Risk and Compliance Manager

Contract: Full Time (37.5 Hours), Monday to Friday, Permanent

Reports to: Director

Key Relationships: Senior Leadership Team, Trustees

Location: Remote (with occasional travel for team meetings throughout the year)

Start Date: ASAP

Summary

Lead on risk and compliance for CNN, ensuring the organisation operates with transparency, accountability, and integrity. Oversee compliance reviews, due diligence, policy development and risk management systems. Provide assurance to Directors, Trustees and donors that CNN is compliant with relevant regulations, ethical standards and donor requirements.

Principal Duties

• Operations
  • Oversee the development and maintenance of CNN’s risk register, ensuring organisational, financial and programme risks are identified, assessed and managed.
  • Facilitate staff workshops and training sessions to embed awareness of compliance, ethics and risk management across the organisation.
  • Monitor incidents and vulnerabilities, ensuring learning and adaptation inform organisational practice.
• Regulatory & Donor Compliance
  • Conduct internal compliance reviews and spot checks to ensure adherence to donor requirements, charity law and internal policies.
  • Ensure compliance with safeguarding, anti-fraud, anti-bribery, anti-terrorism, sanctions (e.g. OFSI), GDPR and other regulatory frameworks.
  • Provide compliance input during programme design, proposal development and donor reporting processes.
  • Support the preparation of statutory accounts, working alongside external accountants and auditors.
  • Ensure that standards align with charity-sector good practice, including SORP compliance where applicable.
• Due Diligence Oversight
  • Lead due diligence checks for partners, contractors, grantees and suppliers, ensuring processes are robust, documented and risk-based.
  • Monitor follow-up actions from due diligence reviews and maintain up-to-date records.
  • Continuously improve CNN’s due diligence tools, supporting staff to complete and apply checks consistently.
• Training & Capacity Building
  • Deliver compliance and ethics induction for all new staff.
  • Provide refresher training and awareness sessions on risk management, donor compliance, safeguarding and other key areas.
  • Support programme and fundraising teams to strengthen their compliance and risk management practices.
• Reporting & Advice
  • Prepare regular compliance and risk reports for the Directors, Senior Leadership Team and Trustees, highlighting key risks, trends and mitigation.
  • Provide clear advice and support to staff on compliance issues, ethical dilemmas and practical risk management.
  • Escalate significant risks or non-compliance concerns in a timely and transparent manner.
• Regulatory & Administrative
  • Liaise with external advisers on governance filings (e.g. confirmation statements, director updates).
  • Support preparation of returns (e.g. funder financial reports or compliance forms).
  • Support coordination of organisational insurance policies including professional indemnity, cyber security, trustee liability and other operational covers.
• Board
  • Provide Trustees with regular updates on organisational risk, compliance and governance.
  • Support the Board in understanding compliance risks, obligations and emerging trends.

Person Specification

• Qualifications
  • Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline.
  • Compliance or risk-related certification (e.g. ICA, IRM) desirable.
• Essential Experience
  • Minimum of 3 years’ experience in compliance, risk management or audit in the charity/NGO sector.
  • Proven experience implementing and monitoring compliance frameworks.
  • Experience in due diligence, risk registers and compliance reviews.
  • Experience reporting to senior management and/or trustees.
• Knowledge & Skills
  • Strong knowledge of UK charity regulations, donor compliance and governance requirements.
  • Understanding of safeguarding, GDPR and anti-fraud/anti-bribery frameworks.
  • Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify risks and recommend solutions.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to explain compliance issues clearly to non-specialists.
  • Proficiency in Excel and confidence using digital systems for policy tracking and compliance reporting.
• Personal Attributes
  • High integrity and discretion, committed to confidentiality and professional ethics.
  • Culturally aware, with the ability to work effectively across international contexts.
  • Proactive, solutions-focused and confident in flagging risks early.
  • Strong alignment with CNN’s mission and values.
  • Willingness to travel occasionally for compliance or training activities.

Please note that applications not meeting the essential criteria will not be shortlisted. This job description is not exhaustive and is intended as a guide to the role. It will be reviewed periodically and may be amended to meet the evolving needs of Children Not Numbers.

Version Created September 2025.