Senior Manager: Compliance Advisory

Strategi; Upper Harbour; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Strategi Group is seeking a Senior Manager to own and drive the Compliance Advisory practice in New Zealand. You will lead complex assurance reviews and consulting engagements, manage a high‑performing team, and shape frameworks for regulatory compliance.

The role calls for 7+ years in compliance and a proven track record in advisory leadership, driving commercial impact. You will mentor staff, oversee client engagements, promote technical excellence, and ensure timely, quality delivery while

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years in Compliance, including senior advisory, assurance, or consulting.
• Demonstrated people leadership or team management experience.
• Experience owning or helping lead a service line, including resourcing, utilisation, workflow, quality, and commercial performance.
• Deep technical expertise in compliance legislation and frameworks.
• Proven coaching, mentoring, and performance management experience.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience managing complex client engagements and projects.
• Strong strategic thinking and business acumen.
• Ability to drive innovation and continuous improvement.
• High level of resilience and adaptability.
• Demonstrates accountability, integrity, and professional conduct.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Compliance Advisory service line, defining operating rhythm, priorities, workload, and commercial performance.
• Coach and develop team members; manage performance expectations and capability uplift.
• Ensure 100% accuracy in audit documentation and client records; uphold quality standards.
• Identify, escalate, and resolve compliance risks across engagements; champion digital tools.
• Monitor utilization, pipeline, and billing; keep the service line financially and operationally on track.
• Respond to senior client queries within one business day with strategic, accurate advice.
• Lead client training sessions and document communications in CRM within 48 hours.

Skills

Leadership

Compliance expertise

Client management

Strategic thinking

Communication

Tools

CRM

SharePoint

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

You've built your career in compliance - now lead an entire service line. Strategi Group is looking for a Senior Manager to own and drive our Compliance Advisory practice: leading complex assurance reviews and consulting engagements, managing and developing a high-performing team, and shaping the frameworks our financial services clients rely on to meet their regulatory obligations. This isn't just a senior compliance role, it's a leadership position where you'll influence strategic direction, mentor the next generation of compliance professionals, and help grow a service line with real commercial impact. If you've spent 7+ years in compliance and you're ready to step into full-service line ownership, we'd like to hear from you.

Key accountabilities

In this role, you’ll be accountable for the following key results:

1. Service line leadership and management

Own and manage the Compliance Advisory service line, including the operating rhythm, priorities, workflow, resourcing, utilisation, quality standards, and commercial performance.

Lead, manage, coach, and develop team members, including workload allocation, performance expectations, and capability uplift.

Maintain a clear service line plan, pipeline view, and view of delivery risks, escalating resourcing, delivery, or quality issues promptly.

Lead and oversee complex compliance assurance reviews or consulting engagements, ensuring all are delivered on time and to client expectations.

Review and approve audit and assurance reports, ensuring 100% compliance with internal quality standards and regulatory requirements.

Achieve and maintain a client satisfaction score aligned to internal targets.

3. Technical Excellence

Demonstrate expert-level knowledge of compliance legislation by leading internal knowledge sessions.

Ensure team audit documentation and client records maintain 100% accuracy, with zero critical errors in management or regulatory reviews.

Proactively identify, escalated, and resolve compliance risks in all engagements.

Champion the use of compliance systems and digital tools, achieving minimal data entry errors across the team per quarter.

4. Operational Effectiveness

Monitor service line utilisation, pipeline, workflow, capacity, and billing performance, taking action to keep the service line commercially and operationally on track.

Ensure all team CRM, registers, and SharePoint updates are completed within a reasonable timeframe.

Monitor and ensure timely submission of timesheets and activity reports for self and direct reports in relation to billable hours and agreements.

Lead adherence to internal processes and procedures, with compliance confirmed in quarterly team audits.

Lead and sponsor process improvements or efficiency initiatives every quarter.

Facilitate and participate in advanced training or professional development activities annually for self and team.

Oversee updates to compliance templates, manuals, and documentation within a reasonable timeframe of regulatory changes.

6. Client Engagement & Communication

Respond to senior client queries within one business day, providing strategic and accurate advice.

Deliver or oversee at least two client training or guidance sessions per year.

Ensure all senior-level client communications and feedback are documented in CRM within 48 hours of interaction.

Attend and lead scheduled internal meetings, driving team initiatives and providing strategic feedback.

Manage, coach, mentor, and support the team, including direct reports.

Lead team-based continuous improvement discussions at least monthly.

8. Personal Accountability & Development

Complete all assigned senior-level tasks and responsibilities by agreed deadlines.

Seek, provide, and document feedback from peers, direct reports, and managers.

Demonstrate resilience and leadership by maintaining and elevating team performance standards during periods of high workload or change, as measured in quarterly reviews.

What you bring to the role/person specification

Minimum 7 years’ experience in Compliance, including senior advisory, assurance, or consulting responsibilities.

Demonstrated people leadership or team management experience.

Experience owning or helping lead a service line, practice area, or comparable advisory function, including resourcing, utilisation, workflow management, quality, and commercial performance.

Deep technical expertise in compliance legislation and frameworks.

Proven coaching, mentoring, and performance management experience.

Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Experience managing complex client engagements and projects.

Strong strategic thinking and business acumen.

Ability to drive innovation and continuous improvement.

High level of resilience and adaptability.

Demonstrates accountability, integrity, and professional conduct