Application Guide
How to Apply for Governance, Risk, and Compliance Officer
at Cordaid
🏢 About Cordaid
Cordaid is an international humanitarian and development organization with deep roots in the Catholic tradition, focusing on fragile and conflict-affected regions. What makes Cordaid unique is its integrated approach combining emergency relief, healthcare, resilience building, and private sector development, requiring sophisticated GRC frameworks to navigate complex donor landscapes and high-risk operational environments. Working here offers the chance to apply GRC expertise to meaningful humanitarian work with global impact.
About This Role
This GRC Officer role at Cordaid involves designing and implementing risk management and compliance systems across diverse international operations, from contract review to third-party screening. The role is impactful because you'll directly protect Cordaid's ability to deliver aid in fragile states by ensuring compliance with donor regulations (like EU, UN, or Dutch government requirements) and mitigating operational risks that could jeopardize humanitarian missions.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with reviewing contracts from Cordaid's country offices for compliance with donor agreements, followed by a virtual meeting with program managers in Africa to train them on updated GRC tool features. In the afternoon, you could analyze risk reports from field operations, identify critical issues like supply chain disruptions in conflict zones, and collaborate with IT to automate a control for third-party screening.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Cordaid Is Looking For
- A legal or compliance professional with 3+ years experience applying frameworks like COSO ERM or ISO 31000 in international NGOs or development sectors, not just corporate environments.
- Someone who can translate complex donor compliance requirements (e.g., from EU donors, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs) into practical internal controls for field operations.
- A bilingual communicator fluent in English with working French or Dutch skills, capable of guiding non-technical staff in remote locations on GRC tool usage.
- A proactive problem-solver with experience automating GRC processes, ideally using tools like SAP GRC, ServiceNow, or NGO-specific systems, who enjoys collaborating with IT teams.
📝 Tips for Applying to Cordaid
Explicitly mention experience with donor compliance in your resume—highlight specific donors (e.g., EU, USAID, Dutch government) and how you've managed their requirements.
Tailor your examples to humanitarian/development contexts: instead of generic risk mitigation, describe how you'd handle risks in conflict zones or with local partners.
If you have French or Dutch language skills, list your proficiency level clearly—this is a tangible advantage for Cordaid's operations in Francophone Africa and Netherlands-based reporting.
Demonstrate your GRC tool expertise by naming specific platforms you've used (even if not required) and how you've trained others, as tool adoption is a key responsibility.
Research and reference Cordaid's specific programs (e.g., health systems in South Sudan, resilience in Ethiopia) to show you understand their operational risks.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your practical experience with donor compliance frameworks and how you've translated them into operational controls—Cordaid needs someone who can bridge donor requirements and field reality.", "Specific examples of automating or improving GRC processes, especially if you've collaborated with IT teams to enhance system efficiency.", "Your ability to communicate complex GRC concepts to non-specialists, as you'll be guiding managers and staff in remote locations.", "Why you're drawn to applying GRC in humanitarian work—show you understand Cordaid's mission and the unique risks of fragile states."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Cordaid's annual reports and strategy documents to understand their key program areas (healthcare, fragility, resilience) and associated risks.
- → The specific donors Cordaid partners with (e.g., Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, EU, UN agencies) and their compliance expectations.
- → Cordaid's presence in fragile states like South Sudan, DR Congo, or Ethiopia—research the operational challenges and regulatory environments there.
- → The Catholic identity and values of Cordaid, and how they influence governance and partnership approaches.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using only corporate or financial sector examples without adapting them to humanitarian contexts—Cordaid needs GRC applied to aid delivery, not just financial compliance.
- Overemphasizing theoretical knowledge of frameworks like COSO without showing how you've implemented them practically in previous roles.
- Failing to acknowledge the remote, cross-cultural nature of the role—not demonstrating experience collaborating with diverse, non-technical teams across time zones.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!