Compliance officers look at documents and work activities in a department to check that everything meets local and national legal requirements. Since this varies depending on the department, daily activities may change from one day to the next. In a compliance officer job description, be sure to specify the kind of compliance needed.
Compliance requires a keen attention to detail and organizational skills. Communication is also important, whether among peers or subordinates. Some compliance positions include auditing, which requires basic math skills.
Compliance officers also write reports and keep track of compliance over time. This requires an understanding of basic computer software suites and the ability to compute any necessary metrics. Refer to the compliance officer job description below to see which required skills you should include in your own description.
Compliance Officer Job Summary
Our compliance officers are an important part of keeping daily and long-term business practices well within current legal and regulatory standards. By joining our compliance team, you will take part in updating and implementing our Corporate Compliance Program, a multi-part document that covers all departments. The oversight you provide is key to helping everything run smoothly, and that includes generating periodic reports and giving the appropriate feedback when requested by headquarters and local regulatory groups. Your reports will also be used when designing new best-practices companywide. With the right experience and background, you can become a valued member of our compliance team.
Job Responsibilities
- Oversee and inspect a variety of employee activities on a daily basis in multiple departments to ascertain level of compliance and whether tools need repair
- Record observed activities with notes detailed enough to later create a full report about compliance level
- Organize and maintain detailed records of individual and group activities pertaining to company compliance in a format that is easy to access and read
- Perform periodic audits of companywide activities with rated scores to be entered and stored digitally
- Provide regular recommendations for training, retraining, new equipment and devising a schedule for maintaining high levels of compliance
- Research local ordinances and stay up-to-date in legal matters pertaining to compliance and auditing
- Read and interoperate new local and national laws when they are made to discern where they apply to company activities
- Work in partnership with local regulatory organizations to ensure proper reports are being made and actionable items handled
Job Skills and Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, auditing or a related field
- Strong communication skills, both written and oral
Preferred:
- Experience with office suites including databases
- Four years of experience in financial auditing
Compliance Officer Job Responsibilities
When you write the job responsibilities section of your compliance officer job description, you can tailor it to the type of candidates you are seeking by making sure it is strong and professional. Design this section to catch the attention of serious applicants who are motivated and eager to be a part of your team by choosing the responsibilities that you list wisely.
To make your compliance officer job description enticing and easy for potential candidates to read, use bullet points to separate individual tasks. It is best to keep your list between six and eight responsibilities so it is descriptive without being boring. Only include the most necessary details so applicants aren’t overwhelmed, and use action verbs to start each bullet point so they can visualize themselves performing each task.
Look at this list of potential compliance officer job responsibilities for examples of what to write in this section.
- Investigate company personnel, including managers and directors, to ensure they are following all rules and regulations of governing bodies and the company
- Maintain knowledge of all licenses and permits necessary for various types of companies
- Examine company activities and transactions to make sure everything is in line with company policy and legal requirements
- Confront errant employees and address policy violations when necessary
Compliance Officer Job Specifications
To keep applicants who aren’t the right fit for your company from inundating you, list only the compliance officer job specifications that are must-haves. You could also create separate lists, one for necessary skills and another for preferred skills. If you include skills that are desirable but not required in your compliance officer job description without acknowledging the difference, qualified candidates may feel discouraged about applying.
The job qualifications and skills sections of your job description can allow you to distinguish between your ideal candidates and those who meet the typical requirements for the position. It is also a section where you can list personality traits such as honesty and diligence that are more difficult to mention in other areas of your job description. Including intangible personality traits may also help eliminate the wrong type of candidates because it can be tough to distinguish someone lacking in character.
Here are some examples to consider modifying for your own compliance officer job description:
- Bachelor of Science in Economics, Finance or related field, Master of Science in Finance required for advancement
- Certification by the National Association of Federal Credit Unions
- Minimum of two years of experience in the finance or banking industry
- Exceptional knowledge of all current federal and state banking rules and regulations
- Strong negotiation and communication skills
- Honest and thorough when conducting investigations