Chief Compliance Officer

Chief Compliance Officer

Compensation: Up to $165,000 annually

Status: Full-Time

Category: Exempt

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Location: Mercer County, NJ

Who We Are
The Arc Mercer has supported individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) for over 70 years. We are recognized for operational excellence, strong leadership, and industry-leading low staff turnover. Our organization is committed to innovation, accountability, and building systems that ensure consistent, high-quality services across all programs.

What We Offer:

• Top 401k plans in the industry. Employer contribution of 5% and 6% match, for a total of 11%
• Comprehensive Medical and Dental Benefits 
• Paid Time Off: Personal, Vacation & Sick 

Chief Compliance Officer

Drive workflow discipline. Strengthen system use. Build sustainable compliance.

About the Role

We are seeking a Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) to lead the agency’s compliance program while strengthening the systems, data quality, workflows, and standard operating procedures that support daily operations. This is not a typical CCO role, as it combines traditional compliance leadership expectations with a more operationally focused, hands-on systems and process assurance mandate.

The CCO will lead compliance risk assessment, regulatory readiness, policy oversight, education and monitoring. Just as importantly, the CCO also will ensure that core systems platforms – HR, Clinical, Finance, and other systems – are used accurately, consistently, and in accordance with approved workflows and policies. The CCO will work across programs and departments to identify control gaps, oversee audit activity by managing external auditing teams, and drive corrective actions through to verified closure.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and continuously improve the agency’s compliance programs, including risk assessment, policy governance, training, regulatory monitoring, investigations, and reporting to executive leadership.
• Maintain readiness for applicable legal, regulatory, licensing, payer, contractual, privacy, and ethical requirements; coordinate responses to audits, reviews, inspections, and inquiries.
• Develop and execute a risk-based compliance and operational-assurance plan focused on the areas with the greatest potential impact on people served, workforce practices, data integrity, financial integrity, and organizational risk.
• Maintain high-risk SOPs, process maps, job aids, and control points so that written expectations are current, practical, and consistently followed in the field.
• Lead Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) management: identify root cause, assign accountable ownership, track due dates, escalate repeat or overdue issues, and validate sustained improvement.
• Partner with program and administrative teams, quality assurance, and executive leaders to resolve cross-functional risks and strengthen operational reliability.

What You Bring

• A bachelor’s degree in health administration, human services, public administration, or a related field; advanced degree, or recognized compliance certification preferred.
• Seven or more years of progressive leadership experience in compliance, quality, risk management, operations, internal audit, or another workflow-driven environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a compliance program; assess risk; manage audits, investigations, and CAPAs; and present clear, decision-ready information to executive audiences.
• Working knowledge of electronic documentation, HRIS, payroll, scheduling, billing, or practice-management systems is highly desirable.
• Strong judgment, discretion, analytical skills, and the ability to preserve appropriate independence while building trusted cross-functional relationships.
• A visible, hands-on leadership style with the confidence to coach, influence, escalate, and hold teams accountable.

Who Thrives Here

• A strategic compliance leader who understands that policies are effective only when reflected in daily behavior, reliable controls, and defensible system records.
• A systems thinker who sees the connections among services, staffing, documentation, payroll, billing, data, workflows, and organizational decision-making.
• A practical problem-solver who turns audit findings and data exceptions into sustainable process, training, system, and accountability improvements.
• A collaborative leader who builds trust while maintaining the independence to challenge ineffective practices and escalate material risk.

Leadership Scope

The CCO will have broad access to relevant systems, data, leaders, and operating locations. Success will be measured by regulatory readiness, reliable workflows, timely and verified corrective-action closure, improving data-quality trends, and leadership confidence that daily practices match agency standards.

Why Join Us? At The Arc Mercer, you'll be part of a mission-driven organization where your work truly makes a difference. Join a supportive, professional environment that values growth, collaboration, and the power of inclusion. Here, you'll have the opportunity to empower individuals to achieve their fullest potential, while building your own skills and career through ongoing training and development

If you're passionate about helping others thrive in the workplace and the community, we invite you to bring your talents to our team. Together, we'll create meaningful opportunities and make a lasting impact. Join us at The Arc Mercer-where every day is an opportunity to change lives.

Equal Opportunity Employer The Arc Mercer is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status

Referral Notice: Please list any employee referrals directly in your application. To maintain a fair and compliant hiring process, applicants and their contacts should not reach out to company leadership or managers regarding interviews or hiring decisions. All communication must go through Talent Acquisition.