Regulatory Compliance Officer

POSITION: Reporting to the President, the head of Compliance will provide leadership in licensing and accreditation in meeting goals and objectives in alignment with the Company’s mission.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The Company has eight campuses that are typically facilities of 20,000 to 50,000 square feet of classroom and lab space with a student enrollment at peak utilization of nearly 600 with a staffs of 30 to 50 employees. The Company provides educational programs and testing services in the field of allied health and business and technology. The programs offered by the institute include digital communication and media, computer systems networking, webmaster, graphic design, computer programming, massage therapy, medical assistant, medical insurance coding, medical office management, photography and photo journalism, and computer installation and repair. In addition, it offers certification exams such as Microsoft Office Specialist, Oracle Certified Professional (OCP), and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE).

The head of Compliance working from the Corporate Headquarters oversees all issues relating to accreditation, licensing and regulatory compliance at the state and federal level.

Typical Responsibilities Include:

· Establish and maintain relationships with state, federal and accreditation agencies.

· Ensure compliance with Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) standards.

· Maintain organizational compliance with US Department of Education (USDoE) regulations to ensure eligibility for Title IV funding.

· Prepare for and attend state, federal and accreditation campus visits.

· Provide counsel (at all levels) on issues relating to federal, state and accreditation regulations and laws.

· Assist in responding to student complaints filed with agencies, the Better Business Bureau or other outside groups.

· Research and provide updates to the Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officers on impending or recent changes to federal and state law or regulation.

· Maintain communication with the Career College Association (CCA) and other outside groups regarding changes to law or regulation.

· Notify all affected employees of changes too accreditation standards and how to comply, assist in developing standard operating procedures in response.

· Review all marketing and admission materials for compliance with ACICS, USDoE, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), etc.

· Review all catalogs for compliance and legal requirements.

· Identifies potential areas of compliance vulnerability and risk, develops and implements corrective action plans for resolution of problematic issues, and provides general guidance on how to avoid or deal with similar situations in the future.

· Provides reports on a regular basis, and as directed or requested, in order to keep the President and the Board of Directors and Senior Management informed of the operation and progress of compliance efforts.

· Ensures proper reporting of violations or potential violations to the Company President, duly authorized enforcement agencies, and accrediting bodies as appropriate or required.

· Institutes and maintains an effective compliance communication program for the organization, including promoting: (a) heightened awareness of Standards of Conduct, and (b) understanding of new and existing compliance issues and related policies and procedures.

· Works with the Human Resources Department and others as appropriate to develop an effective compliance training program, including appropriate introductory training for new employees and ongoing training for all campus and home office employees and managers.

· Monitors the performance of the Compliance Program and relates activities on a continuing basis, taking appropriate steps to improve its effectiveness.

· Serves as the company’s primary ombudsman for student complaints.

EXPERIENCE &SKILLS: Our client seeks an individual with at least seven to ten years of direct experience in regulatory compliance accreditation and licensing in higher education four of those years at management levels. Management skills would have been developed in both matrix and direct rolls. Ideally managerial experience could have been gained in the businesses of proprietary education.

A bachelor’s degree in business, education or related field is required. An advanced degree in Law (JD) or Business (MBA) is also required.

Specific requirements include:

· Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Fluent in English; Spanish would be a plus.

· Ability to work in a fast-paced environment where meeting deadlines is essential.

· Ability to provide flexible work schedules

· In-depth knowledge of Department of Education regulations and applicable accreditation and state licensing requirements.

· Participative management approach.

· Must possess excellent judgment, problem solving, multitasking, and decision making skills.

· Must have the ability to motivate and assist students in overcoming obstacles.

· Knowledge of personal computer software applications including MS Office.

Success will be measured by:

· Ability to manage to the metrics of the business.

· Leadership provided to the Campuses in the process of licensing, accreditation and compliance.

· Quality of communication within the Company.

 Relocation assistance available