8 Types Of Compliance Jobs (With Examples For Each Field)

Compliance officers serve the important role of helping organizations ensure that they comply with regulations, ethics and other standards. Many fields need compliance officers, including business, healthcare, information technology and more. If you want to start a career in compliance, you can choose from different fields and job titles based on your interests, skills and area of specialty. In this article, we explain what compliance is and why it’s important and list different types of compliance jobs that you can pursue.

What is compliance?

Compliance is adherence to laws, regulations, ethical standards and other rules. Organizations need to follow rules set by government agencies and adhere to the standards of their industry. Staying in compliance can help a company avoid legal problems, improve its reputation and strengthen its employee relationships.

People who work in the compliance industry use their knowledge of laws and regulations to help organizations ensure that they stay in compliance. Compliance officers identify risks of non-compliance, implement and maintain policies, advise organizations on maintaining compliance, develop a code of conduct and fulfill other responsibilities. People who work in compliance are typically skilled in communication, analytical thinking, problem solving, adaptability, strategy creation and more.

8 types of compliance jobs

Many career fields have compliance jobs, including:

1. Business

Compliance jobs are essential in the field of business. Businesses work under many regulations that protect their customers. Business regulations include operational regulations, tax laws and security standards, making compliance professionals essential for businesses. Some compliance positions in the business field include:

• Business compliance officer: A business compliance officer is responsible for making sure a business stays in compliance with business laws and regulations.

• Business ethics officer: A business ethics officer helps businesses make sure that they adhere to ethical standards.

• Financial services compliance officer: A financial services compliance officer works for a financial institution to help it stay in compliance with financial laws and regulations.

• Business compliance project manager: Business compliance project managers oversee projects to help businesses stay in compliance.

2. Healthcare

The field of healthcare also has many opportunities for compliance jobs. Healthcare providers are required to meet specific standards to ensure the safety of patients and employees. Because there are numerous healthcare regulations, healthcare providers and companies need compliance professionals. Some compliance jobs in the healthcare field include:

• Healthcare compliance officer: A healthcare compliance officer is responsible for helping healthcare institutions, including hospitals and healthcare centers, meet healthcare standards and regulations to keep their patients and employees safe.

• Clinical compliance specialist: A clinical compliance specialist is responsible for making sure that clinical settings comply with clinical laws and regulations.

• Healthcare information technology compliance officer: A healthcare information technology compliance officer is a compliance professional who is responsible for ensuring that the information technology used by healthcare institutions meets legal, regulatory and security standards.

• Healthcare compliance auditor: Healthcare compliance officers audit healthcare institutions to make sure they comply with healthcare laws and regulations.

3. Government agencies

Government agencies need compliance professionals to help them stay in compliance with laws, ethical standards and other rules. Some government agency jobs for compliance professionals include:

• Ethics officer: Ethics officers serve the important role of making sure that the employees of government agencies and elected officials stay in compliance with ethics regulations and laws.

• Fraud investigator: Fraud investigators are responsible for investigating entities, including government agencies, for signs of fraud.

• Government compliance manager: Government compliance managers are responsible for overseeing government agencies to make sure they comply with laws, regulations, ethical standards, policies and other rules.

4. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also need compliance professionals to help them comply with regulations. Jobs for compliance professionals in NGOs include:

• Compliance officer: NGO compliance officers are compliance professionals who help NGOs stay in compliance with the rules and regulations that apply to them.

• Grants and compliance director: A grants and compliance director is a compliance professional who focuses on managing grants and ensuring that NGOs stay in compliance with regulations.

• Compliance program officer: NGO compliance program officers work with specific NGO programs to make sure they’re in compliance with NGO laws and regulations.

5. Human resources

Compliance is an essential element of human resources. Human resources must adhere to wage laws, anti-discrimination regulations, safety regulations and other rules that protect their employees. Therefore, compliance professionals can take on many roles in the human resources industry, including:

• Human resources manager: A human resources manager is responsible for managing a company’s human resources department, including making sure that the department stays in compliance with human resources laws and regulations.

• Human resources compliance specialist: A human resources compliance specialist is a compliance professional who helps human resources departments stay in compliance with a variety of human resources regulations.

• Human resources analyst: A human resources analyst collects and analyzes human resources data to make recommendations for legal and regulatory compliance.

6. Information technology

The field of information technology has many job options in compliance. There are many regulations in the information technology industry, including security regulations, making compliance professionals essential to this industry. Some jobs for compliance professionals in information technology include:

• Information technology compliance officer: An information technology compliance officer is responsible for helping organizations make sure their information technology is compliant with information technology laws and regulations.

• Cybersecurity risk and compliance analyst: A cybersecurity risk and compliance analyst serves the important role of making sure technology meets cybersecurity standards and other regulations.

• Information technology security specialist: An information technology security specialist is responsible for making sure information technology is compliant with security standards.

7. Food businesses

Food businesses also need compliance professionals to help them stay in compliance with food safety laws and other regulations. Compliance positions in the food industry include:

• Food safety compliance officer: A food safety compliance officer is responsible for helping a food business make sure it’s compliant with food safety laws and other regulations.

• Food safety auditor: A food safety auditor completes audits of food businesses to make sure they meet food safety standards.

• Food inspection specialist: A food inspection specialist conducts inspections of businesses that serve food to make sure that they meet safety standards, health standards and other regulations.

8. Environmental protection

Compliance professionals can also work in environmental protection to help keep organizations in compliance with regulations and standards. Environmental industry compliance positions include:

• Environmental regulatory compliance specialist: An environmental regulatory compliance specialist is a compliance professional focused on helping entities ensure that they adhere to environmental regulations.

• Environmental compliance officer: An environmental compliance officer is responsible for ensuring that entities meet environmental standards, laws and regulations.

• Environmental compliance engineer: Environmental compliance engineers are compliance professionals that engineer solutions to promote environmental compliance.

I hope you find this article helpful.