Compliance, Audit & Governance Manager

As the Compliance, Audit & Governance Manager at William College, you will play a critical role in ensuring the institution meets and exceeds internal compliance, governance, and regulatory standards. You will lead on the implementation and monitoring of the Office for Students (OfS) Conditions D (Financial Sustainability) and E (Management and Governance), ensuring that systems and processes across the College are compliant, transparent, and continuously improving.

Your remit will include internal audits, governance support, policy management, institutional calendar coordination, and oversight of information control. As Prevent Lead and Secretary to the Board of Governors (BoG) and its sub-committees, you will also be responsible for risk escalation, reporting, and stakeholder assurance.

This is a senior, cross-college role for a highly credible professional who can translate complex regulatory frameworks into practical, embedded systems that support institutional resilience, quality, and sustainable growth.

• Governance, Regulation & Compliance: Act as the institutional lead for OfS Condition E (Management and Governance), ensuring governance structures and institutional oversight comply with regulatory expectations. Ensure the roles as Secretary to the Board of Governors (BoG) and its sub-committees, managing agendas, minutes, follow-up actions, and governance records. Maintain a log of reportable events to the OfS, awarding partners, and other stakeholders, ensuring timely, accurate notifications.
• Compliance, Assurance & Standards: Ensure the enhancement and enforcement of academic standards, policies, and regulations across all programmes and departments. Lead periodic internal audits of academic and operational functions, providing assurance on compliance with institutional policies and OfS Conditions. Drive the implementation and consistent standardisation of institutional documents, ensuring alignment with quality and branding requirements. Coordinate the development, review, and publication of all College-wide policies and procedures, ensuring timely updates and regulatory alignment. Deliver training and workshops to support implementation of new or revised policies and regulatory changes across the institution.
• Information Management & Institutional Planning: Take ownership of and maintain critical institutional calendars, including the Annual Quality Cycle (AYC), governance and committee calendars. Lead institutional information control, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and version control across all key policy, regulatory, and academic documents.
• Casework & Conduct: Ensure robust institutional policies, responses, and reporting mechanisms for harassment, bullying, and sexual misconduct, working with safeguarding leads where needed. Act as the designated Prevent Lead, ensuring compliance with the Prevent Duty, delivering training, and maintaining appropriate risk assessment and reporting frameworks.
• Reporting & Monitoring: Produce internal reports on governance effectiveness, audit findings, and regulatory compliance for senior leadership and Board review. Track and monitor policy implementation, audit outcomes, and risk management actions. Support the production of institutional monitoring returns and self-assessments required by awarding partners, regulators, or accreditors.

About You

You are a highly organised, principled, and analytical professional with a strong track record in quality assurance, governance, and internal compliance. You bring in-depth knowledge of UK higher education regulation and are confident in leading institution-wide compliance with OfS conditions. You are proactive in identifying risks, fostering regulatory readiness, and embedding best practices across departments. Your excellent interpersonal skills and attention to detail enable you to work effectively with senior leadership, academic teams, and external stakeholders. You are a confident communicator who can translate complex regulations into practical, implementable policies and processes. You’re committed to driving institutional excellence, transparency, and accountability.

• Substantial experience in compliance, assurance, governance, or internal audit in a higher education or regulated environment.
• Strong working knowledge of the OfS regulatory framework, including Conditions E, and other relevant compliance areas (e.g. CMA, Prevent, safeguarding).
• Experience servicing governance bodies, including board or committee secretariat responsibilities.
• Proven ability to lead audits, policy development, and institutional compliance reviews.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills, including the ability to develop policies, guidance, and committee reports.
• Strong project management and organisational skills, with attention to accuracy and deadlines.
• Ability to manage sensitive information with integrity and discretion.
• Confident in delivering training or workshops related to governance, quality, or compliance.
• Experience working with UK validating partners or regulatory bodies (e.g. OfS, QAA).
• Professional certification or training in internal audit, quality assurance, or compliance.
• Familiarity with policy management systems and digital governance tools.
• Experience with institutional response processes for harassment, safeguarding, or Prevent compliance.
• Working knowledge of data protection, Freedom of Information (FOI), and records retention policies.

Annual leave (7.2 weeks), Company Sick Policy, Statutory maternity/paternity pays, Training and self-development opportunities, Grocery discounts, Cycle to work, Investing and savings opportunities.