Financial Sector Compliance Advisor (Retainer)

The Financial Sector Compliance Advisor provides senior technical leadership and policy guidance to the Private Sector Resilience Project (PSRP) team and implementing partners. This home-based retainer position supports financial sector development in Afghanistan by advising on compliance standards, capacity building, and restoring international correspondent banking relationships.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the principal technical expert on trade finance support and financial systems for the PSRP project.
• Provide expert advice and guidance to the Senior Programme Manager and project team on relevant areas of the project.
• Contribute to the planning of knowledge generation activities and knowledge products to inform activities in support of financial sector in Afghanistan.
• Stay abreast of the latest developments, including regulatory changes at the global and national levels, relevant for financial sector development in Afghanistan.
• Lead technical diagnostic reviews of the compliance architecture, risk-management systems, and AML/CFT controls of eligible Afghan financial service providers and commercial banks.
• Design capacity-building plans to help domestic banks adopt international financial standards and safely re-establish international correspondent banking networks.
• Provide technical support and advisory to Afghan export firms, business chambers, and trade associations to navigate international payment compliance and trade documentation requirements.
• Liaise and advise PSRP’s implementing partners on technical matters related to financial sector development.
• Liaise closely with technical stakeholders in the World Bank and IFC on technical matters.
• Ensure the PSRP is adequately represented and contributes to wider discussions and working groups on financial sector development.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders to ensure effective collaboration and project success.
• Work with financial service providers to identify obstacles to expanding foreign correspondent relationships and areas to support risk management processes.
• Coordinate with other project implementing agencies working on microfinance and credit guarantees to ensure complementarity and cross-component learning of activities.
• Review and provide technical input on terms of reference, tender documents, and proposals for the procurement of specialized technical services.
• Review and provide technical input on evaluations and other technical documents related to contract management of PSRP grantees.
• Review and provide technical inputs on deliverables from suppliers of specialized technical services contracted under the project.
• Oversee, review, and guide the work of suppliers providing specialized technical assistance to financial service providers to improve financial integrity processes.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing and capacity building initiatives within UNOPS and with project partners.
• Develop and deliver training programs and workshops on private sector development topics.
• Document and disseminate lessons learned and best practices from the project, facilitate knowledge exchange and learning events among project stakeholders.
• Conduct field visits to project and partner sites to assess the effectiveness of interventions and provide on-site technical assistance.
• Support the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track project outcomes and impact.
• Contribute to the preparation of project reports, briefs, and presentations for internal and external audiences.
• Support the identification and assessment of potential private sector partners for project implementation.
• Provide technical input into the design of new private sector development projects and initiatives.
• Ensure gender and social inclusion considerations, and the adoption of sustainable and environmentally responsible practices, are integrated into all aspects of project design and implementation.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Finance, Commercial Law, International Trade, Banking, Economics, Business Administration, or related field with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience; OR Bachelor's degree in Finance, Commercial Law, International Trade, Banking, Economics, Business Administration, or related field with a minimum of 9 years of relevant experience.
• An industry-recognized certification in financial compliance (e.g., Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist - CAMS) is highly desirable.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in trade facilitation, financial sector regulatory reform, business advocacy, or banking compliance is required.
• Experience in designing or implementing AML/CFT compliance frameworks, risk assessments, or correspondent banking solutions is required.
• Experience in conducting high-quality market research and policy analysis related to financial sector development, including the preparation of comprehensive reports and policy recommendations is required.
• Experience in financial sector development in fragile and conflict-affected contexts is desired.
• Experience in Afghanistan or other conflict-affected countries is desired.
• Understanding of the economic, political, and social context of Afghanistan, with specific knowledge of the challenges and opportunities for financial sector development is desired.
• Experience in developing and delivering training programmes is desired.
• Fluent English language proficiency is required.

Skills

• Financial Compliance
• Anti-Money Laundering
• AML/CFT Frameworks Compliance
• Risk Assessment
• Correspondent Banking Solutions
• Trade Facilitation
• Financial Sector Regulatory Reform
• Business Advocacy
• Banking Compliance
• Market Research
• Policy Analysis
• Banking Sector Development
• Report Writing
• Policy Recommendations
• Training Program Development
• Training Delivery

Languages

English