Contingent Worker Onboarding & Compliance Lead (Fixed Term Contract)

The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading news organisations, globally recognised for its authority, integrity and accuracy, with a mission to deliver quality information and services worldwide.

At the FT, curiosity thrives and ambitious thinking is rewarded. Here, you’re given the chance to reach millions, create work that matters and deliver impartial journalism in a polarised world. In our warm, collaborative culture, you’ll connect with a diverse community of experts who support your growth, career aspirations and wellbeing. Your future at the FT will be filled with opportunities that challenge and inspire you. With no fixed path, you’ll discover new skills and forge a career that can take you anywhere.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We believe in the power of unique perspectives and want all voices in our organisation to be heard, respected and valued. A supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be themselves and operate to their full potential. We are committed to removing barriers for everyone, with a focus on addressing those faced by underrepresented groups.

The Role

The FT is looking for a Contingent Worker Onboarding & Compliance Lead to research, design and implement a centralised and consistent approach to onboarding and offboarding contingent workers globally, including contractors, freelancers and other non-permanent resources. Working across FT People and in close partnership with Technology, Cyber Security, Finance and other teams, you will strengthen our Joiner–Mover–Leaver (JML) processes and ensure appropriate vetting, access controls and compliance are embedded throughout the contingent worker lifecycle.

This is a hands‑on, delivery‑focused role that will balance robust controls with legitimate business needs. You will identify and address gaps in existing processes, establish clearer accountability and visibility, and design a sustainable governance model for the long‑term management of the FT’s contingent workforce. A key measure of success will be leaving behind processes, guidance and ownership that can operate effectively beyond the 9-month FTC.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement and embed a standardised onboarding and off‑boarding framework for contingent workers across the FT, covering contractors, freelancers and other flexible resource arrangements.
• Establish consistent JML controls aligned with People, Technology, Finance and Cyber Security requirements, ensuring they are practical, proportionate, auditable and consistently applied.
• Define minimum vetting requirements and ensure screening and onboarding controls align with the level of system and network access required.
• Develop clear processes for managing legitimate exceptions, ensuring associated risks are understood, mitigated and appropriately approved.
• Identify and map the different routes through which contingent workers gain access to FT systems and networks, assess associated risks and recommend solutions to address control gaps.
• Partner with Technology, Cyber Security and People teams to simplify and standardise access pathways.
• Create and maintain a central, accurate record of contingent worker engagements, with clear ownership for data integrity and visibility of vetting, access and compliance status.
• Establish a clear accountability and governance model for the ongoing management of the contingent workforce, including ownership, oversight and periodic review.
• Work closely with stakeholders across Editorial, Technology PMO, Identity & Access Management, IT Service Desk, PeopleTech, People Services, Finance and Cyber Security to embed the new approach.
• Partner with Legal and Procurement to review and strengthen relevant supplier contracts and work with the FT’s main suppliers to support adherence to agreed vetting and compliance standards.
• Produce clear documentation, guidance and handover materials to support sustainable BAU ownership.
• Design and deliver guidance and training for hiring managers and key stakeholders, helping ensure new processes, roles and responsibilities are understood and consistently adopted.

Required Skills and Experience

• Proven experience managing contractor or contingent workforce onboarding and off‑boarding within a complex organisation.
• Strong understanding of vetting, screening, access control and compliance requirements, including experience working with external screening providers.
• Ability to assess risk pragmatically and translate requirements into workable processes and controls, including appropriate exception handling.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge non‑compliance constructively and work effectively across different functions.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to take ownership and operate autonomously.
• Ability to develop clear processes, governance, documentation and guidance that can be embedded and sustained beyond the initial implementation.
• Experience within a media or technology environment.
• Familiarity with identity and access management concepts.
• Experience working with HRIS systems, service desks or workforce tracking tools.
• Experience using Workday and Okta.

What's in it for You?

Our benefits vary by location but we are committed to providing best‑in‑class perks across all our offices. These include generous annual leave, medical cover, inclusive parental leave packages, subsidised gym memberships and opportunities to give back to the community. Full details of our benefits are available here.

We currently operate a hybrid model which requires staff to work onsite 50% of the time, subject to role requirements & regular review. While flexible working requests will be considered, not all patterns are suitable for all roles. We believe this balanced approach supports flexibility and protects our culture, making collaboration and communication easier, building stronger relationships and team cohesion, and supporting peer learning. We reserve discretion on reasonable notice to change this approach either generally or for specific individuals or teams.

Accessibility

We are a disability confident employer and Valuable 500 signatory. Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments/personalisation as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you would like to discuss your requirements or have any questions, email talent@ft.com and a member of our team will be happy to help.

Further Information

At the FT, we embrace innovation and the use of technology and appreciate that individuals may leverage AI tools as part of their job application process. Whilst we are happy for you to use AI to assist with your application, it is essential that all information provided is authentic and accurately represents your skills, experience, and qualifications.

Candidates should be aware that the use of AI throughout the application process may be monitored to ensure a fair and transparent hiring process for all.

Optional Additional Information

As part of the FT’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, in this section we ask for information to help us measure the effectiveness of our equal opportunity policies. This information is voluntary and your application will not be treated differently based on whether or not you provide these details. Your information will be stored separately to your application on our recruitment system, with safeguards in place to ensure that your data is kept secure and treated confidentially. Hiring managers and recruiters cannot see this information on an individual basis. We may use the data in an anonymised form for reporting purposes or as required to comply with statutory reporting requirements, depending on your location.