Chief Compliance Officer (Compliance Officer Lead)

Overview

The Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) (Compliance Officer Lead) provides administration, vision, strategic direction, coordination, and implementation of a comprehensive and cohesive compliance and ethics program at Utah State University (USU). The CCO leads the Office of University Ethics & Compliance (UEC) within USU’s Legal Affairs and reports directly to the Vice President of Legal Affairs. The CCO informs and advises the USU Board of Trustees Audit, Risk, Compliance Committee and implements this committee’s recommendations regarding university compliance and ethics efforts.

 

The CCO provides oversight and coordination of campus compliance officers and stakeholders to ensure implementation and maintenance of effective compliance systems. The CCO assists senior leadership, mid-level management, and staff to advance a university-wide culture of legal compliance and ethical conduct. The CCO monitors international, federal, and state regulations and works with USU administrators to advise, clarify, and identify actions that ensure compliance within an increasingly complex regulatory environment. The CCO is responsible for formulation, implementation, and maintenance of compliance-related policies and procedures, and coordinates reporting of non-compliance, as required under state and federal laws.

 

This position is eligible for hybrid work within the state of Utah.

Responsibilities

• Provide oversight of USU’s compliance governance structure, including coordinating with, inter alia, Athletics, Human Resources, Research, Privacy, Information Technology and Security, Legal Affairs, Purchasing and other units.
• Provide vision, strategies, plans, and management of university-wide compliance efforts.
• Develop USU’s compliance program that supports and guides to compliance owners and partners throughout USU so that the compliance program is well-designed, applied earnestly, and empowered appropriately.
• Coordinate internal reporting structures to optimize USU’s receipt of actionable reports of misconduct and non-compliance. Refer issues to appropriate functions for investigation and resolution by authorized individuals.
• Prepare and maintain a five-year plan that sets strategies and objectives for the compliance program and review the plan regularly to assess and mitigate risks.
• Engage with senior leadership, management, and staff to create policies and procedures that advance emerging initiatives while ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations.
• Work with all levels of USU administration to develop and maintain durable internal controls that advance compliance.
• Develop and maintain training and education programs on relevant ethics and compliance issues and systems. Promote activities that foster awareness of compliance and ethics issues within USU.
• Support inquiries and investigations to ensure appropriate and consistent responses to non-compliance.
• Participate in university-wide risk analysis to ensure that compliance risks are properly managed.
• In conjunction with legal counsel, serve as USU's liaison with external authorities who raise compliance-related inquiries or complaints.
• Oversee mandatory reporting to state and federal agencies, coordinating efforts with appropriate compliance owners and responsible executives to ensure compliance with reporting requirements.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of eight years of professional experience, including three years of experience within a higher education compliance, legal, audit, and/or risk function.
• Demonstrated ability to work unsupervised, exercise leadership, devise strategies, and drive durable change.
• Demonstrated organization, facilitation, written and oral communication, and presentation skills.
• Well-developed professional and interpersonal skills; ability to interact effectively with people at all organizational levels of USU.
• Experience with supervision of professional employees.
• Working knowledge of state, federal, and international laws and standards, including in areas of privacy, conflicts of interest, research, financial aid, employment, equity (including Title IX), and finances.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree.
• Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP) or other related certification(s).
• Demonstrated knowledge of market practices in development and maintenance of compliance-related frameworks, non-compliance reporting practices, investigative practices, and coordination with responsible executives, compliance owners and compliance partners related to diverse ethical and regulatory compliance issues.
• Prior experience collaborating with multiple d