Group Compliance Manager in Chelmsford

Company - Pier Insurance Group is a pioneering and entrepreneurial company specialising in Gadget and Travel insurance as well as Ticket protection via TicketPlan Ltd. We have long established relationships with key business partners as well as growing our B2C brands ‘Loveit Coverit’ & ‘Mobile Phone Insurance Direct’. With 25+ years’ experience in our core sectors, we continue to lead the market with innovative solutions that put our customers first. Our company culture is built on a foundation of authenticity, transparency, and empowerment with a key focus on growth. At Pier, we encourage curiosity and innovation creating an atmosphere where creativity and forward-thinking are celebrated.

Overview - We are looking for an experienced Compliance Manager who brings genuine insurance industry knowledge alongside a practical, commercial mindset. This is not a ‘tick-box’ compliance position, we want someone who understands the realities of running a growing insurance business, can apply compliance requirements proportionately, and is as comfortable finding a pragmatic path forward as they are identifying a risk.

The role can be fulltime in the office, which is based in Shoeburyness, Essex, or 2 to 3 days office based. Reporting directly to the COO, this management role that sits at the heart of the business. The Group Compliance Manager will carry out the full range of day-to-day compliance activities, own the regulatory compliance framework, risk management responsibilities and the internal audit programme. They will maintain oversight of Complaints and provide governance across complex escalations, Root Cause Analysis outcomes and training follow-through.

Direct reports: Compliance Admin Assistant, Complaints Handler.

Key Responsibilities

• Regulatory Compliance & Governance
• Monitor, interpret and communicate all relevant legislative and regulatory developments impacting the business, including FCA, CBI and other applicable bodies.
• Maintain and update the Annual Compliance Framework, procedure manuals and conduct risk policies, ensuring they reflect current requirements including Consumer Duty, Product Oversight & Governance, and Fair Value.
• Develop and implement pragmatic, proportionate plans to address new or changing regulatory requirements, balancing risk management with business impact.
• Investigate compliance risks and issues, providing clear and actionable feedback with a focus on solutions, not just problems.
• Promptly identify and report any regulatory breaches in line with internal procedures.
• Prepare and submit regulatory returns accurately and on time.
• Support and manage audit and review processes with underwriters, the FCA and other regulatory bodies.
• Monitor and oversee sub-agents, ensuring conduct standards and regulatory requirements are met.
• Manage and complete Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs) within statutory timeframes, maintaining accurate records of all requests and responses.
• Ensure appropriate data protection policies, procedures and internal guidance are in place and kept up to date, and that any reportable data breaches are identified and escalated to the ICO where required.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the business’s insurance lines and operational processes to proactively identify and address compliance risks.
• Risk Management
• Own and maintain the risk register, ensuring risks are accurately recorded, assessed and updated on a regular basis.
• Identify emerging regulatory and conduct risks across the business, working with the COO and senior leadership to agree appropriate mitigating actions.
• Provide regular risk reporting to the COO, presenting a clear picture of the compliance risk landscape and any material changes.
• Ensure risk management principles are embedded within operational processes and decision-making across the business.
• Support the business in understanding its risk appetite and applying it consistently in day-to-day compliance decisions.
• Audit
• Lead the internal compliance audit programme, planning and executing reviews across key areas to assess the effectiveness of controls and regulatory adherence.
• Produce clear, well-evidenced audit reports with practical recommendations, tracking the implementation of agreed actions through to completion.
• Coordinate and support external audits and regulatory visits, acting as the primary point of contact and ensuring the business is well-prepared.
• Maintain oversight of the audit actions log, escalating where recommendations are not being implemented in a timely manner.
• Continuously review and improve the audit framework to reflect changes in the regulatory environment and business operations.
• Quality Assurance & Monitoring
• Oversee the quality assurance monitoring programme, ensuring customer-facing and operational activity is reviewed regularly to identify conduct risk and areas for improvement.
• Coordinate internal compliance reviews, tracking the implementation of recommendations and escalating where necessary.
• Prepare compliance updates and management information for the COO and senior leadership as required.
• Work proactively with operational teams to embed a culture where compliance is understood as an enabler, fostering proportionate and commercially aware conduct across the business.
• Complaints, RCA & Oversight
• Maintain oversight of the Complaints Function, ensuring it is operating effectively and in line with FCA requirements and Consumer Duty obligations, with day-to-day handling owned by the Complaints Lead.
• Oversee complex cases and formal escalations, ensuring that they are being managed to a sufficient standard by the relevant managers and intervening where necessary.
• Review Root Cause Analysis outputs produced by the Complaints Lead, ensuring themes and systemic issues are accurately identified and that corrective actions are being implemented across the business.
• Ensure that learning from complaints is being actively trained out by the Complaints Lead, providing oversight that feedback loops are closed and improvements are embedded in practice.
• Review complaints MI and RCA reports before submission to the COO, ensuring accuracy and that recommendations are proportionate and commercially considered.
• Oversee the maintenance of accurate complaint records and audit trails in line with regulatory requirements.
• Team Management
• Line manage the Compliance Administrator and Complaints Handler, providing day-to-day support, performance oversight and regular one-to-ones.
• Foster a positive, collaborative team environment with a shared commitment to high standards and continuous improvement.
• Any other tasks that fall within the remit of the Compliance and Complaints functions.

Experience Required

• Essential
• Minimum of 4–5 years’ experience in a compliance role, with a strong background in the insurance industry — this is essential.
• Sound, practical knowledge of FCA regulatory requirements relevant to insurance, including Consumer Duty, Complaints, Product Oversight & Governance, and Fair Value.
• A demonstrably commercial approach: able to apply compliance requirements proportionately, assess risk in the context of a growing business, and identify workable paths forward rather than defaulting to the most restrictive interpretation.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex regulatory requirements and translate them into clear, practical guidance.
• Experience of line managing or supervising others, with the confidence to guide and develop a small team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present compliance matters clearly to non-specialist colleagues and senior stakeholders.
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams and competing priorities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Desirable
• Experience with CBI (Central Bank of Ireland) requirements and cross-border EEA distribution.
• Relevant professional qualification (e.g. ICA Certificate or Diploma in Compliance, CII, or equivalent).
• Familiarity with sub-agent oversight and delegated authority arrangements.
• Experience in a multi-brand or multi-product insurance environment.
• Familiarity with complaints oversight in a regulated environment, including FCA complaint-handling rules.