Senior Specialist, Financial Investigations (Green Corruption programme) – Malawi 92 views0 applications

Senior Specialist, Financial Investigations (Green Corruption programme) – Malawi

Place of work: Lilongwe, Malawi

Employment rate: 100%

Start date: 1 January 2026

Contract type: 2 years

Other: Citizen or resident of Malawi or another African country in the region

Basel Institute on Governance

The Basel Institute on Governance is a hands-on centre of competence dedicated to promoting good governance and countering corruption for a more peaceful, just and sustainable world. Established in 2003 in Basel, Switzerland, the Institute works with partners worldwide to advance knowledge, practice and policy on anti-corruption, asset recovery and business integrity. With field operations worldwide, it has some 150 staff covering 32 nationalities. The Basel Institute is an Associated Institute of the University of Basel.

The Basel Institute’s Green Corruption programme focuses on applying our in-house expertise and experience in relation to the prevention of corruption and the enforcement of anti-corruption and anti-money laundering standards to the environmental sector. The programme covers corruption and financial crime related to the illegal trade in forestry and timber products, fish, mining, as well as energy transition governance including critical minerals.

About the project: Mainstreaming Malawi’s progress in tackling environment-related financial crime and corruption

With funding from the United Kingdom (UK) Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) through the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) Challenge Fund, the project addresses corruption and money laundering in Malawi’s wildlife and forestry sectors by supporting law enforcement (“follow-the-money”) and corruption prevention efforts. This includes bolstering nascent casework and integrity building with key public agencies such as the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Department of Forestry and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. This new project builds on achievements and relationships already established under a previous project.

Job description

The Senior Specialist will assist investigators and prosecutors in building environmental corruption cases, primarily through training, mentoring and case analysis support.

Key responsibilities

Representation

• Represent the Basel Institute’s Green Corruption programme in Malawi with government agencies and civil society partners engaged in law enforcement partnerships.
• Coordinate other programmes of the Basel Institute in Malawi.

Casework and capacity building

• Promote best practices on financial investigations to agencies directly or indirectly impacting the fight against environmental crime.
• Provide technical assistance to prosecutors and investigators directly through the dissemination of criminal analysis products with a financial focus.
• Develop and deliver training in criminal analysis financial investigation techniques to prosecutors and investigators in Malawi as per identified needs at relevant partner agencies.
• Develop and transfer financial investigation tools in close coordination with partner agencies.
• Mentor investigators in the use of financial investigations and support the partner agencies in the investigation of major cases.
• Embed financial investigations as a key priority in environmental crime cases in partner agencies.
• Support partner agencies in assessing needs in Case Management Systems (CMS) and work with an IT-specialist in piloting solutions to better connect illegal wildlife trade cases initiated by environmental agencies with the Department of Public Prosecutions’ CMS.

Administrative

• Maintain and update all project files, in particular case-specific files.
• Draft relevant operational and other project reports as required in the context of this technical assistance project as set out in the project log frame.
• Fulfil administrative requirements in accordance with the Basel Institute’s staff and administrative regulations.
• Keep and maintain the highest professional standards in compliance with national law, regulations and the Basel Institute’s Code of Ethics.

Qualifications and skills

• A minimum of 7 years of experience leading investigations into transnational organised crime, complex financial crime and corruption.
• Experience supporting teams to develop financial investigation capabilities, processes and tools.
• Demonstrable experience and understanding of the political and socio-economic context of East Africa, with specific insight into Malawi. Experience of living and working in the region is a distinct advantage.
• Knowledge and experience of mutual legal assistance processes and building international relationships to facilitate intelligence and evidence sharing.
• A good understanding of intelligence gathering and analytical techniques, including opportunities for integrating technology and artificial intelligence.
• Experience engaging with local and international partners to establish and maintain relationships that enhance asset recovery capabilities.
• Excellent written and spoken English, including technical ability to prepare concise and comprehensive written reports and deliver presentations and verbal briefings. Proficiency in other relevant languages is an advantage.
• Recognised qualifications in financial investigation and the investigation of organised crime.
• Experience with IT-based Case Management Systems design is an advantage.
• Experience handling illegal wildlife trade and other environmental crime cases is an asset.

Offer

We offer an interesting and rewarding working environment with a proactive, dynamic and international team spirit. The work is both routine and varied, and offers scope for initiative and innovation. The salary is competitive.

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Equal opportunity employer

The Basel Institute is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.