Compliance Lead - Conduct

Southern Cross Health Insurance; Auckland; On-site; NZD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing leave (five days)

Health insurance for you and your whān

Life insurance & discounts on travel

Parental leave benefits

Workplace wellbeing programme

Flexi leave options

Volunteer day

Job summary

Southern Cross Health Insurance is seeking a senior compliance leader to own the conduct programme and governance. You will work with the Board, regulator, and teams to shape whether products and services meet high standards of consumer protection and privacy.

The role requires credibility, leadership, and strong NZ regulatory knowledge. Based in Auckland, you will guide strategy, advise on initiatives, and ensure conduct actions are embedded across the business with a clear reporting line to

Qualifications

• 8+ years of consumer law or conduct experience in financial services, with credibility on consumer protection.
• Strong working knowledge of NZ regulatory landscape including CoFI and the Fair Trading Act.
• Ability to present to the Board and regulators with clear, practical guidance.

Responsibilities

• Own the Fair Conduct Programme end to end, ensuring credibility with the Board and regulator.
• Advise teams on conduct and privacy implications of major initiatives and product changes.
• Lead governance discussions, escalate conduct issues, and drive risk-based decision making.

Skills

Consumer law

Conduct risk

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder mgmt

Leadership

Education

Law degree

Job description

About Us

Southern Cross Health Insurance is shaping a healthier Aotearoa New Zealand. Our purpose is simple: empowering our members to live well for longer. We're here to give peace of mind through timely access to quality care, inspire healthier living, and lead positive change across the health system. As a New Zealand-owned, member-based organisation, we're building a future where wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do -- delivering exceptional value for our members and creating an environment where our people thrive.

Now is an exciting time to join us. You'll be part of a high-performing, values-driven team where people are at the heart of everything we do -- and in return for your talent, you'll have the opportunity to grow, make an impact, and be proud of the difference your work makes.

About The Role

At Southern Cross Health Insurance, our purpose is to help our members live their healthiest lives for longer. As New Zealand's largest health insurer and a regulated financial institution, trust, transparency and sound conduct are at the heart of everything we do.

We're looking for an experienced compliance leader to take genuine ownership of conduct at Southern Cross – someone who can build real trust with our Board, our regulator and our people to ensure that we do right by our members.

About The Role

This is a senior, high-visibility role at the heart of how Southern Cross manages conduct risk: you'll set the direction for our Fair Conduct Programme, bring judgement and credibility to governance forums, and be the compliance voice the business turns to when it's shaping decisions that affect our members.

Reporting to the Head of Risk, Compliance & Regulatory Affairs, and working alongside our Compliance Lead to keep conduct activity aligned with the wider compliance framework, you'll lead conduct and privacy compliance for Southern Cross – including the development of a direct report responsible for privacy. You'll be accountable for the credibility of our conduct story, from how it's understood on the front line to how it's reported to the Board.

This is a role with genuine influence. You'll shape how conduct risk is assessed, escalated and reported; advise the business on the conduct and privacy implications of new products and initiatives; and represent Southern Cross's conduct programme to the FMA and other regulators with confidence and authority.

What You’ll Lead

Fair Conduct Programme & Governance

• Own the Fair Conduct Programme end to end – making sure it's genuinely useful, not just compliant on paper, and holds up to scrutiny from the Board and our regulator
• Be the trusted voice on conduct at governance level, translating conduct risk into clear, credible reporting and recommendations for the Board and management
• Build a conduct reporting approach that incorporates FMA and Board feedback and genuinely earns their confidence over time

Conduct & Privacy

• Be the go-to person for conduct advice for teams shaping product, sales and advice decisions – helping the business get it right
• Bring conduct thinking into major initiatives and proposals for product change from the outset
• Grow the confidence and capability of our privacy compliance function, leading and developing the team member responsible for it

Risk & Assurance

• Strengthen how Southern Cross identifies and manages conduct risk, partnering with key stakeholders within the business to help ensure that key controls work in practice
• Support the resolution of conduct issues and incidents, ensuring they're handled with the right urgency and judgement
• Keep our conduct risk profile aligned to the risk appetite the Board has set

Capability & Culture

• Build genuine understanding of conduct obligations across the business, so good outcomes for members become second nature
• Partner with the Compliance Lead and wider team to keep training sharp, relevant and connected to real conduct and consumer protection risk

What You’ll Bring

• 8+ years of consumer law or conduct experience gained in a bank, insurer, or a law firm advising financial services clients, with real credibility on conduct and consumer protection matters
• A law degree is required – you might come from private practice as a financial services or consumer law specialist, in-house counsel, or an established conduct/compliance background; a current practising certificate is not required
• A strong working knowledge of CoFI, the Fair Trading Act and New Zealand's consumer protection and privacy landscape
• The gravitas and judgement to prepare and present to Board, executive and governance forums, and to hold your own with regulators including the FMA
• A track record of building trust with senior stakeholders and translating regulatory obligations into practical, business-relevant guidance
• People leadership experience, or a demonstrated ability to lead and develop others

Who We Are

Ngākau nui. Āhurutanga. Tikanga.

Join a proud, diverse team that's always there, always real, always true. If you thrive in a caring, honest and open culture, we think you'll love working with us.

We know our team's culture and wellbeing drive us forward. That's why we prioritise not only professional development but opportunities to thrive personally. We offer exceptional work/life balance, and our people are encouraged - and rewarded - for living well.

Southern Cross Employee Benefits Include

• Five days of wellbeing leave per year
• Health insurance for you and your immediate whąnau
• Life insurance cover and discounts on pet and travel insurance
• Extra parental leave benefits and financial wellbeing support
• Participation in our workplace wellbeing programme
• The option to purchase flexi leave for study, volunteering, or supporting your whąnau
• An annual volunteer day to contribute to a cause with your team

This role is Auckland based. While we appreciate interest from candidates in other locations, we're unfortunately not able to consider remote options. Have questions? Check out our FAQs for help with the application and recruitment process.

We are proud to have taken the Pride Pledge, reflecting our commitment to inclusion and belonging. We also facilitate an active, employee‑led Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Forum, which includes our Rainbow Network, Māori Network, Pasifika Collective, and Neurodiversity and Whąnau Support networks.

If you share our commitment and passion, we'd love to hear from you.