Senior Compliance Business Partner

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Position Summary

Senior Compliance Business Partner serves as a senior compliance subject matter expert responsible for leading complex regulatory change management activities, providing strategic compliance advisory services, and supporting the effectiveness of the Bank's Compliance Management System (CMS). This position provides enterprise-wide regulatory guidance, leads high-risk and complex compliance initiatives, advises management on emerging regulatory risks, and serves as a key resource for business units, project teams, and Compliance leadership. The individual exercises a high degree of independent judgment, promotes consistency in regulatory interpretations, and provides mentorship and guidance to Compliance team members.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

A Senior Compliance Business Partner serves as a senior compliance advisor and risk partner responsible for identifying, assessing, communicating, and monitoring compliance risks across the organization.

Regulatory Compliance

• Serve as a senior subject matter expert on federal banking laws, regulations, agency guidance, and supervisory expectations.
• Lead complex regulatory research and provide interpretations to business units, management, and Compliance leadership.
• Identify emerging regulatory developments and assess potential enterprise-wide impacts.
• Provide strategic recommendations regarding regulatory requirements, compliance obligations, and risk mitigation strategies.

Regulatory Change Management

• Lead enterprise regulatory change management activities for significant and complex regulatory changes.
• Perform and oversee regulatory applicability and impact assessments.
• Coordinate with business units and stakeholders regarding implementation activities and regulatory requirements.
• Monitor implementation progress and escalate regulatory risks, concerns, or delays, as appropriate.
• Promote consistency in regulatory change management practices and documentation.

Compliance Advisory Services

• Serve as a senior compliance advisor for business units, project teams, and strategic initiatives.
• Provide regulatory guidance, compliance risk perspectives, and effective challenge regarding business initiatives, products, services, systems, and processes.
• Review complex business initiatives and significant organizational changes for regulatory considerations.
• Communicate regulatory expectations and emerging compliance risks to stakeholders.

Issue Management and Corrective Action Oversight

• Provide regulatory guidance regarding significant compliance issues and remediation activities.
• Review management action plans and evaluate regulatory considerations associated with corrective actions.
• Monitor significant remediation efforts and communicate status, risks, and concerns to management.
• Escalate unresolved compliance risks through established governance processes.

Enterprise Projects and Strategic Initiatives

• Serve as the lead Compliance representative on significant enterprise projects and strategic initiatives.
• Assess compliance impacts associated with new products, services, technologies, acquisitions, and organizational changes.
• Advise project teams regarding regulatory requirements and implementation considerations.
• Support successful integration of compliance requirements into project planning and execution.

Training, Mentoring, and Leadership

• Provide mentorship, coaching, and technical guidance to other Compliance personnel.
• Develop compliance guidance, job aids, and training materials.
• Promote regulatory awareness and compliance risk management across the organization.
• Assist management with department initiatives, process improvements, and strategic planning activities.

Reporting and Governance

• Prepare and present compliance reports, risk assessments, regulatory updates, and implementation status reports to senior management and governance committees.
• Monitor compliance trends, emerging risks, and key regulatory developments.
• Recommend program enhancements and process improvements.
• Support the ongoing maturity and effectiveness of the Compliance Management System.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Skills

• Expert knowledge of federal banking laws, regulations, and regulatory guidance.
• Advanced knowledge of compliance risk management principles and Compliance Management Systems (CMS).
• Ability to independently interpret complex regulatory requirements and assess business impacts.
• Demonstrated expertise in regulatory change management, compliance advisory services, risk assessments, and issue management.
• Strong leadership, analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to influence business partners and senior leadership without direct authority.
• Ability to mentor, develop, and provide technical guidance to team members.
• Ability to manage multiple enterprise-wide initiatives simultaneously.

Regulatory Expertise

Working knowledge of banking regulations and regulatory guidance, including but not limited to: UDAAP, ECOA/Regulation B, FCRA, HMDA/Regulation C, TILA/Regulation Z, RESPA/Regulation X, EFTA/Regulation E, Truth in Savings, Flood Regulations, CRA, Fair Lending, and other applicable consumer protection regulations.

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required.
• 7-10 years of progressive compliance, risk management, audit, legal, or related financial services experience within the second line of defense.
• Demonstrated experience leading regulatory change initiatives, compliance advisory engagements, risk assessments, and enterprise projects.
• Experience interacting with executive leadership, regulators, auditors, and cross-functional stakeholders.

Specialized Training

• Advanced experience in regulatory change management, compliance advisory services, and enterprise risk management frameworks preferred.
• Experience leading complex projects and cross-functional initiatives preferred.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• CRCM strongly preferred.
• Additional industry certifications considered a plus.

Other Qualifications

• Must have good time management and organizational skills.
• Must have excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Must have good problem solving skills.
• Must have the ability to read, analyze, and interpret government regulations, trade journals, and legal documents.
• Must have the ability to effectively respond to common inquiries from associates and internal audit groups.

Note:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  Activities, duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.    

Equal Employment Opportunity Information: Simmons First National Corporation and its subsidiaries are committed to a policy of equal employment with respect to a person's race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, covered veterans, military status, physical or mental disability or any other legally protected classifications.