Regional Head of Ethics & Compliance

Arup; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working policy

Paid parental leave

International mobility opportunities

Novated car lease

Job summary

Arup Australia is seeking a high-impact leader to head APAC ethics and compliance program delivery, reporting to Global Ethics & Compliance Director. You will translate global priorities into regional actions and partner with business leaders across APAC.

You will lead policy implementation, risk assessment, due diligence, training, speak up, case management, and reporting, while embedding integrity across diverse markets. Strong governance, communication and advisory skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in ethics, compliance, legal, risk or related control function.
• Experience leading or supporting regional implementation and partnering with business units.
• Strong judgement, credibility and ability to apply governance in a practical way.
• Excellent communication, analysis and advisory skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead regional delivery of the global ethics & compliance programme across APAC.
• Provide advisory support, training and business partnering across APAC.
• Oversee Speak Up, case management and investigations governance.
• Provide regional insight to support continuous improvement of processes and tools.

Skills

Ethics & compliance

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Governance & risk

Education

Professional qualification in law/business/compliance/risk/auditing

Job description

Arup’s purpose, shared values and collaborative approach have set us apart for over 80 years, guiding how we shape a better world. Our members are united by a distinctive set of values and come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. This diversity fosters the creativity that is Arup’s hallmark. Members join Arup to work with world-leading experts, grow through diverse opportunities and have the freedom to innovate. That combination continues to attract some of the world’s most talented consultants, engineers and designers.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Global Ethics & Compliance Director, this is a high-impact leadership role within Arup’s Global Ethics & Compliance team, with specific responsibility for shaping how the global ethics and compliance programme is implemented and embedded across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. APAC is a large, geographically dispersed and complex region, encompassing multiple countries, legal systems, business environments and cultures. The role helps ensure the programme is delivered through a consistent global framework, while allowing for appropriate regional variation to reflect local risks, regulatory requirements and business needs. It offers the opportunity to influence behaviour, support better decision-making and help strengthen a culture of integrity across a diverse and dynamic region.

As a core part of the Global Ethics & Compliance team, you will lead the regional delivery of the global programme across APAC, working in close partnership with global colleagues, regional leadership, business leaders and key corporate functions. You will play a central role in translating global priorities into effective regional implementation, while acting as a trusted adviser to the business and helping to embed key policies, procedures and standards in a way that is consistent globally and relevant locally.

Regional Program Leadership and Implementation

• Lead the implementation and embedding of Arup’s ethics and compliance programme across APAC, aligned to the global framework and responsive to regional risks, priorities and business needs, while helping to strike the right balance between global consistency and appropriate regional adaptation.
• As a member of the Global Ethics & Compliance team, lead and support delivery of global ethics and compliance priorities, initiatives and standards across APAC.
• Partner with business areas, regional leadership and key functions across APAC to embed ethics and compliance into business processes and day-to-day decision-making.
• Provide regional leadership across core programme activity, including policy implementation, risk assessment, due diligence, training, speak up, case management, monitoring and reporting.
• Support effective regional governance, oversight and management information to provide visibility of ethics and compliance risks, issues, trends and improvement actions.
• Identify regional priorities, emerging risks and areas for improvement and work with global and regional stakeholders to strengthen programme effectiveness and consistency.
• Provide insight, reporting and practical advice to the Global Ethics & Compliance Director, the wider Global Ethics & Compliance team and regional leadership on ethics and compliance matters across APAC.
• Work closely with legal, risk, people, procurement and other relevant functions across APAC to align roles, support effective escalation and maintain joined-up ways of working.

Advisory Support, Training and Business Partnering

• Act as a trusted adviser to the business across APAC, providing practical, risk-based and commercially aware guidance on ethics and compliance matters.
• Support delivery of regional training, communications and awareness activity to help embed expected standards and strengthen understanding of ethics and compliance requirements.
• Build strong relationships across the region to support effective programme delivery, encourage early engagement and reinforce a culture of integrity and accountability.

Speak Up, Cases and Regional Oversight

• Support the effective operation of speak up arrangements, case management and investigations governance within APAC, in line with global standards and regional requirements.
• Monitor regional themes, trends and issues arising from cases and other ethics and compliance activity and elevate or report as appropriate.
• Work with legal, people, audit and other relevant stakeholders to support the coordination, governance and escalation of sensitive matters where required.

Regional Insight and Continuous Improvement

• Use regional insight and experience to inform continuous improvement of ethics and compliance processes, tools and ways of working.
• Contribute as part of the Global Ethics & Compliance team by sharing regional feedback, lessons learned and emerging issues from APAC to support ongoing development of the wider programme.

Is this role right for you?

• You will bring a strong track record in ethics, compliance, legal, risk or a related control function together with significant leadership experience in a complex international organisation, including proven experience working across multiple countries and culturally diverse environments.
• You will have experience leading or supporting the implementation of ethics and compliance programmes within a region or business area, including partnering with the business, providing practical advice and helping to embed key policies, procedures and controls.
• You will combine sound judgement and credibility with the ability to interpret ethics, compliance and governance requirements and apply them in a practical, proportionate and business-relevant way across a diverse regional environment.
• You will be comfortable building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, working across functions, geographies and cultures and influencing outcomes through collaboration, cultural awareness, insight and constructive challenge.
• You will also bring excellent communication, judgement and analytical skills, with the confidence to handle sensitive matters discreetly and provide clear, credible advice to the business and leadership. Experience operating across APAC would be advantageous, particularly in environments spanning multiple countries, markets, legal systems and cultures, as would a relevant professional qualification or degree in law, business, compliance, risk, audit or a related field.

What we offer you

At Arup, we care about each member’s success so we can grow together.

Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognizes the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair, and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities, and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling eligible members to share in the results of our collective efforts.

Explore the perks of a career with Arup Australia:

• Hybrid working policy and flexible working hours.
• Paid parental leave for the primary carer of 16 weeks or 32 weeks at half pay, as well as generous unpaid leave benefits.
• Paid parental leave for the support carer of 4 weeks plus the opportunity to access extra paid and unpaid leave if you later become the
  primary carer.
• Birthday leave.
• Annual leave loading.
• Ability to purchase additional leave of up to 20 days for permanent employees.
• International mobility opportunities.
• Insurances (life & income protection).
• Interest‑free solar energy and bicycle loans.
• Novated car lease.
• Ovasaver including discounts, vouchers, cashback, and exclusive offers on more than 300 retailers.

Different people, shared values

Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.

Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity, and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup.

We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.

Arup does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. #LI-nn1

My Profile

Create and manage profiles for future opportunities.