Compliance And Policy Officer

An excellent opportunity is available for aCompliance and Policy Officerto join the Governance, Risk and Compliance department at Australia's pre-eminent biomedical research institute.

About the Position
The Compliance and Policy Officer works within the Governance, Risk and Compliance team to provide strategic and high-quality oversight of WEHI's compliance obligations.

The Compliance and Policy Officer has the overall responsibility for supporting WEHI in the oversight of compliance matters, developing a Compliance Framework, and implementing a Compliance Management Strategy.

The Compliance and Policy Officer will work closely with the Corporate Counsel, Risk Manager, Head Governance, Risk and Compliance, the broader GRC team, professional staff and academic staff to manage compliance risk and promote good governance and compliance obligations across WEHI.

Key Responsibilities
As the Compliance and Policy Officer, you will support the Corporate Counsel to provide strategic and high-level advice in relation to compliance matters. You will also:

• Develop and implement WEHI's compliance roadmap to advance compliance across the Institute. Review and identify compliance gaps and determine compliance priorities.
• Support the implementation of WEHI's GRC solution and maintain WEHI's compliance register. Participate as directed in compliance self-assessments, including development of work programs, collection and filing of evidence and testing of WEHI's internal controls.
• Support WEHI divisions to review and develop policies and procedures consistent with their compliance obligations. Establish and/or build on existing policy governance and processes to provide a consistent approach to compliance management.
• Provide advice and direction on compliance obligations in accordance with internal and government policies. Where required, support the development of external submissions and reports on WEHI's behalf, such as WEHI's Modern Slavery Statement.
• Interact on a daily basis with the GRC team and Institute researchers, including laboratory heads and division heads, to provide advice on compliance issues.
• Deliver training to WEHI staff and students and promote a compliance culture and awareness of compliance issues.
• Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with WEHI staff, other academic organisations, industry, and government.
• Assist in developing a culture of transparency and cooperation between WEHI's divisions and their partners.
• Identify and assist with management of conflicts of interest across WEHI.

Selection Criteria
Essential Knowledge and Skills:

• Degree qualifications in law, policy or a related field and/or accredited compliance training.
• Experience within a complex, highly regulated organisation.
• Experience in writing and managing policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse and interpret regulatory guidelines and/or professional principles and apply them to operational activities and risks.
• Outstanding analytical, conceptual, problem solving and project management skills, with a strong understanding of the impact of regulatory compliance obligations.

Desirable Knowledge and Skills:

• Experience working in the medical research sector and/or a charitable organisation will be highly desirable, as will an understanding of corporate governance for companies limited by guarantee.
• Strong competency with the Microsoft 365 suite of programs (SharePoint, Teams, Outlook, Excel, Word, etc.)

Personal Qualities:

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as part of a small team.
• Ability to work with stakeholders including scientists, lawyers, external advisors, senior management, external partners.
• Ability to act with minimal supervision.
• Strong communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and effective time management skills.
• Strong technical, conceptual, and analytical skills coupled with a strong commercial acument

Terms of Appointment
This position is an ongoing role in a full/part time capacity. Salary is Research Employee Level 7 ($97,991.00 - $106,076.00). Up to 17% superannuation and very attractive salary packaging options are available.

General enquiries can be directed to Jess Hartley - *********@wehi.edu.au
A position description is available here.

How to Apply
Please apply by uploading your CV, cover letter and a document addressing the key selection criteria in pdf format.

Application Closing Date: 28 March 2024

WEHI - Brighter together

WEHI is where the world's brightest minds collaborate and innovate to make discoveries that will help us to live healthier for longer. Our medical researchers have been serving the community for more than 100 years. We bring together people with different skills and experience who are committed to long-term discovery. Our teams of researchers are committed to solving the most complex health problems, making transformative discoveries for cancer, infectious and immune diseases, developmental disorders and healthy ageing.

WEHI is a place where people are able to shine. People who are inquisitive, who are committed, who are passionate. People who want to make a difference. And we are committed to ensuring they have the tools to flourish, personally and professionally. We are a community of researchers, students and professional service staff who work towards achieving discoveries that improve human health. We are driven by collaboration, curiosity and creativity. We are committed to making a positive difference to the lives of people in Australia and around the world. We are WEHI. We are brighter together.

WEHI's commitment to diversity and inclusion

At WEHI we strive to foster a flexible working environment that encourages individual differences and promotes collaboration and creativity. We recognise that talent does not sit within a single identifiable group in our society and that WEHI's ability to shape contemporary scientific thinking and deliver leading professional services relies on a diversity of thought within our organisation. Our action to promote gender equality has been recognised with an Athena SWAN Bronze Award from Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) and we offer a range of support for women researchers.

Our commitment to celebrating diversity and addressing inequities is further demonstrated through our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, Gender Action Plan, Reconciliation Action Plan and our WE-Pride network for LGBTQIA+ staff and students. We actively encourage applications from, people with a disability, culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse people and people with diverse genders and sexualities. Should you require support during the recruitment process due to special needs or consideration, please contact the People and Culture team.

WEHI's commitment to Indigenous employment

WEHI is working to create a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will be engaged at the scientific frontier, making exciting discoveries and decisions about the future of health in this country, and part of a leading professional services workforce supporting the realisation of these discoveries. We are committed to creating a culturally safe workplace and offering career development and leadership opportunities to First Nations staff and students. We strongly encourage any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to apply.