Contracts & Compliance Lead / Manager – Global Recruitment.
Our office is based in Richmond, just 8 minutes from Clapham Junction.
Help shape the contracts and compliance function behind Ellis Group’s global growth. At Ellis Group, we operate in a fast-moving, international recruitment environment, working with clients, candidates and contractors across multiple markets. As we continue to expand our global sales operations, we’re looking for an experienced Contracts & Compliance Lead / Manager to take ownership of our contracts and compliance function and help ensure our growth is both commercially effective and compliant.
Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, this is a highly visible, hands-on role with genuine influence across the business. You will work closely with Sales, Finance, Operations, contractors, clients, suppliers and external legal advisers, helping us navigate the complexities of contractor engagement across the UK, US, mainland Europe and new international territories. This role would suit someone who combines deep recruitment compliance knowledge with a practical, solutions-focused mindset. We are not looking for someone who simply identifies risk, we want someone who can understand the commercial objective, determine how we can achieve it compliantly and put the right solution in place.
The Role
You will take ownership of our contracts and compliance operation while remaining closely involved in the day-to-day detail.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Owning the full contract lifecycle, from drafting and execution through to extensions, renewals and completion.
- Ensuring contracts, contractor records and supporting documentation are accurate, complete and appropriately maintained.
- Ensuring new business is structured in line with the appropriate compliance frameworks across the UK, US and mainland Europe.
- Providing practical guidance on recruitment compliance matters, including Off-Payroll Working (IR35) regulations, US Worker Classification and international contractor engagement.
- Supporting IR35 assessments and reassessments and ensuring the appropriate processes and documentation are followed.
- Supporting W-8 determinations and relevant US contractor requirements.
- Managing and developing relationships with third-party suppliers, EOR and W-2 providers, including onboarding and ongoing compliance monitoring.
- Monitoring third-party suppliers against agreed compliance standards and reporting key findings and risks to the Senior Leadership Team.
- Managing customer and supplier setup processes, including client portals and manual onboarding requirements.
- Liaising with external legal advisers to ensure our processes remain aligned with regulatory requirements and best practice.
- Keeping up to date with changing employment, tax and contractor legislation globally and translating changes into practical actions for the business.
- Researching and developing compliant engagement models to support Sales as Ellis Group enters new territories and markets.
- Working closely with Sales to find practical, compliant solutions for new business opportunities.
- Overseeing contractor compliance processes and ensuring required documentation is completed, accurate and appropriately stored.
- Maintaining accurate information across Bullhorn CRM, RSM InTime and internal compliance records.
- Overseeing timesheet administration, contractor onboarding, approver setup and ongoing system maintenance through RSM InTime.
- Supporting contractor queries relating to contracts, compliance, payments and timesheets.
- Managing purchase order processes and ensuring appropriate controls are followed.
- Supporting the review and renewal of global recruitment insurance policies.
- Continuously reviewing contracts, compliance processes and workflows to improve accuracy, efficiency, consistency and scalability.
What we are Looking For
This role requires someone with strong, practical experience of contracts and compliance within the recruitment industry.
You will ideally bring:
- A minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience in contracts, contractor management and compliance, ideally within a global recruitment or staffing agency.
- Strong knowledge of recruitment industry compliance and the practical application of relevant tax and employment legislation.
- Good working knowledge of IR35 / Off-Payroll Working regulations in the UK and Worker Classification in the US.
- Experience supporting contractor engagement across multiple jurisdictions.
- The ability to research and understand compliance requirements when entering new international markets.
- Experience working with third-party suppliers, EOR and W-2 providers.
- Experience with RSM InTime and Bullhorn CRM would be a significant advantage.
- Strong commercial awareness and the ability to balance compliance requirements with the needs of a growing sales organisation.
- Confidence working with senior stakeholders, clients, suppliers and external legal advisers.
- Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong Microsoft Office and Excel skills with exceptional attention to detail.
- A proactive approach to technology, systems and process improvement.
The Person We are Looking For
You will be someone who is comfortable rolling up your sleeves and getting involved, while also being able to step back and see how the contracts and compliance function needs to evolve as the business grows. You will be proactive rather than reactive. When legislation changes, you will want to understand what it means for the business. When Sales wants to enter a new market, you will help establish how we can do it compliantly. When a process isn’t working efficiently, you will look for a better way. Most importantly, you’ll understand that great compliance should protect the business while enabling growth.
Why Ellis Group?
This is an opportunity to play an important role in the next stage of Ellis Group’s international growth. With direct exposure to the CFO and Senior Leadership Team, you will have the opportunity to influence how we operate globally, strengthen our existing frameworks and help build a contracts and compliance function capable of supporting an increasingly international business. You will also be joining a team built around our core values:
Collaborative. Connected. Ethical. Engaged. If you are an experienced recruitment contracts and compliance professional who enjoys combining technical expertise, commercial thinking and hands-on delivery, we’d love to hear from you.
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