Senior Legal & Compliance Associate – Crimson Academies

Crimson Education; Leeds; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading education provider is seeking a Compliance Manager to oversee legal and regulatory compliance across multiple innovative schools. The ideal candidate will have a background in law, strong experience in compliance and regulatory matters, and a deep understanding of education law. This role provides the opportunity to shape the compliance culture and make a meaningful impact in the education sector. Excellent drafting skills and the ability to engage with various stakeholders are essential.

Qualifications

• Eligibility to practice law in New Zealand preferred.
• Experience advising schools or education providers is highly desirable.
• Deep understanding of NZ education law and public sector compliance.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert legal advice on governance and risk management.
• Own charter school compliance including audits and regulatory reporting.
• Draft and review contracts and school agreements.
• Build and maintain compliance frameworks and training programmes.
• Train staff on privacy and safeguarding.
• Identify and mitigate legal risks.

Skills

Legal drafting

Regulatory reporting

Risk management

Compliance audits

Communication

Education

LLB or higher

5+ years of post-qualification experience

Job description

Shape the future of education. Safeguard what matters.

Crimson Academies is redefining how young people learn across Aotearoa and beyond. We're a group of innovative schools, all united by one mission : to boost students' ambition, self-belief, and performance. This is role excitingly spans all of our schools :

Crimson Global Academy – Online Learning, Private International Schooling

Multi-mode, multi-curriculum global online private schooling for students from primary through to high school graduation.

Mt Hobson Academy – Online Learning, Private Local Schooling

A vibrant network of students and educators from across New Zealand, building friendships, sharing ideas, and making an impact — right where they are.

Crimson AGE School – Hybrid Learning, Private Local & International Schooling

A private school based in Takapuna, New Zealand, offering both local and international curricula to primary through high school students.

Aotearoa Infinite Academy – Online Learning, Charter School

New Zealand’s first charter online high school, offering tuition-free international and national curriculum pathways to students nationwide.

About the role

You'll be the compliance backbone for multiple schools operating under different frameworks : charter school agreements, private school regulations, and Crown entity obligations. You'll draft everything from employment contracts to partnership MOUs, lead our annual charter compliance audit, and build the frameworks that keep us legally sound and operationally excellent.

You'll work closely with our Director of Legal & Compliance and report with a dotted line to the CEO of Crimson Academies. This role requires someone who can balance legal rigour with practical, education-sector savvy.

What you'll do

• Provide expert legal advice to leadership and the Board on everything from governance to risk management
• Own charter school compliance : audits, attestations, regulatory reporting, and relationship management with the Ministry of Education, Charter School Agency, and ERO
• Draft and review contracts, policies, employment documents, and school agreements
• Build and maintain compliance frameworks, risk registers, and training programmes
• Oversee the legal and compliance aspects of our in-house HRIS, Bright
• Train staff on privacy, safeguarding, health and safety, and information management
• Identify and mitigate legal risks before they become problems

What you bring

• LLB (or higher) and eligibility to practise law in New Zealand preferred
• 5+ years' post-qualification experience in legal, regulatory, or compliance roles
• Experience working with or advising schools, education providers, Crown entities, or NGOs (highly desirable)
• Deep understanding of NZ education law, public sector compliance, and governance
• Excellent legal drafting and the ability to translate complex legal concepts into practical guidance
• Proven track record managing compliance audits and regulatory reviews
• High ethical standards, strategic thinking, and meticulous attention to detail

Why Crimson Academies?

You'll be part of something meaningful : schools that genuinely change young people's lives. You'll work across a diverse portfolio of education models, from tuition-free charter schooling to premium international programmes. You'll have autonomy, variety, and the chance to shape compliance culture from the ground up.

Can't wait to meet you!