Principal Compliance Manager

Job summary

Are you passionate about driving compliance and assurance across complex organisations?

Can you provide the insight and challenge needed to strengthen governance, audit and regulatory compliance?

Do you have the expertise to lead compliance monitoring and influence improvement at every level?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

This is an exciting time to join the Digital, Information and Security Directorate within the Department for Transport as we restructure our directorate to ensure we are ready for future challenges, building a more sustainable, skilled and in-house capability.

Provide assurance. Drive compliance. Improve outcomes.

Lead compliance monitoring and audit activity that helps the Department for Transport manage risk, strengthen governance and ensure adherence to security, regulatory and legislative requirements.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at Department for Transport Central - Department for Transport Careers .

Job description

Join the Department for Transport's Digital, Information and Security Directorate and play a leading role in strengthening compliance, governance and assurance across the organisation. As a Principal Compliance Manager, you will help ensure the department meets its regulatory, legislative and security obligations while driving continuous improvement and best practice.

Working within the Assurance, Compliance and Controls function, you'll lead an intelligence-led programme of compliance monitoring and internal audit activity, providing oversight, challenge and assurance across a wide range of security, information management and governance requirements. You'll work closely with senior stakeholders, subject matter experts and the Government Internal Audit Agency to coordinate audits, monitor recommendations and ensure risks and actions are appropriately managed.

You'll use evidence and insight to identify trends, assess compliance and recommend improvements that enhance organisational performance and resilience. You'll also build strong stakeholder relationships, influence decision-making and promote a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced compliance or audit professional who wants to make a meaningful impact in a complex and evolving environment.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Managing the directorate’s relationship with the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) and supporting the Senior Leadership Team in progressing the GIAA annual audit plan.
• Lead internal and supplier audits with accurate, well-managed records and evidence.
• Monitoring and reporting on the delivery of audit recommendations, escalating risks and overdue actions arising.
• Scoping the programme of work with the relevant SMEs, securing appropriate sign off.
• Devising the directorate’s approach to compliance monitoring and the templates/guidance needed to support its implementation.
• Lead the development of mechanisms to drive continuous improvement within the department and across the wider DfT group.
• Ensure the completion of data protection, information governance and security audits and other compliance checking procedures align with relevant legislation, standards/policies and associated best practice.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

Essential qualifications:

1. Industry recognised lead audit qualification such as ISO27001 or similar

You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications during the recruitment process. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn.

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Developing and implementing audit plans, leading internal audits, and maintaining accurate records and evidence.
• Implement, monitor and report on compliance programmes, including tracking recommendations, overdue actions, risks and findings.
• Strong understanding of data protection, information governance, security standards and relevant legislation
• Proven ability to work with senior leaders, SMEs, agencies, suppliers and sponsorship teams to coordinate compliance activity, share best practice and drive improvements across the organisation.
• Strong working knowledge of relevant legislation and associated guidance, with an industry recognised practitioner qualification in data protection legislation, or willingness to work towards.
• Experience of working in a governance, risk and compliance role within a large complex organisation.
• Experience of internal auditing/compliance monitoring.

Additional information

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 32 hours per week.

Occasional travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

DfTc does not offer Visa Sponsorship for this role.

Qualifications

1. Industry recognised lead audit qualification such as ISO27001 or similar

You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications during the recruitment process. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Government Security Framework - Compliance Monitoring and Testing
• Government Security Framework - Risk Understanding and Mitigation

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,515, Department for Transport contributes

£16,662 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies .

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1000-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

• Developing and implementing audit plans, leading internal audits, and maintaining accurate records and evidence.
• Implement, monitor and report on compliance programmes, including tracking recommendations, overdue actions, risks and findings.
• Strong understanding of data protection, information governance, security standards and relevant legislation.
• Proven ability to work with senior leaders, SMEs, agencies, suppliers and sponsorship teams to coordinate compliance activity, share best practice and drive improvements across the organisation.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Success Profile element:

"Developing and implementing audit plans, leading internal audits, and maintaining accurate records and evidence"

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The sift will take place from 5 October 2026.

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Behaviours – Communicating and influencing, Seeing the big picture, Leadership, Managing a quality service
• Technical – Compliance Monitoring and Testing, Risk Understanding and Mitigation

The interviews will take place on 22 October 2026.

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site.

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

Further information on the selection process

We will also hold a 12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for.