Senior Compliance Specialist - Compliance Advisory, Technology & Resilience | Manchester, UK

We are seeking a highly capable Senior Compliance Specialist - Compliance Advisory, Technology and Resilience to partner with Vanguard Europe's key enterprise functions (Operations, IT, Cyber Security) to provide proactive, commercially minded compliance advice, guidance, and oversight. This role plays a critical part in enhancing resilience, strengthening third-party and technology risk management, and embedding robust cybersecurity and AI governance practices. You will drive forward the Enterprise Compliance Programme by identifying, evaluating, and mitigating regulatory and operational compliance risks, ensuring Vanguard maintains an effective, future-ready risk posture aligned with emerging threats and evolving regulatory expectations.

Key Responsibilities

• Compliance Advisory & Oversight: Serve as a trusted adviser to enterprise functions, offering high-quality, value-adding compliance advice across resilience, cyber security, third-party risk, operational risk, and technology risk domains. Provide oversight of regulatory obligations and ensure alignment with compliance and enterprise risk frameworks, and controls expectations. Monitor regulatory developments affecting enterprise operations and translate these into actionable guidance for stakeholders.
• AI Governance & Regulatory Alignment: Provide oversight of AI compliance practices and champion alignment with emerging European AI laws and standards. Embed regulatory AI compliance considerations throughout the AI system lifecycle, from initial design to deployment and ongoing monitoring. Promote responsible adoption and ethical use of AI technologies across Vanguard Europe.
• Risk Identification, Evaluation & Management: Identify and assess compliance risks related to cybersecurity, operational resilience, third-party relationships, and emerging technology including AI. Contribute to risk management strategies, leveraging Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management frameworks and methodologies. Support Compliance risk assessment, including monitoring of remediation and issue escalation.
• Programme Support & Implementation: Support delivery of Enterprise Compliance programmes, including operational and digital resilience, cyber security control frameworks, third-party oversight enhancements, and technology risk initiatives. Contribute to global compliance strategy execution by collaborating with colleagues across Compliance Advisory, Central Compliance and Regulatory Affairs, as well as Business Partners across three lines of defence. Promote consistency, best-practice adoption, and process optimisation across all aspects of the global Enterprise Compliance programme.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Culture Building: Build and maintain strong relationships across all levels of the organisation, influencing decision-making and advocating for compliant, risk-aware business practices. Foster a culture of compliance across Enterprise functions by providing relevant insights and guidance. Represent Enterprise Compliance in working groups, governance forums, and cross-functional projects.

Skills & Experience

• Demonstrated experience in Compliance or alternatively Risk function, within investment management, banking, 'Big four' or other regulated financial services industries.
• Knowledge of regulatory frameworks, DORA, NIST, Operational Resilience, TPRM.
• Strong technical expertise in operational resilience, cyber security, third-party risk management, technology risk and AI governance.
• Proven track record of delivering commercial, well-reasoned compliance advice and effectively challenging first-line stakeholders.
• Experience working across the three lines of defence, with the ability to interpret regulatory expectations and implement practical solutions.
• Excellent relationship-building skills; able to influence and communicate with senior leadership, technical specialists, and cross-functional colleagues.
• Strong analytical skills, comfortable working with ambiguity and driving clarity in complex, evolving areas such as AI and digital resilience.
• Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to anticipate risk, identify emerging themes, and guide business partners accordingly.
• High levels of integrity, sound judgement, and the ability to handle sensitive information appropriately.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.

Special Factors

• Vanguard is not offering sponsorship for this position.
• This is a hybrid position and would require you to work in the office 3 days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday).
• This role encompasses activities that fall within the remit of UK Financial Conduct Authority ('FCA') regulation. The successful candidate will therefore be subject to UK regulatory requirements in relation to conduct rules, regulatory references and the assessment of fitness and propriety, knowledge, experience and competence. Where appropriate, the role may also be subject to approval by the UK FCA.

Why Vanguard?

Vanguard is a different kind of investment company. It was founded in the United States in 1975 on a simple but revolutionary idea: that an investment company should manage its funds solely in the interests of its clients. This is a philosophy that has helped millions of people around the world to achieve their goals with low-cost, uncomplicated investments. It's what we stand for: value to investors.

Inclusion & Equal Employment Opportunity

Vanguard's continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: "Do the right thing." Vanguard is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing all crew members a working environment that is free from discrimination, prejudice and bias. Through this Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy, Vanguard reaffirms its commitment to equal employment opportunity for all applicants and crew members without regard to race, color, national origin or ancestry, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, veteran or military status. In addition, Vanguard prohibits discrimination based on genetic information, as well as any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. Please inform careers@vanguard.com if you need assistance completing this application or to otherwise participate in the application process.