Compliance Officer

Compliance Officer

Purpose of the Job

The Compliance Officer is responsible for monitoring the external regulatory environment across Coptic Orphans' five operating jurisdictions (USA, Canada, Australia, UK, and Egypt) and ensuring the organization understands, manages, and addresses its compliance obligations. The role assesses compliance gaps and associated risks, advises department leads on regulatory implications and required actions, and maintains the organization's compliance risk register and accountability record.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Regulatory Monitoring & Compliance Assessment

• Monitor the external regulatory environment across all five operating jurisdictions, including new laws, amendments, enforcement actions, regulatory guidance, and penalties against comparable nonprofit organizations to identify obligations and anticipate areas of regulatory scrutiny.
• Translate regulatory updates into plain-language impact assessments that identify what changed, which Coptic Orphans functions are affected, what action is required, and by when.
• Maintain a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction compliance calendar and a network of external regulatory information sources, including the legal team, regulatory alert services, and sector compliance forums, to ensure timely and reliable intelligence across all jurisdictions.
• Conduct scheduled and trigger-based compliance assessments across all regulatory domains, engaging with department managers to gather operational information, review documentation, and evaluate current practices against applicable external requirements.
• Maintain a structured compliance risk register that documents each identified gap with its regulatory basis, current organizational state, risk quantification (likelihood, impact, and exposure), recommended remediation action, responsible owner, and timeline.

Advisory, Reporting & Audit Readiness

• Serve as the primary compliance advisory resource across the organization, advising department leads on compliance implications of their policies, practices, and operational decisions, providing regulatory context and recommended adjustments without assuming ownership of departmental operations.
• Identify required compliance facts (e.g., privacy notices, consent mechanisms, data processing agreements, breach notification protocols) and advise relevant department owners on content requirements, regulatory standards, and implementation timelines.
• Prepare regular compliance status reports for leadership and governance bodies, summarizing the regulatory landscape, open risks, remediation progress, and upcoming obligations.
• Document all compliance decisions, escalations, and risk acceptance determinations, including instances where identified risks are acknowledged but not remediated to maintain an institutional record and clear accountability trail.
• Serve as the internal coordinator for compliance-specific audit preparation and due diligence reviews, organizing documentation, coordinating responses to examiner inquiries, tracking findings to closure, and analyzing patterns across audit cycles to identify systemic weaknesses.
• Coordinate with external counsel across jurisdictions as needed to obtain specialized legal guidance on complex or emerging regulatory matters.

Knowledge and Skills

• Bachelor's degree required; a field in law, public policy, regulatory affairs, nonprofit management, or a related discipline is preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in regulatory compliance, external affairs compliance, or a closely related function - not solely internal policy administration.
• Demonstrated experience in monitoring multi-jurisdictional regulatory environments and translating external requirements into organizational compliance actions.
• Working knowledge of nonprofit regulatory requirements in the U.S. is required; familiarity with Canadian, Australian, UK, or Egyptian charity and nonprofit law is a significant plus.
• Familiarity with data privacy frameworks (GDPR, U.S. state privacy laws, PIPEDA) and information security standards is strongly preferred.
• Analytical and process-oriented, able to identify gaps, assess risk, and propose practical, implementable solutions.
• Strong regulatory research and analytical skills - able to interpret legal and regulatory developments and assess organizational impact with clarity.
• Ability to understand Arabic is required; reading and writing proficiency is a plus.

Travel Requirements and Working Conditions

• International travel may reach up to 25% of the time. 
• Typical office environment, such as walking, sitting, typing, using office equipment, and occasional lifting of boxes or luggage during travel.
• Working out of the official hours and on weekends may be required.

Our Benefits

Coptic Orphans offers a wide range of benefits, including comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, life insurance, optional Short-term and Long-term Disability coverage, access to onsite fitness, Employee assistance program, and paid time off. Employees have the option to participate in a company-sponsored 403(b) retirement plan.