Compliance and Governance Lead

Key Roles & Responsibilities:

1. Governance & Policy Architecture

• Framework Design: Drafting and maintaining the "Rule Book" (Procurement Policy) that defines how the organization buys goods and services.

• SOP Management: Developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for every stage of the procurement cycle to ensure consistency across different departments.

• Threshold Management: Defining who has the authority to sign off on specific spending amounts and ensuring those limits are hard coded into ERP systems (like SAP or Oracle).

2. Compliance Oversight & Monitoring

• Audit Management: Scheduling and conducting regular "spot checks" and formal audits to ensure teams aren't bypassing official procurement channels.

• Maverick Spend Control: Identifying and investigating "off-contract" spending to bring unauthorized purchases back under managed contracts.

• Sanctions & Vetting: Ensuring all vendors are screened against global watchlists, anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, and "Know Your Supplier" (KYS) protocols.

3. Risk Management & Due Diligence

• Risk Assessment: Building a risk register that identifies potential supply chain disruptions, financial instability of vendors, or ethical red flags.

• ESG Compliance: Enforcing sustainability standards and ensuring suppliers comply with modern slavery laws and environmental regulations.

• Conflict of Interest: Managing the declaration process for employees to ensure personal relationships do not influence commercial decisions.

4. Process Improvement & Training

• System Optimization: Working with IT to automate compliance checks within e-Procurement tools to reduce human error.

• Capability Building: Training the wider business on why governance matters and how to use the correct procurement tools and templates.

• Reporting: Delivering "Compliance Dashboards" to the Board or Executive team to show where the organization is at risk and where it is succeeding.

5. Stakeholder & Legal Liaison

• Legal Alignment: Partnering with the Legal department to ensure standard terms and conditions (T&Cs) are included in all contracts.

• Issue Resolution: Acting as the primary point of contact for external regulators or internal auditors during investigations.

Qualifications & Experience

▪ Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field such as Supply Chain Management, Finance, Business Administration, or Law.

▪ 5–10+ years in procurement or supply chain, with at least 3 years specifically focused on governance, risk, or compliance (GRC).

▪ Master's Degree/MBA – added advantage.

▪ Professional certification (CIPS, CPSM, CSCP, CIA, CFE etc.) is an advantage

▪ System Proficiency: Expert-level knowledge of ERP and e-Sourcing tools (e.g., SAP Ariba, Coupa) to manage digital audit trails.

▪ Regulatory Knowledge: Deep understanding of contract law, anti-bribery acts (like the UKBA or FCPA), and emerging ESG/Sustainability regulations

▪ Influence: High emotional intelligence to enforce rules with senior stakeholders without stalling business operations.

Functional Competencies

▪ Legal & Regulatory Compliance

▪ Risk Management & Assurance

▪ Governance Framework & Policy Design

▪ Spend & Data Analytics

▪ Change Management & Training

Behavioural Competencies

▪ Unwavering Integrity and Ethics

▪ Strategic Influence and Persuasion

▪ Meticulous Attention to Detail

▪ Decisiveness and Accountability

▪ Adaptability and Resilience

▪ Effective Communication

Digital Competencies

• Cyber Security & Data Privacy Awareness

• Emerging Tech Literacy

• Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) Tools

• Advanced Data Analytics & Forensic Reporting

• E-Procurement & ERP Mastery