Compliance Manager at Haberdashers' Elstree Schools

Habs has been awarded Independent School of the Year 2025, with Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools receiving both the award for Outstanding Educational Partnerships and the overall top accolade of Independent School of the Year 2025. This recognition reflects our long-term commitment to social impact and the deep, sustained collaborations we continue to build with our state sector partners. It is an exciting time to join our community.

Haberdashers' Elstree Schools are seeking an experienced and proactive Compliance Manager to join our Estates team. This is an excellent opportunity for a compliance professional who enjoys working across a broad remit, influencing best practice, and ensuring the highest standards of governance, health and safety, and regulatory compliance within a leading independent school.

Reporting to the Director of Estates Development, you will work closely with senior leaders and colleagues across both schools to lead our compliance framework. You will provide expert advice on legislative and regulatory requirements, oversee internal compliance auditing, and ensure our policies, procedures and practices continue to meet the expectations of the Independent Schools Inspectorate, statutory education regulations, and health and safety legislation.

This is a varied role with significant responsibility and influence. You will plan and deliver internal audits, analyse compliance data, support the development of risk assessments and management arrangements, and work closely with insurers and external consultants. You will also play a key role in inspection readiness, maintaining essential documentation and helping to ensure the Schools remain prepared for inspection at all times. In addition, you will oversee health and safety compliance, accident investigations, policy reviews, and the maintenance of organisational risk registers.

The role also encompasses responsibility for data protection across the Estates function. You will act as the first point of contact for data protection matters, manage Data Subject Access Requests and data breach processes, liaise with our external Data Protection Officer, maintain accurate records, and ensure contractor compliance and estates-related licences remain up to date.

As Compliance Manager, you will line manage the Compliance Assistant, providing guidance, support and development to ensure the continued delivery of a high-quality compliance service.

We are looking for a highly organised and detail-oriented professional with excellent analytical skills and the ability to interpret legislation and communicate complex requirements clearly to colleagues. You will have proven experience of compliance auditing, data analysis and action planning, together with strong Microsoft Office and spreadsheet skills. Experience within an education or independent school environment would be advantageous but is not essential.

An IOSH health and safety qualification and a relevant data protection qualification are desirable. Where required, support will be provided for the successful candidate to achieve these within the first 6–12 months of appointment.

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution within a collaborative and values-led organisation, helping to create a safe, compliant and well-managed environment that enables our pupils and staff to thrive. If you are looking for a role where your expertise will have a genuine impact, we would be delighted to hear from you.

What we are offering:

• A salary of up to £45,000k-£48,000k dependent on experience.
• Private Pension Scheme through Aegon
• Additional life insurance cover
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), providing confidential support and advice
• Financial assistance for obtaining further qualifications
• Extensive professional development training opportunities
• Free lunch and refreshments
• Free onsite parking and access to travel on the schools extensive coach network
• Free access to state-of-the-art sports facilities including the gym, swimming pool, and fitness classes
• Wellbeing initiatives and programmes, such as yoga, mindfulness sessions, and health checks
• Access to an online GP service, providing quick and convenient healthcare advice
• Access to Vivup, the staff benefits platform, featuring discounts, financial advice, and wellbeing resources

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. 

 Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful candidate will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.