Commercial Operations Director - Copy & Compliance in London

Your role - Commercial Operations Director – Copy & Compliance

As Commercial Operations Director – Copy & Compliance, you will provide strategic leadership for Global’s commercial copy approval and compliance responsibilities. Working in partnership with Legal, Commercial, Sales, Editorial and Operations, you will set the standards, governance and capability that enable the business to deliver compliant commercial advertising across broadcast, outdoor and digital platforms.

You will ensure the Copy Approval teams have the knowledge, training, frameworks and support needed to apply advertising regulations consistently and confidently. By embedding robust governance, driving continuous improvement and developing team capability, you’ll ensure compliance supports commercial innovation, protects Global’s reputation and enables operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Commercial Copy Standards & Governance (35%) Set the strategic direction, standards and expectations for commercial copy approval across broadcast, outdoor and digital platforms. Ensure Copy Approval teams are equipped with the training, guidance and tools they need to apply regulation consistently. Establish governance, quality assurance and decision-making frameworks, and act as the senior escalation point for complex or high-risk compliance matters.
• Legal Partnership & Regulatory Compliance (25%) Partner with Legal and relevant governing bodies so that legislative changes, advertising codes and regulatory guidance are embedded into standards, policies, training and processes. Work closely with senior Programming, Operations and Legal leads to ensure a consistent and aligned approach to regulatory compliance. Keep governance frameworks current and aligned to regulation, industry best practice and business priorities. Identify emerging risks and implement appropriate controls, capability plans and mitigation strategies, including for new commercial products, formats and platforms.
• Leadership & Capability Development (20%) Lead and develop Global’s Commercial Copy Approval expertise, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability and continuous learning. Define and maintain a clear capability framework, ensuring colleagues receive effective onboarding, training and ongoing development. Champion knowledge sharing and clear communication of regulatory updates, while supporting succession planning and career progression. Lead collaboration across business functions to maintain and identify new ways to train, communicate and embed copy management best practice.
• Business Partnership & Continuous Improvement (20%) Partner with Commercial, Sales, Legal, Editorial, Product and Operations to embed compliance into campaign planning and commercial innovation. Drive continuous improvement across copy approval processes, quality assurance and ways of working. Use reporting and insight to identify trends, improve consistency and enhance performance, ensuring compliance is seen as a trusted, solutions-focused partner.

What you'll love about this role

• Think Big: Shape Global’s commercial copy approval strategy across broadcast, outdoor and digital, ensuring governance keeps pace with new products, technologies and advertising opportunities — and enables innovation and growth.
• Own It: Own the training approach, standards, governance and capability that underpin commercial copy approval, giving the business the confidence to deliver compliant campaigns at pace.
• Keep it Simple: Turn complex regulatory requirements into clear standards, policies and training, and simplify approval processes while maintaining high compliance standards.
• Better Together: Build trusted partnerships with Legal, Commercial, Sales, Editorial, Product and Operations, while developing and supporting high-performing Copy Approval teams through coaching, collaboration and continuous learning.

What success looks like

• Established yourself as the strategic lead for Commercial Copy & Compliance across Global.
• Strengthened governance, standards and quality assurance across the Copy Approval teams.
• Brought strong partnerships with Legal, key stakeholders and governing bodies so regulatory updates are embedded into policies, training and operations.
• Reviewed and enhanced onboarding, training and capability development within Copy Approval.
• Improved reporting and QA to give greater visibility of performance and emerging risks.
• Identified opportunities to simplify processes while maintaining the highest regulatory standards.
• Supported the rollout of new commercial products and formats with appropriate governance, training and compliance frameworks.

What you'll need

The ideal candidate will be proactive and willing to develop and implement innovative solutions, capable of the following:

• Significant leadership experience in advertising compliance, commercial copy approval, media regulation or a related governance environment.
• Expert knowledge of UK advertising regulation across broadcast, outdoor and digital.
• Experience working with Legal and governing bodies to embed regulatory requirements into policies, governance and team capability.
• Strong understanding of governance, quality assurance, risk management and continuous improvement.
• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams through coaching, capability building and succession planning.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across the business.
• Strong commercial awareness, balancing regulatory requirements with business objectives.
• Experience using reporting, insight and operational metrics to improve quality, consistency and performance.