Vice President – Global Head of Compliance

Wood Mackenzie

Global Head of Compliance at Wood Mackenzie overseeing compliance programs globally and leading regulatory and non-regulatory frameworks. Building a strong compliance culture within the organization.

Posted 5/28/2026full-timeEdinburgh • 🇬🇧 United KingdomLeadWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Own and lead the global compliance programme covering regulatory & non-regulatory compliance, sanctions, AB&AC, data privacy, ethics, export control, third-party risk
Establish the compliance function as a proactive, trusted partner to the business
Maturity and maintenance of the Enterprise Strategic and Operational Risk Management Framework, aligned to the Three Lines of Defence model
Planning, designing and delivering risk-based compliance activities through the effective and efficient allocation and management of resource
Oversee and lead compliance with jurisdictional-specific regulatory requirements across targeted locations in which the organisation operates
Oversee and ensure end-to-end compliance with regulatory requirements across jurisdictions, including filings, licence management, monitoring regulatory developments, establishing compliance tracking processes, and coordinating engagement with regulators, audits, and inspections
Experience leading and inspiring a small team of compliance including data privacy and physical safety, security & resilience professionals, building capability and succession, fostering personal accountability for development, and positioning the function as a trusted and valued advisor delivering commercially aware and timely compliance outcomes
Build and maintain strong internal and external relationships to support the effective development and delivery of high-quality, timely compliance monitoring activities, including robust prioritisation of workloads
Promote a culture of integrity, transparency and knowledge sharing within the department and across the wider organisation
Taking a proactive and risk-based lead in the maintenance of corporate policies & procedures, training, whistleblower and other routine programme that are practical, scalable and embedded into business processes
Leading complex Customs, AML, Fraud specific risk review and provide constructive commercially viable advice to the stakeholders
Lead the implementation and ongoing enhancement of an integrated GRC framework, including Audit, Privacy, Risk Management modules
Drive continuous improvement by leveraging data-driven insights, incorporating lessons learned, and responding proactively to evolving regulatory developments
Provide critical advisory services to key stakeholders to ensure the compliant delivery of new and existing corporate initiatives, strategies, products, systems and processes
Lead or oversee sensitive or high profile ethics & compliance investigations, ensuring appropriate escalation, remediation and governance
Undertake ad hoc independent reviews at the request of senior management and the Global Leadership Team

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (e.g. LLB, LLM) in a related field or equivalent professional experience
Significant senior level experience leading a small / medium size team
Firm expertise in regulatory and non-regulatory risk or governance within a complex, international privately held organisation
Proven experience in implementing and maturity of enterprise GRC frameworks, including policies, controls, monitoring and assurance
Demonstrated strong leadership capabilities, including the ability to inspire and develop high-performing teams, influence senior stakeholders, drive organisational change, and embed a culture of accountability, integrity, and continuous improvement
Solid understanding of global sanctions regimes, Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption (AB&AC) regulations (e.g., FCPA, UK Bribery Act), Data Privacy and other applicable regulations
Experience leveraging AI-driven solutions and emerging technologies to enhance and mature compliance processes, including automation, monitoring, and risk analytics, reducing manual intervention, improving operational efficiency, and strengthening overall effectiveness
Strong research and analytical skills, including proficiency with online search tools
Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities
Self-motivated, proactive, pragmatic, and detail-oriented mindset

Benefits

Comp & perks

Equal opportunities employer
Recruiting the best people regardless of race, colour, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status
Support for applications for candidates with a physical or mental disability

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Hard Skills & Tools

regulatory compliancenon-regulatory compliancedata privacyexport controlrisk managementGRC frameworkssanctions complianceAnti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption (AB&AC)risk analyticscompliance monitoring

Soft Skills

leadershipteam developmentstakeholder influenceorganizational changeaccountabilityintegritycontinuous improvementattention to detailproactive mindsetpragmatic approach

Certifications

Bachelor’s degreeMaster’s degreeLLBLLM