Position Summary
Located 45 minutes from the Nation’s Capital, nestled in a history-rich community of southern Maryland, The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) is a two-time Aspen Award-winning institution (top 15% of Community Colleges) with academic programs in over 100 disciplines. CSM is among America’s top 100 producers of Minority Associate Degrees in twenty categories. CSM offers excellent health insurance benefits; State Retirement Pension plan; wellness programs; Code Green early closure Fridays in the summer; college closure for spring break and several major holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year; and for several days in March for Spring Break. We are an innovative institution committed to student success and well known for our flexibility to meet student and community needs.
The Executive Director, Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) plays a critical role in developing and managing a comprehensive compliance program within the college. This position is responsible for ensuring that the institution operates in accordance with relevant laws, regulations, policies, and ethical standards. The CCO collaborates with the General Counsel and senior leadership, department heads, and stakeholders across the institution to establish and maintain a culture of compliance and integrity. The CCO also serves as a resource and advisor on compliance matters and provides leadership in developing and implementing effective compliance strategies and initiatives. The Compliance Officer will assist the General Counsel in overseeing the development, maintenance, revision, and implementation of all college-wide policies and procedures.
Reports to: Vice President, General Counsel
The College of Southern Maryland conducts background checks in order to ensure the safety and well-being of the College's staff and students. The final candidate for this position will be subject to the following background checks: Criminal History Check and Sex Offender Registry Check.
This position is open until filled. The College of Southern Maryland is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Specific Duties and Responsibilities
35% Compliance Program Development and Management:
- Develop, implement, and oversee a comprehensive compliance program that addresses key areas of regulatory risk and ensures adherence to applicable laws, regulations, and policies.
- Establish policies, procedures, and controls to prevent, detect, and address compliance issues, including those related to financial, operational, and ethical matters.
- Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the compliance program through regular assessments, audits, and reviews.
- Stay abreast of changes in relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards that affect higher education institutions, and assist senior leadership and departments in interpreting laws and regulations in the context of college operations, in consultation with General Counsel, to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
- Identify and assist others in assessing compliance risks facing the institution and develop strategies to address gaps and mitigate those risks.
- Maintain inventory of compliance requirements, designated compliance risk owners and senior management accountable for compliance risk management.
- Institute and maintain an effective compliance communication program, including promoting understanding of new and existing compliance issues and related policies and procedures.
- Represent the institution in compliance-related forums, conferences, and professional associations.
- At the request of General Counsel, review contracts, particularly with respect to insurance and indemnification language, with guidance from General Counsel.
- Assist Executive Assistant with insurance broker on claims administration and managing the insurance renewal process.
- Review and assist General Counsel, in responding to agency public records requests.
20% Training and Education:
- Develop and deliver compliance training programs and resources for faculty, staff, and students to promote awareness of compliance requirements and foster a culture of compliance.
- Provide guidance and support on compliance-related issues, including ethical decision-making, conflict of interest, and reporting mechanisms.
- Partner with the People, Culture and Equity division and other departments to develop and deliver quality educational and training programming to ensure that new hires and members of the College community understand their compliance responsibilities and the policies, procedures, and legal requirements that are relevant to their work.
15% Reporting and Investigation:
- Establish and manage internal processes for independent reporting and investigation of compliance concerns, including whistleblower complaints, allegations of misconduct, and potential violations of policies or regulations.
- Lead or oversee investigations into specific compliance problems and concerns, working closely with internal stakeholders and obtaining legal counsel from General Counsel as needed to assure appropriate corrective action is taken.
- Prepare and submit reports to senior leadership, the Board of Trustees, and regulatory agencies on compliance activities, findings, and remediation efforts.
- In consultation with the President and General Counsel, monitor and advise senior leadership on all complaints generated through state and federal agencies. Assist with drafting the College’s position statements and manage requests for information from external agencies.
- Serve as the institutional liaison to external agencies, including but not limited to the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) on compliance issues.
30% Policy and Procedure
- Serve as the primary point of contact for the Office of General Counsel regarding the College’s policy and procedure development and revision process.
- In collaboration with General Counsel, identify gaps in the College’s existing policies and procedures, identify necessary updates based on laws or best practices, and initiate policy development or revision process accordingly.
- Guide and facilitate the various college stakeholders, including senior management, governance bodies, and policy owners in formulating, reviewing, approving, publicizing, and implementing a comprehensive set of policies and procedures.
- Research and analyze policy and procedure concepts, possible implications, and the impact of proposed policy and procedure revisions on key stakeholders including employees and students.
- Ensure that policies and procedures are periodically reviewed and develop and implement a policy and procedure review schedule.
Additional Duties:
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Minimum Education and Training
Required Education and Experience:
- Master’s degree in law, business administration, compliance or risk management or related fields; JD preferred.
- Current Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP) or Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) designation or ability to obtain within one (1) year.
- Minimum of three (3) years of compliance or regulatory experience.
- Compliance experience in a higher education institution.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with policy and procedure development and implementation at a higher education institution.
- Experience in compliance program development, implementation, and management, preferred.
Minimum Qualifications and Standards Required
Additional Requirements:
- Financial disclosure required.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Working knowledge of local, state, and federal legislation governing compliance in a higher education institution.
- Knowledge of higher education practices, regulations compliance requirements affecting colleges.
- Ability to develop and interpret college policies and procedures.
- Ability to interpret and advise on application of various laws and regulations.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively and collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external constituencies in a diverse community.
- Ability to work independently and achieve goals with minimal supervision.
- Ability to develop and present educational programs and workshops.
- Demonstrated knowledge of project management.
- Strong commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The work is sedentary work which requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Work is performed in a relatively safe, and secure work environment.
