Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Compliance Director

🎯 Role Definition

The Compliance Director is a senior leader responsible for designing, implementing, and sustaining a risk-based compliance program that ensures the organization meets applicable laws, regulations, industry standards, and internal policies. This role partners closely with Legal, Risk, Finance, IT, Product, and Business lines to operationalize regulatory requirements, lead remediation and monitoring activities, manage regulator interactions, and embed a strong culture of compliance across the enterprise. The Compliance Director is also accountable for metrics-driven reporting to the Board and executive leadership and for continuously improving controls and technology to reduce regulatory and operational risk.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Compliance Manager / Head of Compliance (business unit)
Regulatory Affairs Manager or Senior Risk Manager
Assistant General Counsel with compliance oversight

Advancement To:

Chief Compliance Officer (CCO)
Head of Global Compliance & Ethics
Chief Risk Officer (CRO)

Lateral Moves:

Head of Regulatory Affairs
Director, Enterprise Risk Management
Head of Financial Crime / AML Program

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of an enterprise-wide compliance program that integrates policies, procedures, monitoring, testing and remediation activities aligned to the company's risk profile and regulatory obligations.
Develop, maintain, and enforce comprehensive compliance policies and procedures across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring alignment with applicable laws (e.g., AML/KYC, GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, sanctions, consumer protection) and industry standards.
Serve as the primary point of contact for regulators and external auditors, preparing for regulatory exams, coordinating responses, and managing remediation plans to closure with clear timelines and accountability.
Build, coach and manage a high-performing compliance team, including hiring, performance management, training, and succession planning to scale the compliance function as the business grows.
Run ongoing risk assessments and risk-based testing programs to identify regulatory, operational, and reputational risks; prioritize findings and drive remediation with business stakeholders through formal tracking and validation.
Oversee the design and deployment of monitoring and surveillance frameworks, including automated controls, data analytics, and third-party GRC tools to detect and prevent compliance breaches.
Develop and deliver enterprise-wide compliance training programs and communication campaigns to ensure officers and employees understand their regulatory obligations and the company’s code of conduct.
Own compliance reporting to the Board of Directors and executive leadership, preparing dashboards, trends, and analyses that translate compliance activity into business impact and risk appetite metrics.
Lead internal investigations into alleged compliance violations, coordinate with Legal and HR on disciplinary or corrective actions, and ensure timely reporting to regulators where required.
Manage the firm’s third-party risk program as it relates to regulatory compliance, including onboarding due diligence, contract clauses, monitoring, and remediation for vendors and service providers.
Oversee sanctions screening, transaction monitoring and suspicious activity reporting processes where applicable, collaborating with operations and technology teams to implement controls.
Direct the regulatory change management process to identify, interpret and operationalize new or evolving regulations and coordinate cross-functional implementation plans.
Partner with Product, IT and Security teams to embed privacy-by-design and compliance requirements into product development lifecycles, ensuring appropriate data protection, consent, and retention practices.
Lead SOX compliance and internal control testing for compliance-relevant financial and operational processes; coordinate with Finance and Internal Audit to remediate control deficiencies.
Create and maintain a centralized repository of compliance policies, evidence, risk assessments and remediation artifacts to support audits and regulatory examinations.
Establish KPIs and quality metrics for the compliance program (e.g., time-to-remediate, closure rates, training completion, monitoring coverage) and use data to drive continuous improvement.
Evaluate and select compliance technology vendors (e.g., GRC platforms, transaction monitoring, case management) and oversee implementations to improve efficiency and scalability.
Advise on, review and approve marketing, product and business initiatives to ensure regulatory compliance prior to launch, including licensing, registration and cross-border considerations.
Develop business continuity and crisis response plans related to regulatory incidents, coordinate cross-functional playbooks, and lead tactical responses during regulatory inquiries or breaches.
Drive a culture of ethical conduct and regulatory compliance through visible leadership, incentives, and collaboration with HR and Communications to integrate compliance into performance management.
Maintain awareness of global regulatory trends and participate in industry working groups, trade associations and peer forums to anticipate regulatory developments and best practices.

Secondary Functions

Support periodic cross-functional data requests and provide compliance perspective for data analytics projects focused on detection, monitoring, and regulatory reporting.
Contribute to the company's compliance technology roadmap, advising on prioritization of capabilities like policy management, case management, and automated workflows.
Collaborate with Legal and Procurement on contract language, confidentiality, and regulatory clauses to mitigate compliance exposure in vendor relationships.
Participate in product governance committees and risk review boards to provide compliance sign-off and documented approvals.
Provide subject matter expert input to M&A, licensing and new-market entry activities, conducting regulatory due diligence and post-close integration of compliance controls.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep knowledge of regulatory frameworks relevant to the business (e.g., AML/KYC, OFAC/sanctions, GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, SOX, Dodd-Frank, FCA/SEC/FINRA depending on industry).
Proven experience building and running an enterprise compliance program including policy management, monitoring, testing, remediation and reporting.
Strong experience with internal controls and SOX testing methodologies, including design, documentation and remediation.
Practical experience with case management, AML transaction monitoring, sanctions screening and suspicious activity reporting processes.
Ability to interpret complex regulatory guidance and translate requirements into pragmatic business controls and operational procedures.
Hands-on experience selecting, implementing and integrating GRC, policy management, or analytics platforms; familiarity with vendor evaluation and ROI assessment.
Experience conducting compliance risk assessments, root cause analyses and driving remediation through to validation and closure.
Knowledge of data privacy and protection requirements (GDPR, CCPA, data mapping, DPIAs) and how they apply across product lifecycles.
Experience managing regulatory examinations and responding to data requests from regulators and external auditors.
Strong reporting and analytics capability with ability to build dashboards (Power BI/Tableau preferred) and present KPIs and trends to executives and boards.

Soft Skills

Executive presence and ability to influence senior leaders and boards on risk-based decisions without direct authority.
Strong strategic thinker who balances regulatory requirements with business objectives to enable compliant growth.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills—able to draft policy, regulatory submissions, board materials, and clear guidance for business partners.
High ethical standards, sound judgment, and the ability to act decisively under regulatory or operational stress.
Collaborative leadership that builds cross-functional partnerships and fosters a culture of compliance across global teams.
Problem-solving orientation with attention to detail and ability to prioritize competing regulatory demands.
Coaching and mentoring skills to develop compliance talent and increase organizational capability.

(Combined, these lists include 15+ concrete technical and behavioral skills commonly listed in real Compliance Director job postings.)

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Law, Finance, Business Administration, Accounting, Information Security, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Business Administration (MBA), or Master’s in Risk/Compliance/Information Security.
Professional certifications such as Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP), Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP), or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) are highly desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Law
Business / Finance / Accounting
Information Security / Data Privacy
Risk Management / Regulatory Affairs

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

10+ years in compliance, risk, legal or regulatory roles with increasing leadership responsibility; 5+ years managing teams.

Preferred:

10–15+ years of hands-on compliance program leadership experience, including direct experience with regulator engagement, AML/KYC programs, privacy compliance, SOX/internal controls, and enterprise risk assessments. Industry-specific experience (financial services, healthcare, technology, fintech, or regulated manufacturing) preferred depending on company needs.