Head of Compliance and HR in St Albans

Location: St Albans, Hertfordshire

Salary: Competitive, based on experience

Working Days: Monday to Friday

Working Hours: 08:00 to 17:00

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and commercially focused Head of Compliance and HR to join our recruitment business and play a key leadership role in maintaining the highest standards of operational compliance, governance, people management and client assurance. Reporting directly to the Directors, this role will be responsible for leading the compliance and HR function across the business, ensuring that our policies, procedures, systems and working practices remain legally compliant, auditable, practical and aligned to the needs of our clients, candidates and internal teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage and continuously improve the company’s compliance and HR framework across all areas of the recruitment operation.
• Ensure compliance with relevant employment legislation, recruitment industry regulations, agency worker requirements, client contractual obligations and internal governance standards.
• Oversee HR policies, employee relations processes, disciplinary and grievance matters, absence management, onboarding, training and performance-related processes.
• Manage and maintain auditable systems, records, risk registers, process documentation and internal controls to support client audits and external accreditation requirements.
• Lead on ISO 9001 quality management processes, ensuring continuous improvement, process consistency, customer satisfaction and effective corrective action management.
• Lead on ISO 27001 information security requirements, ensuring appropriate controls are in place to protect company, client, candidate and worker data.
• Support the Directors with strategic compliance planning, risk management, operational governance and business improvement initiatives.
• Prepare for and manage client audits, supplier reviews, accreditation assessments and internal compliance checks.
• Work closely with operational teams to ensure compliance processes are embedded, understood and followed consistently across all branches and client accounts.
• Maintain awareness of changes in employment law, data protection, recruitment compliance, quality standards and information security requirements, ensuring the business remains proactive and protected.

Compliance Responsibilities

• Maintain and develop the company’s compliance framework across recruitment operations, ensuring all processes meet legal, contractual, regulatory and audit requirements.
• Oversee right-to-work processes, worker onboarding, compliance checks, training records, licence and qualification verification, and ongoing eligibility monitoring.
• Ensure policies, procedures and working practices remain aligned with recruitment legislation, agency worker requirements, client contractual standards and industry best practice.
• Lead internal audits, branch compliance reviews, corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives to ensure consistent standards across the business.
• Manage external audits, client compliance reviews and accreditation requirements, including ISO 9001 quality management and ISO 27001 information security standards.
• Maintain effective document control, data protection processes, risk assessments, business continuity arrangements and incident reporting procedures.

HR Responsibilities

• Lead the HR function across the business, providing professional advice and practical support to Directors, managers and operational teams.
• Manage employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, absence, capability, performance and conduct processes in line with company policy and employment legislation.
• Review, update and maintain HR policies, contracts, handbooks, templates and procedures to ensure they are legally compliant, commercially practical and consistently applied.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, induction, training, development and retention initiatives for internal employees.
• Provide guidance on organisational structure, workforce planning, succession planning, management capability and employee engagement.
• Promote a positive, compliant and professional working culture that supports operational delivery, client service and continuous improvement.

Experience and Skills Required

• Proven experience in a senior compliance, HR, governance or operational risk role, ideally within a recruitment, staffing, logistics, industrial, driving or regulated service environment.
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment legislation, HR best practice, recruitment compliance and agency worker processes.
• CIPD qualification, or demonstrable equivalent HR experience, is desirable.
• Experience of managing audits, client assurance processes, accreditations, policies, procedures and compliance frameworks.
• Practical knowledge and experience of ISO 9001 quality management systems and ISO 27001 information security management systems.
• Strong understanding of data protection, confidentiality, information security, risk assessment and document control.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence Directors, managers, operational teams, clients and external auditors.
• Highly organised, detail-focused and confident in managing competing priorities in a fast-paced recruitment environment.
• Ability to turn compliance requirements into practical, workable processes that support operational delivery.
• Commercial awareness and the confidence to provide clear, balanced and pragmatic advice to senior stakeholders.

The Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will be a confident, professional and solutions-focused leader who understands the importance of balancing compliance, commercial needs and people management. You will be comfortable operating at senior level, advising Directors, supporting managers and ensuring the business is protected while continuing to deliver a responsive and high-quality service to clients.

What We Offer

• A senior leadership role within an established recruitment business.
• Direct reporting line into the Directors with real influence over business standards and strategy.
• The opportunity to shape and strengthen compliance, HR, quality and information security frameworks.
• A varied and fast-paced role working across people, process, governance and client assurance.
• A professional environment where high standards, integrity and continuous improvement are valued.

How to Apply

If you are an experienced compliance and HR professional with a strong understanding of recruitment operations, ISO 9001 and ISO 27001, we would welcome your application.