Compliance Manager in Sunderland

An established and growing financial services business is looking to appoint a Compliance Manager to join its Compliance & Audit function in Gateshead. Reporting directly to the Head of Compliance & Audit, this is a broad and hands-on compliance role offering exposure across regulatory compliance, conduct risk, complaints, Consumer Duty, appointed representatives, monitoring, governance and operational risk.

You'll play an important role in maintaining and developing an effective, risk-based compliance framework while providing practical advice and constructive challenge to colleagues, senior management and appointed representatives. This would suit an experienced compliance professional who enjoys a varied role and wants the opportunity to make a genuine impact rather than operating within a narrow compliance specialism.

Key duties:

• Identify, investigate, record and escalate actual or potential regulatory breaches, conduct issues, control failures and material risks.
• Manage complaints and expressions of dissatisfaction in line with FCA DISP requirements, ensuring fair, evidence-based outcomes and appropriate consideration of redress.
• Undertake root-cause analysis and produce management information relating to complaints and emerging trends.
• Support the implementation and ongoing monitoring of Consumer Duty, including products and services, price and value, consumer understanding and consumer support.
• Provide practical, proportionate compliance advice and constructive challenge to senior management, business teams and appointed representatives.
• Support the delivery of a risk-based compliance monitoring programme, including thematic reviews, file audits, control testing and remediation tracking.
• Act as a key compliance contact for the business's Appointed Representatives (ARs), overseeing their ongoing compliance with FCA requirements, contractual obligations and internal standards.
• Support risk-based AR onboarding, due diligence, annual reviews, ongoing monitoring and remediation.
• Assist with fitness and propriety assessments, competence and resource reviews and, where necessary, the orderly termination of AR relationships.
• Maintain and develop compliance policies, procedures, registers and records to ensure they remain current and aligned with applicable FCA requirements and legislation.
• Produce high-quality compliance MI and monthly reporting, covering breaches, complaints, key risk indicators, monitoring outcomes, overdue actions and emerging risks.
• Present findings, trends and recommendations to senior management and relevant governance forums.
• Support SM&CR governance, including Conduct Rules awareness, responsibility records and fitness and propriety/certification processes.
• Support the identification and mitigation of financial crime risks, including fraud, bribery and corruption, sanctions and money laundering.
• Assist with the management of the Compliance Inbox, ensuring matters are dealt with accurately and within required timescales.
• Keep up to date with regulatory developments, including PRIN, Consumer Duty, SYSC, ICOBS, PROD, DISP, SUP, CASS 5, SM&CR and FCA Conduct Rules.
• Contribute to ad hoc compliance, risk, governance and audit projects as required.

Key requirements:

• Solid experience working within compliance, risk, governance or audit in an FCA-regulated financial services environment.
• Substantial experience in a compliance, risk, governance or audit role within FCA-regulated financial services.
• Experience undertaking compliance monitoring or assurance reviews and managing identified issues through to resolution.
• Strong knowledge of UK financial services regulation and a commitment to ongoing professional development.
• Experience producing compliance MI, reports and trend analysis for senior stakeholders.
• The confidence to engage with and constructively challenge senior management and business teams.
• Experience supervising, coaching or coordinating the work of others.
• Strong regulatory analysis, investigation and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into practical, proportionate advice.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• High levels of integrity, professional scepticism, attention to detail and sound judgement.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, together with relevant compliance systems.

Ideally, you'll also have:

• Experience in one or more of the following would be particularly advantageous: Appointed Representative oversight or experience working with a regulated distribution network.
• General insurance and/or pure protection.
• Consumer Duty, ICOBS, PROD, DISP, SUP or CASS 5.
• Financial crime controls, including fraud, AML, sanctions and bribery & corruption.
• SM&CR and FCA Conduct Rules.
• Regulatory engagement.
• Compliance monitoring, case management or regulatory reporting systems.
• Advanced Excel and data analysis, including dashboards and trend reporting.
• A relevant professional qualification such as Cert CII, Dip CII or ICA, or demonstrable progress towards one.
• Experience delivering compliance training or presentations.