Illicit Finance Governance Adviser

Main Purpose of JobWe are looking for someone with strong research, analysis, political economy and international development skills to help establish and advance the UKs International Centre of Expertise on Illicit Finance (ICE), a critical part of delivering the Governments agenda within FCDOs Illicit Finance and Anti-Corruption Department. Our role is to drive UK leadership in international efforts to combat illicit finance and transnational corruption. Illicit finance and corruption damage developing countries by curtailing their ability to finance their own development and undermines open societies by bankrolling authoritarian regimes. As the Russian invasion of Ukraine emphasised, illicit finance directly undermines UK security interests by facilitating malign state activity and economic coercion. Vulnerabilities in the global financial system enable sanctions evasion, organised crime and terrorist financing and by engendering risk and uncertainty for businesses, damage economic growth and investment.This is an exciting opportunity to become one of HMGs leading experts on international illicit finance, and to support HMG to take a political economy and systems approach to countering this complex and evolving threat to the UK and our partners.Roles and ResponsibilitiesThe successful candidate will:Enable HMG to use our diplomatic, policy and programmatic levers more strategically to target international illicit finance and pursue politically viable strategies to achieve systemic change and avoid unintended consequences. Pilot approaches to diagnose, scope, design and deliver politically informed illicit finance responses as part of ICEs inception phase. This will involve taking the FCDO overseas network, policy teams and local partners through context-specific political economy processes to identify pathways for change and intervention strategies, linking analysis with the practical so what. Where appropriate, you will draw in and direct support from geographic and sectoral specialists. Lead and support research and analysis of evolving global illicit finance trends and vulnerabilities, using a political economy lens and identifying links and opportunities between cross-cutting UK interests on illicit finance (Development, National Security, Growth and Prosperity). This will involve establishing and testing a system and methodology for undertaking policy-focused analysis to support ICEs inception phase, collaborating with ICE Analysts, wider HMG and operational partners and cross-sector experts. Promote UK thought leadership by identifying and addressing strategic gaps in the international communitys understanding and response; and influencing others to go beyond technocratic/technical assistance approaches.Establish influential relationships with other donors and multilateral organisations to share learning and knowledge on politically informed responses to illicit finance. Through these networks, act as a bridge between FCDO and experts outside to exchange insights and inform or challenge HMG.Communicate findings, recommendations and advice through timely, clear and informed political economy analysis, scoping papers and research reports, oral presentations, and briefings for internal and external stakeholders. Respond to ad hoc requests for advice.Provide ongoing technical governance and political economy guidance to enhance ICEs offer. Design and test ICEs political economy quality assurance function.Work with others to ensure regular reporting to ICE governance on milestones, while gathering data and feeding learning to ICEs Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Adviser.There will be occasional overseas travel to support scoping, research and stakeholder engagement, including attendance at conferences (estimated to be three to five days, up to three times a year, subject to business needs).