Compliance Analyst

Role Summary

The Compliance Analyst is a newly created role within the Internal Audit team, with a specific brief to assess compliance across the firm, focused primarily on financial compliance. The role will undertake targeted compliance reviews, recurring monitoring and data-driven testing to identify areas of non-compliance, control weakness and reporting improvement.

The firm is seeking an individual who will bring energy, curiosity and new ideas to compliance monitoring, helping to modernise the use of data, analytics, reporting and technology-enabled assurance across the Internal Audit function.
The position will support the development of a stronger, more consistent compliance monitoring framework across key financial processes, working closely with Internal Audit colleagues and with stakeholders in Finance, Financial Systems, Data, the Legal Department and Financial reporting teams. The role will help improve the quality, consistency and usefulness of reporting, including the development of dashboards, exception reporting and management information.

Initial areas of focus are expected to include travel and expenses, billing and write-off authorisations, payment authorisations, banking authorisations and access, and controls over systems access, including the timely removal or amendment of access for leavers and movers. The role may also support assessment of matter management compliance, including Client Due Diligence, engagement letters and sanctions compliance, as well as anti-bribery and corruption compliance relating to gifts and hospitality.

The successful candidate will be analytical, detail-oriented and comfortable working across teams to understand processes, test compliance and explain findings clearly. The role requires a practical, collaborative and improvement-focused approach, while maintaining the independence and objectivity expected of Internal Audit.

The position will be based primarily in the firm's Manchester office.   There may be periodic need to travel to London office but this role is not expected to entail significant travel.

Key responsibilities

• Plan and deliver targeted compliance reviews and monitoring activities focused on financial compliance risks across the firm.

• Assess compliance with policies, procedures and approval requirements in areas such as travel and expenses, billing, write-off authorisations, payment approvals and banking authorisations.

• Perform data analysis and exception testing to identify non-compliance, control gaps, trends and emerging risk areas

• Develop and enhance data-driven compliance monitoring techniques, leveraging analytics and automation to improve coverage, efficiency and insight

• Perform periodic user access reviews across key systems, assessing the appropriateness of access rights, segregation of duties and privileged access arrangements

• Support the assessment of information security and data protection controls, including compliance with policies governing confidential client information, personal data and other sensitive firm information

• Identify opportunities to strengthen compliance oversight through improved use of data, technology, dashboards and automated exception reporting.

• Coordinate improvements in compliance reporting, working with Financial Systems, Data and other reporting teams to improve the quality, consistency and usability of management information.

• Assess selected matter management compliance activities, which may include Client Due Diligence, engagement letters and sanctions compliance.

• Review anti-bribery and corruption compliance relating to gifts and hospitality, including adherence to policy requirements and approval processes.

• Document findings, root causes, recommendations and agreed actions in a clear, concise and evidence-based manner.  

• Track and validate remediation actions arising from compliance reviews working with internal auditors where a process or control improvement is recommended.

• Build constructive working relationships with Finance, the Legal Department, Financial Systems, Data and business stakeholders across the firm.

• Support wider Internal Audit assignments, advisory work and ad hoc reviews where compliance testing or financial control insight is required.

Key requirements (Communication/skills/experience)

• Prior experience in either compliance, financial analysis, internal audit, finance assurance, financial controls testing or a related discipline, ideally within a professional services firm, large corporate environment, public practice or similar organisation.

• Experience with data analytics, including strong excel skills, and knowledge of management information reporting.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with confidence in reviewing large volumes of data, identifying exceptions and investigating root causes.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain findings clearly and engage constructively with stakeholders at different levels.

• Strong attention to detail and high levels of professionalism, integrity and objectivity.

• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities and follow reviews through to clear outcomes.

• Confident working collaboratively across teams, including Finance, Financial Systems, Data, Risk and Compliance, and business stakeholders.

• An enquiring mind and a practical, improvement-focused approach, rather than only following a pre-determined checklist.

Desirable

• Experience within a law firm or similar professional services partnership will be considered positively

• A good understanding of financial processes and controls, with an ability to identify compliance risks, control weaknesses and practical improvement opportunities.

• Experience of performing testing, monitoring or assurance work over policies, procedures, approvals, access controls or financial processes.

• Exposure to travel and expenses, billing, matter management, banking, systems access, sanctions, Client Due Diligence, gifts and hospitality, or anti-bribery and corruption compliance.

• Experience using data analytics, dashboards or technology-enabled assurance techniques to improve monitoring and reporting.

• Experience working in a global or multi-jurisdictional environment.

• Experience using AI to effectively accelerate assurance, compliance monitoring or reporting work, while being mindful of the risks and limitations.

• Experience designing Power BI dashboards, compliance scorecards, KPI/KRI reporting or executive management information.

• Experience reviewing general IT controls including: ISO27001, NIST, user access (including management of joiner and leavers), segregation of duties, information security, cyber security and personal data.

Inclusion

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered on the basis of their merit alone. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK in the role in question and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.

Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only if and when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case-by-case basis and take a number of relevant factors into account (e.g. the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.