Compliance Manager, Management

Compliance managers ensure that a business, its employees and its projects comply with all relevant regulations and specifications. This could include health and safety, environmental, legal or quality standards, as well as any ethical policies the company may have.

• Office
• Legal-Human Resources
• Higher qualifications

As a compliance manager in the construction industry, you will ensure that building projects comply with relevant legislation. Duties may include conducting routine site inspections and collecting evidence to prove compliance.

The role of a compliance manager involves the following duties:

• Communicating with all of a business’ employees to ensure they are aware of their role/s in compliance
• Carrying out detailed research and completing documentation and risk assessments
• Attending training programmes
• Liaising with external bodies to be aware of changing industry requirements
• Overseeing implementation and conducting internal inspections and communication with others
• Visiting sites to ensure that agreed procedures are being implemented
• Carrying out reviews of processes and adapting plans based on feedback
• Maintaining records of compliance practices
• Filing documentation with relevant bodies
• Producing training materials and sharing best practice throughout a business
• Working both on-site and in an office.

There are several routes to becoming a compliance manager. You could complete a university or college course, an apprenticeship or apply directly to an employer for work.

You should explore these routes to becoming a compliance manager, to find out which is the right one for you. Although some of these options have certain qualification requirements, many employers are more interested in people who are enthusiastic, willing to learn and can follow instructions.

You could complete an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject, such as health and safety or business administration.

Once you have a first degree, you could go on to complete a postgraduate degree to gain more expertise, or undertake further professional qualifications offered by the International Compliance Association (ICA) which specialise in law, compliance, governance and risk.

If you have a first degree in a related subject, you could apply to join a graduate training scheme. Your employer might support you to complete higher qualifications or do further training with the International Compliance Association (ICA) .

You could complete a college course to start you on your journey to becoming a compliance manager, such as an accountancy course or Access to Higher Education course.

You could complete an apprenticeship to help you on your career path to becoming a compliance manager.

You could enrol on an accounting or law-based apprenticeship. This would not necessarily need to be with a construction company, as you could specialise in compliance within the construction industry once you are qualified.

Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16. As an apprentice, you will be fully employed by your company and expected to work a minimum of 30 hours a week. Your time will be split between on-the-job experience and a college or training provider.

If you have some previous experience or relevant qualifications, you could apply directly to a construction company to gain experience as a compliance manager. You might start out as an assistant and progress as your abilities improve.

Work experience is essential to gaining employment within the construction industry. You could gain this at school, or by working weekends and holidays with a company or relative who works as a compliance manager. Potential employers will always be pleased to see work experience listed on your CV.

Additional skills which may benefit anyone considering a job as a compliance manager include:

• Understanding of legal standards relating to construction
• Excellent communications skills
• Ability to problem-solve

The expected salary for a compliance manager varies with experience.

• Newly trained compliance managers can earn £30,000
• Trained compliance managers with experience can earn up to £60,000*

Salaries depend on location, employer, level of responsibility, any overtime you may do, and whether you have completed and industry recognised training route.

* Salaries have been collected from multiple industry sources

As a compliance manager, you could move into a consultancy based role.

Compliance managers ensure that a business, its employees and its projects comply with all relevant regulations and specifications.