Director, Incident Management & Investigations

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Director, Incident Management & Investigations will lead the Foundation’s efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to incidents including fraud, safeguarding, abuse, and other critical matters. This role is responsible for establishing and overseeing robust incident management and investigation frameworks, ensuring alignment with the Foundation’s values, legal obligations, and strategic priorities. The Director will manage internal investigations and coordinate external consultants, while fostering a culture of integrity, accountability, and continuous improvement.

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.

The Mastercard Foundation values the unique skills and experiences each individual brings to the organization and we are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone.

Completion of satisfactory business references and background checks are essential conditions of employment.
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