Many lawyers looking for legal positions focus on the pure legal function and do not widen their view to include compliance roles. Indeed, many senior lawyers are laser-focused on General Counsel jobs and Deputy General Counsel jobs. Compliance jobs often parallel or include many legal and regulatory functions, and savvy legal job seekers keep compliance roles in mind. Many compliance roles are JD-required or JD-preferred, which gives lawyers a leg up against job seekers who do not have a JD degree. And, Chief Compliance Officer jobs are often filled by lawyers and, in some organizations, CCO positions are the highest-level compliance and regulatory jobs and carry hefty pay and incentive compensation packages.
“Across industries and companies, the CCO role is one of incredible importance — and incredible diversity. Here, we provide a broad toolkit for emerging directors, AGCs, and senior level compliance professionals to use to chart their own course and build skills to become a CCO….CCOs are systems thinkers, looking across a vast landscape of risk, understanding how each element of the program works in harmony, and seeing the “forest” of initiatives that advance ethics and compliance. CCOs are strategic thinkers, often not mired only in day-to-day decision-making, who ruthlessly prioritize their time and attention. CCOs understand people and what drives them to succeed, allowing a unique perspective on building pathways that invite employees to make a responsible decision in the face of performance pressure, time constraints and working beyond capacity.”
Read: The Pathway To Becoming Chief Compliance Officer at Major, Lindsey & Africa