Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Chief of Compliance

🎯 Role Definition

The Chief of Compliance is a senior executive charged with designing, implementing, and continuously improving an enterprise-wide compliance program that ensures the organization meets all applicable laws, regulations, industry standards, and internal policies. This role leads cross-functional teams, partners with legal, risk, audit, and business units, engages with regulators, oversees investigations and remediation, and provides transparent reporting to the CEO and Board. The Chief of Compliance is accountable for embedding a strong compliance culture across the organization and for aligning compliance strategy to business priorities while minimizing regulatory, financial, and reputational risk.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Head of Compliance / Senior Compliance Officer
General Counsel or Deputy General Counsel with regulatory focus
Head of Regulatory Affairs or Head of Risk

Advancement To:

Chief Legal Officer / General Counsel
Chief Risk Officer
Board member / Chair of Audit or Compliance Committee
CEO (from strong governance and risk leadership background)

Lateral Moves:

Head of Ethics & Compliance
Head of Internal Audit
Head of Regulatory Affairs
Head of Enterprise Risk Management

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop and own the enterprise compliance framework: design policies, standards, procedures, and controls that map to applicable laws and regulations (e.g., AML/KYC, FCPA/anti‑bribery, SOX, GDPR/CCPA, HIPAA, PCI‑DSS, market conduct and industry‑specific mandates).
Lead the compliance strategy and roadmap with measurable objectives and KPIs that align with corporate strategy, risk appetite, and regulatory expectations; prioritize initiatives based on risk assessments and business impact.
Establish and maintain a risk‑based compliance monitoring and testing program, leveraging data analytics and continuous monitoring to detect, escalate, and remediate compliance gaps.
Manage regulatory engagement: act as primary contact for regulators, support examinations and inquiries, coordinate responses, and negotiate remediation timelines and corrective actions.
Oversee investigations into potential compliance violations, misconduct, and whistleblower reports; ensure investigations are timely, objective, documented, and that remediation and discipline are implemented appropriately.
Design and implement a comprehensive training and communications program for employees, contractors, and leaders on compliance obligations, code of conduct, policy updates, and emerging risks.
Build, lead, and develop a high‑performing compliance team (including specialists in investigations, monitoring, data analytics, privacy, trade sanctions, and regulatory filings); define org structure, hiring, and succession plans.
Lead third‑party and vendor compliance programs: implement due diligence, contractual controls, ongoing monitoring, and remediation processes to reduce supplier and partner risk.
Implement and govern enterprise sanctions, watchlist screening, and export control processes to ensure compliance with OFAC, EU/UK sanctions regimes, and export licensing requirements.
Oversee anti‑money laundering (AML) and Know‑Your‑Customer (KYC) controls where applicable; ensure policies, transaction monitoring, escalation, and SAR/STR filings meet regulatory standards.
Partner with Legal, Finance, and Internal Audit on SOX controls, remediation of audit findings, and coordination of testing to ensure effective internal control over financial reporting.
Provide timely, insightful, and executive‑level reporting to the CEO, Executive Committee and Board/Board committees on compliance posture, risk trends, incidents, investigations, regulatory developments and remediation progress.
Drive privacy and data protection compliance, collaborating with Data Privacy Officer or legal to operationalize GDPR/CCPA obligations, DPIAs, cross‑border transfers, and vendor data processing agreements.
Integrate compliance into M&A, product development and go‑to‑market activities: conduct diligence, advise on regulatory risk for transactions, and lead post‑close compliance integration.
Develop and maintain a robust ethics program and whistleblower hotline, ensuring protections, anonymous reporting options, and appropriate follow‑through on allegations.
Establish metrics, dashboards and root‑cause analysis to measure program effectiveness, demonstrate ROI of compliance investments, and support continuous improvement.
Manage the compliance budget, vendor relationships (compliance/GRC technology, investigators, external counsel), and procurement of compliance solutions to scale monitoring and case management.
Ensure business units implement required controls and deliver consistent, documented attestations and evidence during audits and regulatory reviews.
Create and update policies and playbooks for crisis management and regulatory escalations; lead compliance response during significant incidents (data breaches, major investigations, regulatory enforcement).
Maintain deep subject‑matter expertise in evolving regulatory frameworks and industry best practices; proactively advise the business on upcoming regulatory changes and the operational impact.

Secondary Functions

Advise commercial and product teams on contract terms, promotional and advertising compliance, labeling and claims, and regulatory risk mitigation during product launches.
Coordinate with Public Affairs and Communications on regulatory messaging, crisis communications, and compliance disclosures to external stakeholders.
Engage external counsel and compliance consultants as needed to supplement internal capabilities and to support complex enforcement matters.
Support ethics and culture initiatives—lead awareness campaigns, executive training sessions, and role‑model programs to reinforce tone from the top.
Participate in strategic planning forums to ensure compliance is embedded in growth initiatives, new market entries, and digital transformation programs.
Maintain membership and participation in relevant industry groups, regulatory roundtables, and professional organizations to influence and stay informed on regulatory trends.
Contribute to cross‑functional incident response and cyber‑incident playbooks for effective coordination between security, IT, legal and compliance teams.
Produce or oversee preparation of mandatory regulatory filings, annual compliance certifications, and periodic reports required by regulators and industry bodies.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Expert knowledge of regulatory regimes: AML/KYC, FCPA/UKBA, SOX, GDPR/CCPA, HIPAA, PCI‑DSS, sanctions (OFAC), market conduct and industry‑specific regulations.
Policy and procedure development, governance frameworks, and internal control design.
Compliance monitoring and testing methodologies, audit coordination and remediation management.
Investigations and case management—experience with whistleblower processes, evidence handling, interviewing, and documentation.
Third‑party risk management and vendor due diligence processes.
GRC and compliance technology proficiency (e.g., RSA Archer, MetricStream, NAVEX, Convercent, LogicGate, SAI360) and data analytics tools for monitoring (SQL, Tableau, Power BI).
Privacy and data protection expertise, including DPIAs, data mapping, and cross‑border data transfer mechanisms.
Financial controls knowledge including SOX control testing and coordination with external auditors.
Sanctions and export controls screening tools and transaction monitoring platforms.
Regulatory reporting and regulatory engagement experience, including handling examinations and enforcement matters.
M&A compliance due diligence and post‑merger integration of compliance programs.
Certifications (preferred): CCEP, CAMS, CISA, CISSP, CIA, CPA, JD or LLM for complex legal/regulatory environments.

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership: ability to set vision, influence senior leaders, and execute multi‑year compliance roadmaps.
Strong communicator: clear, concise reporting to Boards, regulators, and frontline teams; persuasive advisor to business partners.
High integrity and ethical judgment; trusted advisor who models “tone from the top.”
Critical thinker and problem solver with strong analytical and prioritization skills.
Political savvy and stakeholder management—navigates complex organizational and regulatory environments.
Resilient under pressure and experienced in crisis and enforcement response.
Coaching and talent development—builds teams, delegates, and mentors high performers.
Collaborative mindset with strong cross‑functional partnership skills.
Attention to detail balanced with the ability to operate at a strategic level.
Change management skills to drive culture shift and adoption of controls across the enterprise.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Law, Business, Finance, Accounting, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Laws (LLM), MBA, or advanced degree in compliance, risk or privacy.
Relevant professional certifications: CCEP, CAMS, CISA, CISSP, CIA, CPA, or equivalent.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Law
Business Administration
Finance / Accounting
Information Security / Cybersecurity
Risk Management / Regulatory Affairs

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

12–20+ years of progressive compliance, legal or regulatory experience, including significant time in regulated industries (financial services, healthcare, pharma, technology, energy).

Preferred:

15+ years with at least 5–10 years in senior leadership roles (Head of Compliance, Chief Compliance Officer, Deputy GC with compliance portfolio).
Demonstrated track record of building and scaling enterprise compliance programs, managing regulatory examinations and enforcement matters, and leading cross‑functional teams in complex, fast‑growing organizations.