Chief Compliance Officer - Nottingham Financial Group

Establish and maintain a risk-based compliance review program covering supervisory practices, advisor activity, sales practices, customer interactions, marketing, communications, complaints, conflicts of interest, outside business activities, and trading activity, including discretionary, brokerage, and managed accounts. Serve as the primary compliance liaison for the SEC, FINRA, and other applicable federal and state regulators, including management of examinations, audits, inquiries, and related remediation efforts, as well as providing support for compliance and risk personnel regulated by the OCC.

Overview:

At Community Financial System, Inc. (CFSI), we are dedicated to providing our customers with friendly, personalized, high-quality financial services and products. Our retail division, Community Bank, N.A., operates more than 200 customer facilities across Upstate New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont and Western Massachusetts. Beyond retail banking, we also offer commercial banking, wealth management, investment management, insurance and risk management, and benefit plan administration.

 

Just as our employees are committed to helping our customers manage their finances, we’re committed to our employees. After all, they make it happen for our customers every day.

 

To ensure our people can enjoy long and successful careers here at CFSI, we offer competitive compensation, great benefits, and professional development and advancement opportunities. As an equal-opportunity workplace and affirmative-action employer, we celebrate and support a diverse workplace for the benefit of all: our employees, customers and communities.

Responsibilities:

The Chief Compliance Officer provides strategic leadership and oversight for the compliance and regulatory functions of Nottingham Financial Group, the wealth management division of Community Bank. This role is responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance, and ongoing enhancement of a risk-based compliance program across the firm's broker-dealer, Registered Investment Adviser, Trust divisions, and related banking activities.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer directly oversees Compliance staff, and has compliance oversight of associated persons, advisors and trust officers.  The CCO works closely with executive management and key business partners to ensure regulatory requirements are translated into effective policies, procedures, controls, training, and governance practices. This position also serves as the primary liaison for regulatory matters and provides clear, actionable reporting on compliance risks, testing results, regulatory developments, and remediation efforts.

 

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead and oversee the compliance and regulatory program for Nottingham Financial Group and affiliated wealth management entities within Community Bank.
• Develop, implement, maintain, test, and enforce compliance policies, procedures, and supervisory controls designed to meet applicable regulatory requirements and firm standards.
• Oversee and enhance the firm's Compliance Management System, including governance, regulatory change management, risk assessments, monitoring and testing, issue management, remediation tracking, and reporting.
• Establish and maintain a risk-based compliance review program covering supervisory practices, advisor activity, sales practices, customer interactions, marketing, communications, complaints, conflicts of interest, outside business activities, and trading activity, including discretionary, brokerage, and managed accounts.
• Interpret regulatory requirements and emerging developments and translate them into practical policies, procedures, controls, and training for the business.
• Maintain and oversee required disclosure documents and regulatory filings, including Forms ADV, CRS, U4, privacy disclosures, and other applicable filings, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and consistency with regulatory expectations.
• Serve as the primary compliance liaison for the SEC, FINRA, and other applicable federal and state regulators, including management of examinations, audits, inquiries, and related remediation efforts, as well as providing support for compliance and risk personnel regulated by the OCC.
• Provide compliance guidance to executive leadership on regulatory obligations, supervisory matters, complaint trends, conduct risk, and potential compliance issues.
• Direct issue identification, root cause analysis, corrective action planning, and sustainable remediation of compliance findings, control gaps, and regulatory concerns.
• Oversee due diligence and compliance review of third-party money managers, solicitors, vendors, and related service providers, including review of agreements and conflict considerations in coordination with Legal and business leadership.
• Review and approve marketing materials, advertising, social media content, and other public-facing communications in accordance with applicable regulatory and firm standards.
• Oversee review processes for employee communications, outside business activities, disclosures, and other supervisory matters, as appropriate.
• Partner with Legal, Risk, Internal Audit, Operations, Technology, and business leadership to assess process flows, strengthen control design, and improve supervisory effectiveness.
• Develop and deliver a comprehensive compliance training program for advisors, supervisors, managers, and staff, including onboarding and ongoing training on regulatory responsibilities, firm policies, complaint handling, and conduct expectations.
• Prepare and deliver clear, actionable reporting to executive leadership and governance bodies regarding compliance risks, testing results, regulatory changes, examination activity, and remediation progress.
• Work collaboratively with internal stakeholders and external consultants on current regulatory issues, conflict mitigation, customer agreements, and compliance program enhancements.

 

Qualifications:

 Education, Experience, Training and Skill Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or relevant professional designation preferred.
• Active securities and advisory registrations required, including Series 7, Series 24, and Series 65 or 66.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive compliance experience, including senior compliance leadership responsibilities within broker-dealer, investment adviser, banking, or affiliated wealth management environments.
• Demonstrated experience interacting with and managing matters involving the SEC, FINRA, and other applicable regulators.
• Strong knowledge of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, federal securities laws, broker-dealer and investment adviser regulatory frameworks, and related supervisory obligations.
• Experience designing, implementing, and enhancing compliance programs, including policies and procedures, monitoring and testing, regulatory change management, risk assessments, and issue remediation.
• Strong understanding of current and emerging regulatory expectations affecting wealth management businesses, including advisory, brokerage, and related banking activities.
• Proven ability to lead teams, influence executive leadership, and work effectively across Compliance, Legal, Risk, Audit, Operations, and business functions.
• Excellent written, verbal, analytical, and governance reporting skills.
• All applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience overseeing compliance programs across multiple regulated entities or affiliated business lines.
• Experience with governance reporting to senior leadership, committees, or boards.
• Experience leading or supporting regulatory examinations and implementing corrective action plans.
• Familiarity with bank-affiliated wealth management compliance considerations.

 

Min: USD $132,500.00/Yr. Max: USD $245,997.00/Yr. Other Job Information:

Compensation: Commensurate with experience plus potential for annual merit increase. In addition to your competitive salary, you will be rewarded benefits including: 11 paid holidays, paid vacation, Medical, Vision & Dental insurance, 401K with generous match, Pension, Tuition Reimbursement, Banking discounts and the list goes on!

 

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to stand, walk or sit. Use hands and fingers, handle or feel, reach with hands or arms, and speak and hear. The employee may occasionally be required to lift and or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and the ability to focus.

 

The Company is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

The Company will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with a disability. If you have a physical or mental impairment and would like to request an accommodation with respect to the application process, please contact the Human Resources Department.