Risk & Compliance Manager

Title: Risk & Compliance Manager

Salary: £50,000 - £55,000

Type: Perm

Location: Birmingham

I am currently recruiting for a Risk and Compliance Manager. This role will support the Head of Risk, Compliance and Knowledge to monitor and manage adherence to compliant practice across the firm. Lead on maintaining the Lexcel Standard and providing a solid base from which to operate policies and procedures that adhere to the SRA Standards and Regulations.

The post holder will be a member of the CMT operational managers' team with shared responsibility for supporting operational delivery across of CMT. They may be asked to hold one or more compliance roles commensurate with their knowledge and experience.

Responsibilities

• Be a key source of information, advice, guidance and training to help everyone in the firm work in compliance with policies and procedures developed from professional rules and statute (including Data Protection Act 2018, Legal Ombudsman Scheme Rules, Money Laundering Regulations 2017 and SRA Standards and Regulations).
• Monitor progress on achieving and maintaining compliance with the Lexcel standard, ensuring that the firm is in a state of readiness for annual reviews by the assessor.
• Manage the firm wide file review process to ensure Lexcel compliance and liaise with the Business Acceptance Team Leader to ensure that the broader Risk and Compliance Team delivers reviews in line with the schedule. Liaise with Department Coordinators to ensure that reviewees are aware of the file review results and complete remedial actions in line with set timescales.
• Lead the administration of core compliance functions and line manage the Risk and Compliance Officer.
• Support the firm's Designated Complaints Handler with investigating coordinating and determining our response to escalated complaints.
• Administer SRA and professional negligence matters under the direction of the Head of Risk, Compliance and Knowledge including keeping accurate records as necessary.
• Investigate and report on examples of poor practice working closely with COLP, Head of Risk, Compliance and Knowledge and senior post holders to resolve emerging issues.
• Collate draft and deliver reports on emerging trends and issues, coordinating responses from other compliance role holders in the firm.
• Work in collaboration with Department Managers, Department Coordinators and Secretarial Coordinators to standardise ways of working across the practice around 'best practice' and to seek to identify ways of improving systems and processes that fit within the culture of the firm.
• Monitor departmental risks and work with department managers and leaders to ensure that local risks are regularly reviewed and remedial actions monitored where applicable. Maintaining records of departmental and corporate risks and supporting the Head of Risk, Compliance and Knowledge in carrying out corporate risk reviews.
• Complete targeted audits, deliver feedback on specific areas of practice improvement and trends that may impact more widely on whole firm compliance.
• Process the renewal of the firm's professional indemnity insurance and SRA practising certificate bulk application.
• Any other duties commensurate with the seniority, scope or intent of the role.

About the candidate

Core Competences

• Professional outlook, highly organised, able to multitask and meet deadlines.
• Ability to manage others in a style that demonstrates the values and culture of the firm.
• Articulate and able to deliver clear, positive messages about complex subject matter.
• Resilience and determination to support risk and compliance processes.
• Detail orientated and able to take ownership of tasks.
• Capacity to interpret and apply regulations and rules in a way that supports commercial legal service delivery.

Specific Skills and Knowledge

• A well-formed understanding of the Lexcel Standard and regulation in the legal sector including where this touches on financial services regulation.
• Capable of delivering clear, concise documentation and accessible training.
• Able to work confidently with lawyers, managers and staff to maintain and improve standards of performance.
• Excellent IT skills including the ability to confidently use the suite of Microsoft packages and a range of internet and network-based products.
• Able to research and paraphrase regulatory and statutory documentation.
• Strong administrative and organisational skills.
• Able to coordinate delivery of compliance activities by others.
• Capable of collating information from a variety of sources and constructing clear documents.