Compliance Officer

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ESE European School of Economics

Compliance Officer

Full-Time No working from home possible

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Job Description

Job Title: Compliance Officer – Higher Education

Location: London, Marylebone near Bond Street

Hours: Part-time – approximately 2–3 days per week

Reports to: Head of Quality and Standards / Senior Management

Contract: Part-time

Role Purpose

The European School of Economics in London is seeking a highly organised and proactive Compliance Officer to support its new registration with the Office for Students (OfS).

This is an important role at an exciting stage in our development. The successful candidate will help establish and maintain the systems, records and internal processes required to ensure that we continue to meet iur regulatory obligations as an OfS-registered higher education provider.

The role will work closely with senior management, academic and administrative teams and the College’s governing body. It will suit someone who understands compliance and governance within UK higher education and who is comfortable translating regulatory requirements into practical actions, procedures and evidence.

The OfS requires registered providers to continue to satisfy the ongoing conditions of registration applicable to them, covering areas including quality and student outcomes, student interests, financial sustainability, governance and accountability. (Office for Students)

Key Responsibilities

Maintain an up-to-date OfS compliance framework and compliance calendar, identifying regulatory requirements, reporting deadlines, responsible individuals and evidence required.

Monitor the College’s ongoing compliance with the applicable OfS Conditions of Registration, highlighting areas of potential risk or non-compliance to senior management.

Maintain a central compliance evidence repository, ensuring that policies, minutes, reports, data, approvals and supporting documentation can be readily produced if required by the OfS or another regulatory body.

Track regulatory reporting requirements and coordinate the preparation and submission of returns, notifications and other information required by the OfS.

Monitor changes to OfS regulations, guidance and regulatory expectations and advise relevant colleagues of actions required.

Support senior management and the governing body in demonstrating effective oversight of regulatory compliance.

Prepare concise compliance reports for management and governance meetings, including a RAG-rated compliance and regulatory risk register.

Ensure that actions arising from compliance reviews, governing body meetings, audits or regulatory correspondence are recorded, assigned and followed through to completion.

Support the maintenance and periodic review of institutional policies and procedures, ensuring that they remain current, internally consistent and aligned with regulatory requirements.

Work with academic colleagues on evidence relating to academic quality, student support, engagement and outcomes, including the OfS B Conditions.

Liaise with Finance and senior management in relation to financial and regulatory reporting requirements, including evidence relevant to financial viability and sustainability.

Support compliance relating to student information, consumer protection, complaints and student protection requirements.

Assist in ensuring that information published to prospective and current students is accurate, clear and consistent with the College’s regulatory obligations.

Maintain records of key regulatory correspondence and ensure that requests from the OfS or other relevant bodies are responded to accurately and within required timescales.

Support preparation for any OfS monitoring exercise, regulatory assessment, audit or information request.

Promote a practical culture of compliance across the College, helping colleagues understand that regulatory compliance is an ongoing institutional responsibility rather than simply a periodic reporting exercise.

Personal Profile

The successful candidate will ideally have experience within a UK university, higher education college, awarding organisation, professional body or other regulated educational environment.

Essential

Experience of compliance, quality assurance, governance or regulatory administration.

Good understanding of the UK higher education regulatory environment.

Familiarity with the Office for Students and its role in regulating higher education providers in England.

Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple deadlines.

Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate documentary evidence.

Ability to interpret regulatory requirements and translate them into clear practical actions.

Strong written communication skills, including the ability to prepare concise reports for senior management.

Confidence working with colleagues across academic, administrative and financial functions.

Ability to work independently and identify issues requiring escalation.

High level of discretion when handling confidential or sensitive information.

Desirable

Direct experience working with an OfS-registered provider.

Familiarity with the OfS Conditions of Registration and regulatory reporting requirements.

Experience maintaining compliance registers, risk registers or governance records.

Experience supporting governing bodies, academic boards or committees.

Knowledge of higher education quality assurance, student protection, consumer protection and complaints procedures.

Experience of preparing regulatory returns or responding to requests from external regulatory bodies.

Understanding of higher education data and reporting requirements.

Personal Attributes

We are looking for someone who is methodical without being bureaucratic. The successful candidate should be able to establish clear systems, follow matters through to completion and build positive working relationships across a relatively small institution.

They should be comfortable asking questions, identifying gaps in documentation and reminding colleagues of deadlines, while adopting a constructive and solutions-focused approach.

Key Priorities During the First Six Months

As the College is newly registered with the OfS, the initial priorities will be to establish a comprehensive regulatory compliance calendar; map the applicable OfS Conditions of Registration against responsible staff, policies and evidence; create a central compliance evidence library; establish a regulatory risk register; review key institutional policies and governance documentation; establish a process for monitoring regulatory changes; and introduce regular compliance reporting to senior management and the governing body.

The objective is to ensure that the College moves from achieving OfS registration to maintaining demonstrable, embedded and well-documented ongoing compliance.

Salary: Competitive, dependent upon experience.

Working Pattern: Part-time, approximately 2–3 days per week, with some flexibility according to regulatory deadlines and institutional requirements.

Equal Opportunity Statement: The European School of Economics is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.