Senior Compliance and Risk Specialist

On a senior compliance and risk specialist apprenticeship course, you’ll help advise financial services organisations on the rules they must follow.

As a senior compliance and risk specialist apprentice, you will offer high-quality input and advice in your areas of expertise, such as risk, financial crime, compliance, or data modelling or analysis. You’ll learn how to solve challenging problems, implement new legal or regulatory requirements, and work with senior management.

Because disputes regarding the optimal course of action are common, you’ll develop high ethical standards and excellent communication and persuasion skills. 

What you’ll learn

On a senior compliance and risk specialist apprenticeship course, you’ll learn to:

• Contribute to the development of their department’s strategy and operational plans. Manage and report on the effectiveness of specific project components within their area of responsibility. 
• Proactively plan and organise your work, clearly outlining priorities for meeting commitments, KPIs, and regulatory deadlines.
• Assist, advise, and challenge the business in its area of expertise. Execute all required steps in accordance with agreed-upon procedures and processes to ensure that the organisation’s relevant policies within your area of competence are met. 
• Work with the business to improve their understanding and awareness of their responsibilities via coaching and training. 
• Take the initiative to meet challenging individual and team performance goals in line with the company philosophy, objectives, standards, and regulatory requirements. 
• Analyse and interpret a wide range of complex commercial, legal, and regulatory data. Produces a wide range of outputs for internal or external use, including as recommendations, management reports, draughts guidelines, policies, and procedures. 
• Deal well with clients and colleagues at all levels of the organisation, show excellent interpersonal skills and communicate effectively via a range of media using languages that the receiver understands, such as written reports, presentations, phone, face-to-face, and email. Interact with customers and colleagues, particularly top management, proactively. When necessary, raise appropriate challenges and encourage management on the planned course of action to meet compliance and risk requirements.
• As required, create and maintain strong, good working connections with customers, colleagues, suppliers, and regulators. Consistently assists and collaborates with coworkers to achieve objectives. 
• Identify opportunities to improve service delivery and performance. 
• Takes responsibility for and leads the development and implementation of specific changes – this may include projects bigger than their job.
• Keep informed of significant legal and regulatory changes and alert others to the implications as required. 
• Seek and act on criticism to enhance your performance. Builds your capability by controlling your development and working with management. Serve as a role model and mentor to others.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• Depending on the employer, but likely A-levels or equivalent qualifications or relevant experience.
• Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this before taking the end-point assessment.

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment comprises three distinct assessment methods: 

•  Project 
• Portfolio of Evidence
• Panel Interview 

Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 6 Senior Compliance/Risk Specialist Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page.