| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Legal and Compliance |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | Chief Compliance Officer |
| Direct reports | Compliance Officer, Compliance Executive |
| Experience | 6 to 10 years in compliance or audit |
Compliance Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Compliance Manager
Department: Legal and Compliance
Reports to: Chief Compliance Officer
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Compliance Manager runs the compliance programme for a business area, checking that it follows the applicable laws and regulations. They monitor and test controls, train staff, investigate issues and report to the Chief Compliance Officer. The role reports to the Chief Compliance Officer or Head of Compliance. A good compliance manager keeps the area free of regulatory findings, runs monitoring that actually catches problems, closes issues quickly, keeps staff trained and aware, and gives the compliance head an honest, evidence backed view of where the area stands.
Key responsibilities
- Run the compliance programme for the assigned business area against the applicable regulations.
- Plan and carry out monitoring and testing to check that controls work in practice.
- Turn regulations and internal policies into clear rules and checklists for the area.
- Investigate breaches and complaints and drive corrective action to closure.
- Deliver compliance training and awareness for the area and track completion.
- Report compliance status, issues and remediation to the chief compliance officer.
- Advise the business on the compliance impact of new processes and products.
- Keep registers, evidence and records ready for audit and inspection.
- Support regulatory inspections and queries for the area with records and explanations.
- Lead and guide the compliance officers and executives in the area.
Requirements
- Graduate or postgraduate in law, commerce or finance
- Knowledge of the regulations for the area
- A compliance certification is an advantage
- 6 to 10 years in compliance or audit
KRAs and KPIs for a Compliance Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Monitoring coverage | Planned monitoring and testing completed on schedule for the area |
| Issue closure | Compliance issues remediated within the agreed timeline above target |
| Findings | Adverse audit and regulatory findings for the area kept near zero |
| Training | Compliance training completion in the area above the agreed level |
| Breach reporting | Breaches escalated and reported within the required time |
| Audit readiness | Records kept inspection ready with no material gaps |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Compliance management software, Regulatory portals, MS Excel, Issue trackers, Audit tools.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Chief Compliance Officer, Head of Risk, Head of Legal
Interview questions for a Compliance Manager
- How do you design monitoring that actually catches compliance problems?
- How do you turn a dense regulation into rules staff can follow?
- How do you investigate a breach and make sure it does not recur?
- How do you keep training from becoming a tick box exercise?
- How do you handle a business unit that resists a compliance control?
- How do you keep records ready for a surprise inspection?
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What does a Compliance Manager do?
A Compliance Manager runs the compliance programme for a business area. They monitor and test controls, turn regulations into clear rules, investigate breaches, train staff and report to the compliance head. Their job is to keep the area free of regulatory findings and to catch and fix issues early.
What is the difference between a Compliance Manager and a Compliance Officer?
A Compliance Officer carries out monitoring, checks and reporting on the ground. A Compliance Manager plans the programme, leads the officers, investigates serious issues and reports to the compliance head. The officer executes the checks; the manager owns the area programme and its results.
What qualifications does a Compliance Manager need?
Most roles ask for a graduate or postgraduate degree in law, commerce or finance, with knowledge of the regulations governing the area and six to ten years in compliance or audit. A compliance certification helps, along with careful monitoring, investigation and reporting skills and strong integrity.