Compliance Manager

What that means day to day

• Lead the day-to-day operation of ISOQAR’s compliance function in line with agreed priorities.
• Develop and manage the annual compliance plan, objectives and improvement priorities.
• Translate accreditation, regulatory and governance requirements into practical business controls.
• Provide expert advice and constructive challenge to senior technical and operational stakeholders.
• Identify and escalate significant or systemic compliance risks.
• Deputise for the Director of Risk & Compliance on agreed matters.
• Allocate and prioritise compliance activity across available resources.

• Lead the maintenance and continuous improvement of ISOQAR’s management system.
• Ensure policies, procedures, governance arrangements and records remain controlled and compliant.
• Monitor changes to standards, accreditation requirements, legislation and mandatory documents.
• Lead impact assessments and oversee the delivery of resulting actions.
• Provide compliance oversight for new products, integrations and significant business-change projects.

• Own and manage ISOQAR’s risk-based internal audit programme.
• Set audit priorities and scopes, ensuring appropriate independence and competence.
• Conduct or oversee complex and cross-functional audits and investigations.
• Review audit findings, root-cause analysis and corrective-action plans.
• Monitor significant actions through to effective closure.
• Identify systemic issues and report assurance outcomes and emerging risks to relevant governance forums.

• Manage ISOQAR’s readiness for accreditation assessments.
• Coordinate assessments with technical and operational stakeholders.
• Ensure evidence submitted to accreditation bodies is accurate, controlled and appropriately approved.
• Lead responses to assessment findings and challenge inadequate corrective actions.
• Monitor findings through to formal acceptance and closure.
• Support engagement with UKAS and other accreditation or scheme-owning bodies.

• Oversee the design and implementation of ISOQAR’s competence framework.
• Ensure appropriate competence criteria are in place across relevant functions, schemes and technical areas.
• Oversee learning materials, assessments, approval records and tests of understanding.
• Ensure personnel authorisations are supported by objective and traceable evidence.
• Review significant or disputed competence decisions.
• Analyse competence and assurance data to identify learning needs and control improvements.

• Oversee arrangements for identifying and managing threats to impartiality.
• Lead compliance and impartiality forums and monitor agreed actions.
• Lead or commission investigations into significant complaints, appeals, incidents and compliance concerns.
• Ensure investigations are independent, evidence-based and appropriately documented.
• Present findings and recommendations to authorised decision-makers.
• Identify recurring themes and ensure systemic risks are addressed.

• Develop meaningful compliance indicators, dashboards and reporting.
• Analyse trends, recurring issues, overdue actions and risk exposure.
• Prepare compliance and assurance information for management review and senior governance meetings.
• Use assurance data to identify and prioritise improvements.
• Monitor the effectiveness of completed actions and improvements.
• Support resource and capability planning for the compliance function.

• Build effective relationships across technical, operational, corporate and international teams.
• Provide coaching, guidance and clear expectations to colleagues undertaking compliance activities.
• Manage direct reports, including objectives, development and workload.
• Strengthen compliance capability across the wider business.
• Promote a culture where concerns are raised early and decisions are evidence-based.

What you’ll need to be successful

• Substantial relevant experience within an accredited certification body, accreditation environment, regulated assurance function or comparable governance role.
• Typically at least five years’ experience in compliance, quality, accreditation, certification or assurance.
• Experience leading a compliance, quality, accreditation or internal assurance programme.
• Strong practical knowledge of ISO/IEC 17021-1 and management-system certification.
• Experience coordinating accreditation assessments and responding to findings.
• Demonstrable experience managing an internal audit programme.
• Experience overseeing complex root-cause analysis, corrective actions and effectiveness reviews.
• Strong analytical, investigation, report-writing and compliance-reporting skills.
• Experience translating complex requirements into practical business controls.
• Credibility and confidence when advising and constructively challenging senior stakeholders.
• Strong professional judgement and the ability to make proportionate, risk-based decisions.
• Integrity, objectivity and a commitment to impartial and evidence-based decision-making.
• The ability to prioritise competing accreditation, operational and project demands.
• Clear written and verbal communication, with the ability to lead through influence.
• Experience developing others and building compliance capability.

• Experience working directly with UKAS or another recognised accreditation body.
• Knowledge of ISO/IEC 17065, ISO/IEC 17029 or ISO 14065.
• ISO 9001 Lead Auditor qualification.
• Lead Auditor qualification in ISO 14001, ISO 45001 or ISO/IEC 27001.
• Experience managing certification-body competence arrangements.
• Experience handling complaints, appeals or formal investigations.
• Experience supporting integrations, acquisitions or international operations.
• A relevant risk, compliance, quality, audit or project-management qualification.
• Membership of a relevant professional body.
• A degree-level qualification or equivalent senior professional experience.
• Strong SharePoint, Excel, reporting and data-visualisation skills.

What you'll get in return

• A response to your application within 15 working days
• An interview process consisting of:
  • An initial discovery call with the recruiter
  • A first stage interview via Microsoft Teams
  • Additional interview (likely face to face) with the stakeholders you’ll be working with closely in the role