Head of Compliance and Assurance

Role Information:

Reference: REQ001551

Location: Can be based at our Filton, WISE or Stroud campuses but regular travel between sites will be required

FTE Salary: up to £53,208.00 (Salary is dependent on qualifications and experience)

Contract Type: Permanent, Full-Time

Working Hours: 37 hours per week

At SGS, we are proud to be an Equal Opportunities and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and communities, and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

Financial Rewards and Benefits:

Opportunity to make a positive impact within the community and on learners’ lives
Competitive Pension Scheme- Corporate and support roles have access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), a flexible and pension accessible from the age of 55, with generous employer contributions.
Generous Annual leave entitlement plus the 8 bank holidays- 25 days corporate and support functions, increasing to 30 days after 5 academic years’ service (Full-Time Equivalent).
Two weeks leave during the Christmas closedown period largely supported by the discretionary closure days provided by the College.
Extensive professional development with ongoing support for your personal & professional development, including 25% tuition discount for immediate family of SGS employees.
Family friendly policies and a proven commitment to supporting flexible working practices
Access to My Lifestyle discounted shopping benefits, cycle to work scheme and a Technology Salary Sacrifice Scheme
Free Annual Eye test
All staff members can buy a TOTUM card(formerly known as NUS Extra cards), as part of being an affiliate member of the Students' Union
Staff have access and supported to be part of inclusive or sustainable staff networks and communities
Free car parking at all campuses (Except Queens Road Art School)
Access to a wide variety of external health and wellbeing resources
Subsidised onsite catering services including Costa Coffee

South Gloucestershire & Stroud College has an excellent reputation for delivering further education and work-based programmes in a range of subjects - from business to sport, construction to media, GCSE’s and A Levels to Honour Degree level programmes.

Our experienced and passionate staff work hard to help students and colleagues achieve their personal challenges and career goals. We are proud of SGS and committed to making the College the best it can be. We are currently working hard to achieve “Outstanding” status after being classified as “Good” in our last inspection. For more information, please visit https://www.sgscol.ac.uk/

We have an exciting role of Head of Compliance and Assurance within our Finance team!

We are seeking an experienced and proactive Head of Compliance and Assurance to lead and coordinate SGS College's compliance, governance and assurance framework.

Reporting to the Director of Finance, you will work at the heart of the organisation, partnering with senior leaders and operational teams to ensure legal, regulatory, contractual and governance obligations are not only met but fully embedded across the College. From strengthening organisational resilience and supporting strategic decision-making to fostering a culture of accountability, excellence and continuous improvement, this is a highly visible role with significant influence across the College.

You will lead on key areas including risk management, board assurance, internal audit, data protection, information governance, legal compliance, policy management, business continuity and disaster recovery planning.

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a meaningful impact across the College, driving high standards of governance, compliance and assurance while helping to shape a resilient and successful future for our staff and students and we'd love to hear from you.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

Coordinate the College's compliance and assurance arrangements, ensuring that legal, regulatory, contractual and governance obligations are understood, embedded and evidenced.
Provide managers with practical advice on contractual obligations, liabilities, rights, variations, renewal and termination, escalating material contractual risks to the Director of Finance.
Support the management of legal matters, claims and disputes in liaison with the College's legal advisers.
Support the Director of Finance in maintaining and improving the College's Risk Management Framework, policy, guidance and supporting processes.
Serve as the College’s officially designated Data Protection Officer (DPO).
Coordinate the day-to-day relationship with internal auditors and support the Director of Finance in administering the risk-based internal audit programme.

Beneficial Skills & Qualifications

Significant experience in a compliance, risk, governance, audit, commercial/contracts or assurance role, including responsibility for coordinating complex activity.
Strong knowledge and practical experience of commercial contract management, contract review and contractual risk.
Working knowledge of UK data protection and information governance requirements, including incident and information-rights processes.
Experience of designing or operating robust due diligence processes for suppliers, partners or commercial arrangements.
Experience of policy governance, regulatory compliance and translating legal or regulatory requirements into practical organisational controls.
Excellent analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to assess complex risks and recommend proportionate action.

Please apply online by: Sunday 29th November 2026

Expected Interview Date: Tuesday 8th December 2026

If you have any queries please contact PeopleAndCulture@sgscol.ac.uk

SGS College is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. All employment offers are contingent upon satisfactory references, an Enhanced DBS check, and additional checks and online searches in accordance with KCSIE guidance.

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