Compliance Associate

Birchlake Recruitment; Slough; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days pro rata (rising with LOS up 2

Bupa

Simply Health

Job summary

Birchlake Recruitment is partnering with a consumer lender to recruit a Compliance Associate for its Compliance & Risk Management function. The role offers exposure to regulatory, complaints, consumer protection, data protection and contract support while supporting the Chief Financial Officer.

Ideal candidates have 1–3 years in a legal/regulatory/compliance environment within financial services or a consumer-facing business, with familiarity of FCA DISP and UK consumer protection.

Qualifications

• 1–3 years' experience in legal, regulatory or compliance roles.
• Ideally within financial services or a consumer-facing organisation.
• Understanding of FCA Handbook, DISP and UK consumer protection is advantageous.
• Strong written and verbal communication, with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Support drafting, review and amendment of standard contracts and documents.
• Assist with summaries, internal guidance and compliance documentation.
• Coordinate with external law firms and regulatory advisers.
• Handle customer complaints, especially under UK DISP framework.
• Prepare responses to customers and regulatory bodies; maintain records.
• Assist with regulatory submissions, reports and FCA-related documentation.
• Support data protection activities under UK GDPR and internal processes.
• Monitor regulatory developments and summarise changes for internal teams.
• Assist with audits, risk assessments and cross-functional projects.

Skills

Regulatory compliance

Legal support

Analytical thinking

Attention to detail

Communication skills

English proficiency

Education

UK law degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Birchlake Recruitment is delighted to be partnering with a consumer lender in the search for a Compliance Associate to join its Compliance & Risk Management function.

The organisation provides financial services to clients throughout Europe and following continued business growth, an excellent opportunity has arisen for an early-career compliance or legal professional to gain broad exposure across regulatory compliance, complaints, consumer protection, data protection and contract support.

The role is primarily execution-focused, supporting the Chief Financial Officer across a broad range of operational regulatory and compliance matters. The successful candidate will assist with preparing documentation, supporting complaint and claim handling, coordinating with internal stakeholders and external advisers, and contributing to the ongoing development and maintenance of the company's compliance framework.

This role would suit someone with 1–3 years experience in a legal, regulatory or compliance environment who is looking to develop their career within financial services and gain exposure to the FCA regulatory framework and UK consumer finance.

The Role

As Compliance Associate, you will provide day-to-day support to the Compliance & Risk Management function across a range of legal, regulatory and operational activities.

Working under the supervision of the Chief Financial Officer, you will support contract processes, customer complaints and claims, regulatory reporting, data protection, compliance monitoring and internal documentation.

The role offers broad exposure across the business and the opportunity to work closely with teams including Sales, Risk and Complaints, as well as external legal advisers and regulatory stakeholders where appropriate.

The position does not involve independent decision-making on complex legal or regulatory matters, but provides an excellent platform to develop technical knowledge and take on increased responsibility over time.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the drafting, review and amendment of standard contracts and business documents.
• Assist with preparing summaries, internal guidance and compliance documentation.
• Support communication and coordination with external law firms and legal advisers.
• Support the handling of customer complaints, particularly in relation to the UK DISP framework.
• Prepare draft responses to customers, the Financial Ombudsman Service and other relevant stakeholders.
• Assist with gathering, reviewing and structuring complaint and claims information, including facts, chronology and supporting documentation.
• Support the preparation of regulatory submissions, reports and FCA-related documentation.
• Assist with data protection activities, including UK GDPR and internal data protection processes.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments and prepare clear internal summaries of relevant changes.
• Support audits, internal reviews, compliance assessments and risk assessments.
• Prepare presentations, management summaries and internal reports.Support cross-functional projects involving teams such as Sales, Risk and Complaints.
• Maintain accurate internal records, registers and compliance documentation.
• Manage multiple workstreams in a structured and organised manner while meeting operational and regulatory deadlines.

About You

You'll ideally have experience in one or more of the following:

• Legal, Regulatory or Compliance Support
• Consumer Finance
• Motor Finance
• Automotive / Luxury Automotive
• Complaints & Claims Handling
• FCA Regulation
• DISP
• UK Consumer Protection
• Data Protection / UK GDPR
• Contract Review & Documentation
• Regulatory Reporting
• Compliance Policies & Procedures

You’ll also possess:

• A UK law degree or comparable qualification.
• 1–3 years' experience in a legal, regulatory or compliance role, ideally within financial services or a consumer-facing organisation.
• An understanding of the FCA Handbook, particularly DISP, would be advantageous.
• Basic knowledge of the UK consumer protection framework.Initial exposure to UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
• Experience within motor finance or the automotive sector would be beneficial but is not essential.
• Strong written and spoken English.
• German language skills would be advantageous.
• Strong attention to detail and a structured, organised approach to work.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to summarise complex information clearly for non-legal stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills and an interest in financial and commercially relevant topics.
• The ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities within a fast-paced environment.
• A proactive, reliable and collaborative approach, with a genuine willingness to learn and develop.
• The ability to work under pressure and meet regulatory and operational deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and general document management systems.
• Full right to work in the UK is essential.

What's on Offer

Benefits include:

• 25 days pro rata (rising with LOS up to 30 days)
• Bupa
• Simply Health