Head of Compliance & Assurance

Role Overview

We're seeking an exceptional Head of Compliance to help shape the future of our organisation at a pivotal stage of growth. This is an opportunity to play a defining role in how we build trust, protect value, and scale responsibly within a dynamic, Private Equity-backed environment.

At the heart of the role is enterprise-wide ownership of our compliance, assurance, and governance frameworks. You'll design and lead systems that don't just meet regulatory and investor expectations-but strengthen the way we operate every day. From integrated management systems to audit readiness and transparent reporting, your work will give the Board, investors, clients, and teams confidence that the business is well governed, resilient, and ready for what's next.

As a trusted advisor to the Group CEO and senior leadership team, you'll bring clarity and confidence to complex risk and governance decisions. You'll thrive in a fast paced, growth oriented setting, embedding scalable, pragmatic structures that enable progress while safeguarding reputation, operational integrity, and long term enterprise value.

The role provides strategic leadership across quality, environmental management, information security, business continuity, sustainability, and ESG. You'll unify these disciplines through a consistent, risk based framework aligned with regulatory requirements and Private Equity reporting standards-turning compliance into a genuine enabler of performance.

This is a critical leadership role for someone who wants to make a lasting impact: strengthening investor confidence, supporting transaction readiness, and helping the organisation grow with discipline, accountability, and purpose across all regions and projects.

Key Responsibilities Compliance & Integrated Management Systems

• Lead, maintain, and continuously improve the organisation's integrated management systems across:
• Quality
• Environmental Management
• Business Continuity
• Information Security
• Ensure ongoing certification, compliance, and audit readiness against relevant international standards, including:
• ISO 9001 - Quality Management
• ISO 14001 - Environmental Management
• ISO 22301 - Business Continuity
• ISO 27001 - Information Security
• Ensure management systems are scalable, proportionate, and aligned with business growth, geographic expansion, and Private Equity governance expectations.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement, risk awareness, and compliance discipline across all business functions.

Governance & Risk

• Own the organisation's compliance and governance framework, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements, client obligations, and investor standards.
• Plan and deliver risk based internal audit programmes across departments and regions.
• Lead preparation for, and engagement with, external audits, certification bodies, client audits, and investor assurance activities.
• Maintain governance, reporting, and control frameworks aligned with Private Equity reporting, risk management, and value protection requirements.
• Provide the Group CEO and senior leadership team with clear, data driven insight into compliance, risk, and assurance performance.

Sustainability & ESG Governance

• Act as organisational lead for sustainability and ESG governance.
• Own and continuously improve the Environmental Management System in line with ISO 14001.
• Lead ESG and sustainability reporting, performance tracking, and continuous improvement planning, with relevance to data centre commissioning and mission critical infrastructure.
• Manage external sustainability and ethical accreditations, including EcoVadis and Achilles, ensuring strong client facing and investor outcomes.
• Monitor emerging ESG regulations, environmental legislation, and investor expectations, translating requirements into practical, auditable internal controls.
• Support tendering, client audits, due diligence activities, and investor scrutiny relating to ESG and sustainability performance.

Regulatory Compliance & Strategic Advisory

• Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation, regulatory obligations, and internal policies across quality, environmental, information security, business continuity, and ESG domains.
• Identify, assess, and manage compliance, regulatory, reputational, and ESG related risks.
• Develop and maintain robust mitigation, assurance, and continuous improvement plans.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, supporting compliant, controlled, and commercially sound decision making.
• Contribute to long term organisational strategy, supporting scalable governance models suitable for continued Private Equity ownership and future transactions.

Education & Professional Qualifications

• Degree in Law, Compliance, Risk Management, Engineering, Environmental Management, Business, or a related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• Professional qualification or membership in a relevant compliance, audit, risk, or governance body is advantageous.
• Lead Auditor or Internal Auditor qualifications for ISO standards are highly desirable.

Skills & Experience

• Proven experience leading compliance, governance, risk functions within complex or fast growing organisations.
• Strong understanding of Private Equity governance models, investor reporting, audit scrutiny, and due diligence requirements.
• Demonstrable experience managing integrated management systems and ISO certifications.
• Experience leading ESG or sustainability governance within an operational or engineering led environment.
• In depth knowledge of regulatory frameworks, audit processes, and assurance methodologies.
• Experience managing multiple accreditations and external assurance schemes.
• Confident communicator with the ability to influence at all levels, including Board, investors, senior leadership, and external stakeholders.
• Commercially aware, pragmatic, and solutions focused, with the ability to balance compliance, governance, and business performance.

Employee Benefits

• 20 days holiday plus UK Bank Holidays, increasing annually up to 5 additional days
• Private health insurance for employee and family (post qualifying period)
• 5% employer pension contribution
• Life insurance
• Cycle to work scheme
• BUPA Employee Assistance Programme