The Head of Forensic Investigations is responsible for providing strategic leadership and operational oversight of the organization's fraud investigation function to detect, investigate, and resolve fraud, financial crime, misconduct, or breaches of policy and regulatory requirements. This role safeguards the organization's assets, reputation, and compliance posture by developing and implementing investigation strategies, managing complex investigations, and recommending effective mitigation and prevention measures. It ensures that investigations are conducted ethically, objectively, and in compliance with legal and regulatory standards while influencing organizational risk management and fraud prevention practices at the highest levels.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Governance
Develop and execute the organization's fraud and forensic investigation strategy.
Establish investigation policies, frameworks, and operating standards aligned with regulatory requirements and best practice.
Drive crossÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂorganizational fraudÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂrisk governance and ensure robust oversight.
Strategic Development of Investigation Management
Oversee endÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂtoÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂend investigations for fraud, financial crime, employee misconduct, and regulatory breaches.
Direct complex, highÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂrisk, and highÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂprofile investigations, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and evidentiary integrity.
Ensure proper case prioritization, resource deployment, escalation, and closure.
Team Leadership and Capability Building
Lead, coach, and develop a multidisciplinary forensic investigations team.
Set performance standards, KPIs, capacity plans, and competency requirements.
Build a highÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂperformance, ethicsÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂdriven, investigative culture.
Risk and Controls
Analyze fraud trends, systemic risks, and control gaps; recommend preventive and corrective measures.
Approve implementation of investigative tools, forensic technologies, and analytics.
Advise leadership on organizational fraud risks and emerging threats.
Stakeholder & External Engagement
Partner closely with Compliance, Legal, Risk, Audit, IT/Cybersecurity, HR, and business units.
Liaise with regulators, law enforcement, prosecutors, industry bodies, and external forensic experts.
Present investigation insights and risk intelligence to senior leadership and governance committees.
Reporting and Documentation
Ensure comprehensive, accurate, and clear investigation documentation and reporting — including internal management reports and external reports to regulators or law enforcement where required.
Governance and Regulatory Compliance
Ensure all investigations and related activities align with internal policies, legal requirements, regulatory standards, and industry best practices, upholding due process and ethical conduct.
Continuous Improvement & Innovation
Lead initiatives to enhance fraud investigation processes, tools, and technologies; stay informed of emerging fraud schemes and innovative techniques for detection and prevention.
Customer Protection & Engagement (for financial services environments)
Oversee the protection of customers impacted by fraud, ensuring best-in-class service and collaboration with customer support teams where appropriate.
Core Accountabilities and Deliverables
Strategic Leadership & Fraud Governance
Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive fraud investigation strategy that aligns with organisational goals, risk appetite, and regulatory requirements.
Establish and maintain effective fraud governance policies, frameworks, procedures, and standards across all business units.
Operational Risk Management & Investigations Outcomes
Ensure all fraud and suspicious activity investigations are conducted thoroughly, independently, and in compliance with policies and procedures.
Ensure the organization detects, reports, monitors, and escalates fraud incidents appropriately, keeping fraud losses within agreed thresholds.
Deliver timely remedial recommendations and actionable insights following investigations, including root cause analyses.
Team Leadership & Capability Development
Lead, coach, and develop the fraud investigations team, setting performance objectives, growth plans, and competency standards.
Ensure staffing, skills, and training are adequate to meet evolving fraud risks and investigation demands.
Fraud Risk Monitoring & Reporting
Oversee the regular review of fraud trends, systemic risks, control weaknesses, and emerging threats, ensuring insights inform strategic planning and control enhancements.
Produce and present accurate, insight-driven reports to senior management, risk committees, regulators and other stakeholders.
Stakeholder Engagement & External Collaboration
Maintain strong relationships with internal partners (e.g., compliance, legal, risk, IT, audit) to integrate fraud mitigation efforts and support decision-making.
Represent the organization in external forums, liaise with sector peers, law enforcement, regulators, and industry bodies to stay informed of fraud trends, intelligence and best practice.
Service Delivery & Customer Impact
Ensure fraud investigation outputs contribute to high standards of customer protection and experience where applicable.
Ensure resolution of fraud-related complaints and engagement with customers and business units to foster trust and compliance.
Continuous Improvement & Innovation
Drive process improvements, adoption of technology tools and analytics to enhance fraud detection, investigation efficiency and control effectiveness.
Lead efforts to refine metrics and KPIs that measure the effectiveness of the fraud investigations function and delivery against targets.
Experience Requirements
8- 10 years forensic investigation experience
Over 5 years leadership experience
Strong fraud investigation and forensic accounting background
Experience working with regulators and law enforcement
Academic Qualifications and Certifications
Business related degree from a recognized University or College.
Professional Certification in Fraud Examination (CFE), Auditing, Accounting, Risk management and Information systems audit is an added advantage