Audit Stream Learning and Development - Compliance and Regulation Lead

BDO LLP; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading accountancy and advisory firm in the Greater London area seeks a Compliance and Regulation Lead to oversee compliance and regulatory reporting activities within the audit stream Learning & Development function. The position requires a senior manager with a strong understanding of audit practices and proven leadership capabilities. Candidates should be skilled in project management, stakeholder engagement, and compliance monitoring, ensuring alignment with internal and external reporting requirements. This role offers an opportunity to influence the learning culture and operational efficiency within the organization.

Benefits

Access to mentoring and coaching

Agile working framework

Support for personal and professional needs

Qualifications

• Experienced senior manager or equivalent in Learning & Development or Adult Education.
• Proven managerial and leadership skills to inspire teams.
• Previous experience in compliance and quality management systems beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Support the design, development, and delivery of curricula for compliance.
• Coordinate with stakeholders for compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Lead and manage compliance monitoring and reporting activities.

Skills

Strong project management skills

Excellent analytical skills

Proven managerial and leadership skills

Strong understanding of audit and the regulatory environment

Proven ability to build and maintain relationships

Ability to pragmatically problem-solve

Education

Formal L&D qualifications

Job description

AUDIT STREAM L&D – COMPLIANCE AND REGULATION LEAD

We are BDO – an accountancy and business advisory firm that supports entrepreneurial organisations to navigate today’s changing world.

Overview

Learning and Development (L&D) is a key enabler of our audit strategy and crucial to attracting, developing and retaining talent. It supports quality and productivity by ensuring staff have the knowledge and skills to perform their roles and achieve their personal and professional potential. Effective L&D requires specialist resources who partner with the audit stream to identify training needs, plan delivery and manage projects with a commercial mindset and regulatory awareness.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced senior manager or equivalent to join the audit stream L&D function’s Leadership Team and oversee compliance and regulatory reporting activities.

Responsibilities

• Support the scoping, design, development, delivery and evaluation of our curriculum to ensure effective learning and compliance with reporting requirements (internal and external).
• Coordinate stakeholders such as the Audit Quality Directorate (AQD) and the ISQM (UK) 1 team to understand compliance and regulatory reporting requirements and develop appropriate responses.
• Provide insights into the latest thinking and best practice around L&D operations to optimise systems, processes and controls.
• Act as a key liaison for internal stakeholders such as Quality & Risk Management (QRM) and Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
• Support the firm’s engagement with regulators in relation to audit stream L&D activities, leading responses to formal information requests and regulator meetings.
• Communicate and oversee compliance monitoring and reporting for all audit L&D programmes, providing regular updates and managing identified risks.
• Lead responses to all internal and external compliance requests, with appropriate review and sign‑off from the Director – Audit Learning and Development Strategic Operations (ALDSO) / LT.
• Work alongside LT members to deliver the audit stream L&D strategy.
• Lead, engage and share key messages with the L&D team to support achievement of L&D goals.
• Act as a compliance expert, advising the wider team and business leaders as appropriate.
• Assess and manage risks in L&D processes, considering wider factors such as People Priorities and Quality Findings.
• Support the Development and Monitoring Lead (DAM) with the development of learner profiling tools and validation processes to ensure compliance risks are managed.
• Review audit L&D dashboards and recommend enhancements, balancing compliance needs with learning effectiveness.
• Maintain quality assurance processes, ensuring effective systems, processes and controls are in place.
• Provide coaching and support to the wider team in fulfilling their duties.
• Advocate L&D activities within the business to support a learning culture in the stream.
• Work as part of the Leadership Team to achieve audit L&D objectives.
• Coordinate all compliance or regulatory reporting data with support from dam, MRC and Ops teams.
• Support ALDSO with regulatory compliance matters, developing long‑term strategic relationships with auditors and regulators.
• Represent audit stream L&D at external events.
• Introduce the latest thinking and innovation into operational and compliance processes, enhancing team efficiency and maintaining quality management systems to support compliance and manage regulatory risk.
• Advocate change where needed, leading by example and seeking support as appropriate.

Required skills and experience

• Experienced senior manager (or equivalent), ideally with a background in Learning & Development / Adult Education.
• Formal L&D qualifications a plus but not essential if proven experience exists.
• Strong understanding of audit and the regulatory environment.
• Previous experience in compliance and quality management systems beneficial.
• Proven ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with senior stakeholders (internal and external).
• Proven managerial and leadership skills – ability to inspire, engage and support teams in executing strategic and operational plans.
• Strong project management skills – demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deliver on time and to quality standards.
• Ability to pragmatically problem‑solve and generate commercially viable solutions.
• Excellent analytical, interpersonal and communication skills, written and verbal.
• Understanding of business strategy and goals with a focus on delivering effectively against them.
• Focus on operational excellence and quality.

We’re in it together

Mutual support and respect are core values at BDO. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we support you at every stage of your career, whatever your personal and professional needs. Our agile working framework keeps teams connected, and we provide access to the people and resources you need to do your best work.