (PIRs).
• Maintain incident records, timelines, and dashboards; track remediation actions and closure.

Reporting & Governance

• Prepare and present reports on significant incidents and investigations to senior leadership and governance bodies.
• Ensure lessons learned are documented and shared across the Foundation to inform policy and practice improvements.

Training & Capacity Building

• Develop and deliver training programs on effective management of fraud and incidents.
• Build internal capacity and awareness to foster a culture of compliance and ethical conduct.

Stakeholder management

• Build strong relationships with Program teams, Legal, IT Security, Compliance, Internal Audit, HR, Communications, and external partners.
• Coordinate with external safeguarding bodies, sector networks, and, where applicable, law enforcement in line with policy and legal requirements.

People and risk culture

• Lead, mentor, and develop the team; manage workload, performance, and professional development.
• Promote a culture of integrity, accountability, and learning from incidents across the organization and its programs.

WHO YOU ARE

• 7–12 years of experience in investigations, safeguarding, compliance, NGO operations, or related areas; leadership experience preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Criminology, Social Work, Public Administration, Human Rights, or a related field.
• Certifications such as CFE, CISM, CISSP, GIAC, or specialized safeguarding certifications.
• Experience in NGO sectors, development programs, or humanitarian settings.
• Experience coordinating with external counsel, law enforcement, or safeguarding authorities.
• Knowledge of data analytics for investigations and program integrity (eDiscovery tools, data visualization).
• Strong knowledge of investigative techniques, interviewing, evidence handling, and documentation standards in humanitarian/philanthropic contexts.
• Familiarity with safeguarding frameworks, incident response, risk management concepts, and donor reporting.
• Excellent analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication; ability to present to senior leadership and external parties while observing the Foundation values.
• Ability to manage confidential information with discretion and sensitivity to beneficiaries.
• Expertise in investigation and incident management principles.
• Strong understanding of legal and regulatory frameworks governing investigations.
• Exceptional communication, stakeholder engagement, and reporting skills.
• Demonstrated integrity, courage, and cultural sensitivity.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage complex, sensitive issues.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities.
• Resilience and decision-making under pressure.
• Collaborative across Programs, Legal, IT Security, Compliance, HR, Communications, and Partnerships.