VP, Compliance

About the role

The VP, Compliance is the designated compliance leader for Universal Background Screening. You will own the company's regulatory compliance program, quality assurance function, PBSA accreditation, and consumer dispute process as a consumer reporting agency.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You will set policy, lead the Compliance and QA team, and be the go-to resource for Operations, Product, Technology, Sales, and Client Success. You will also represent the company to clients, regulators, accreditation bodies, and the wider screening industry.

Key responsibilities

Regulatory compliance oversight

• Lead compliance oversight, training, and the corrective action framework across all brands and entities.
• Monitor and interpret the FCRA, FTC and CFPB guidance, the DPPA, and state consumer reporting and employment screening laws. Track new legislation, such as state credit history restrictions, seal and expungement notification programs, and CORI-type state processes. Assess business impact and recommend operational changes.
• Maintain compliance policies and procedures for how consumer data is obtained, verified, reported, and corrected, including reporting restrictions, record suppression rules, and retention.
• Own the PBSA accreditation program, including standards compliance, audits, and reaccreditation, and field accreditation questions across brands.
• Manage state registrations and licensing (CRA, data broker, and similar) in coordination with Legal.
• Review and approve consumer-facing documents: disclosure and authorization forms, 613 notices, pre-adverse and adverse action notices, state law notices, candidate terms of service, and consumer privacy policies.

Quality assurance and operations

• Lead the QA function, including pre-release manual report review, identity-match standards, and return-and-correct workflows with processing teams.
• Oversee the consumer dispute and reinvestigation process and tracking system. Review dispute quality and closure, and analyze dispute data monthly.
• Investigate and document operational compliance incidents, such as missed records, database search errors, and vendor data issues. Coordinate remediation and prepare timelines and root-cause summaries for Legal and leadership.
• Set compliance requirements for product and platform builds, including adverse action delivery, electronic notice delivery, e-sign consent, adjudication matrices, identity verification, and new search products. Take part in UAT and release approvals.
• Evaluate vendors and data sources for compliance and performance, including offshore processing and data handling consistent with published privacy commitments.

Legal support and risk management

• Coordinate responses to subpoenas, consumer complaints, demand letters, and litigation. Collect records, prepare records certifications, build fact timelines, and maintain matters in the legal intake system (Streamline).
• Support insurance renewals, audits, and client due diligence with descriptions of the compliance and quality control programs.
• Prepare periodic compliance updates and remediation reports for executive leadership and the board.

Training and internal partnership

• Design and deliver initial and annual compliance training covering confidentiality, security, the FCRA, the DPPA, and company obligations.
• Serve as the compliance resource for Operations, Product, Technology, Client Success, and Sales on reportability, permissible purpose, and client requests.
• Maintain backup coverage and documentation so compliance functions continue during absences.

Client and sales interaction

• Partner with Sales and Client Success to explain the compliance program, quality controls, and FCRA practices to prospects and clients, including sales calls, presentations, and site visits.
• Respond to client compliance inquiries, vendor questionnaires, RFP compliance sections, and audit requests.
• Review client-specific requests, such as custom forms, matrices, SLAs, reporting preferences, and minor consent forms, and advise on what the company can and cannot support.
• Represent the company in industry forums and associations, including PBSA conferences and committees. Maintain relationships with regulators, accreditation bodies, and industry counsel.

Leadership

• Manage and develop the Compliance and QA team, including staffing, performance management, and succession coverage.
• Establish compliance metrics, such as dispute volumes, notice delivery, incident trends, and audit findings, and present them to leadership.
• Join strategic initiatives such as acquisitions, platform migrations, and new market entry to flag compliance requirements early.

Qualifications

Required

• 10 years of compliance experience in background screening, consumer reporting, or a closely related regulated industry, with at least 5 years leading a compliance or QA team.
• Deep working knowledge of the FCRA, the DPPA, FTC and CFPB guidance, and state consumer reporting, ban-the-box, and employment screening laws.
• Hands-on experience with consumer disputes and reinvestigations, adverse action processes, and consumer-facing disclosures and notices.
• Experience with PBSA accreditation standards and audits.
• Track record of investigating incidents, running root-cause analysis, and driving remediation across Operations and Technology.
• Comfort supporting Legal on subpoenas, complaints, demand letters, and litigation.
• Clear written and verbal communication, from frontline training to board-level reporting and client sales calls.
• Bachelor's degree.

Preferred

• JD 
• FCRA Certified Professional (FCRA-CP) or similar credential; CCEP or CRCM a plus.
• Experience with multi-brand or multi-entity organizations, acquisitions, or platform migrations.
• Familiarity with offshore processing oversight, data privacy programs, and state data broker registrations.
• Active involvement in PBSA committees or other industry associations.

Selected candidates will be required to pass a comprehensive background check and drug screening. Universal Background is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visa.

Universal Background is committed to creating a diverse work environment and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.