Head of Compliance

Location: Manchester

5 Days per week in the office

Salary to £175k + Bonus / Incentives

Company Overview

Our client is a long-established specialist lender. The business continues to experience strong growth and operates with a culture of collaboration, responsibility, and high performance.

The Role

The Head of Compliance will lead and oversee all compliance and data protection activity across the Group, ensuring robust adherence to FCA and ICO regulatory standards. This role carries SMF16 (Compliance Oversight) responsibility under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR), and statutory designation as Data Protection Officer (DPO).

Reporting to the Chief Risk Officer and sitting on the Group Risk Leadership Team, this is a senior strategic role providing independent second line of defence (2LOD) oversight, advice, and assurance to the Board and Executive Committee.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of the Group’s compliance and data protection strategies.
• Provide strategic advice and assurance to senior management and Board committees.
• Manage and develop a team of c.9 compliance and data protection professionals.
• Maintain and evolve the Compliance Framework, ensuring alignment with FCA Principles, SYSC, MCOB, and Consumer Duty.
• Oversee the Compliance Monitoring Plan and risk-based prioritisation of assurance activity.
• Act as the firm’s primary liaison with the FCA and ICO, managing communications, notifications, and requests.
• Act as the Data Protection Officer, maintaining the Data Protection Compliance Framework and ensuring data protection by design and default.
• Lead regulatory horizon scanning, breach assessments, and oversight of data protection incidents.
• Promote a culture of integrity, transparency, and good customer outcomes across the business.

About You

You will be a seasoned compliance leader with a track record of operating at SMF16 level and acting as a DPO within a regulated financial services business. You’ll combine deep technical knowledge with strong leadership and communication skills, and be comfortable operating at Board and Executive level.

Essential Experience & Qualifications

• Proven experience as SMF16 and DPO in an FCA-regulated environment (lending experience desirable)
• Expert knowledge of UK GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018, and the FCA’s supervisory approach
• Strong leadership and people management capabilities
• CIPP/E, CIPT, or CISM qualified
• Understanding of enterprise risk frameworks and how compliance fits within them

Desirable

• CeMAP or ICA qualifications
• Recognised Data Protection Practitioner Certification

This is a rare opportunity to join a well-established, growing financial services organisation in a pivotal senior role, with full responsibility for shaping compliance and data protection strategy across the Group.