Chief Risk and Compliance Officer

Korn Ferry has partnered with our client on their search for the role, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer.

Position Overview

The Chief Risk and Compliance Officer (CRCO) at Syracuse University is an opportunity for a senior leader ready to operate at the intersection of strategy and governance, shaping an integrated risk and compliance program across a complex and dynamic research university environment. The CRCO serves as a key strategic leader for Syracuse University, shaping and advancing a comprehensive, institution-wide approach to risk management and compliance. Reporting to the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, the CRCO provides vision, leadership, and oversight for integrated programs that support the University’s mission, operations, and long-term success.

This role leads a dynamic team of 12 compliance and risk professionals, building upon a strong foundation of university-wide compliance infrastructure, Division I athletics compliance, and strong enterprise risk management and insurance strategy. The role offers the opportunity to build and continuously strengthen a cohesive framework for identifying, assessing, and managing compliance and risk across a complex and dynamic academic environment.

As a visible and trusted advisor, the CRCO plays a central role in fostering a culture of accountability, transparency, and ethical conduct. The position serves as a subject matter expert and stays abreast of key compliance and risk issues facing R1 educational institutions while promoting adherence to applicable laws, regulations, and University policies, and helping to embed thoughtful risk awareness into decision-making at all levels of the organization.

The CRCO engages regularly with senior leadership and key stakeholders to assess strategic, operational, reputational, and compliance risks, and to develop practical, forward-looking mitigation strategies that enhance institutional resilience.

This is an on-site position, offering the opportunity to be fully engaged in the life of a vibrant campus community while partnering directly with leaders across the University.

Responsibilities

University Compliance Oversight

• Provides strategic leadership and comprehensive oversight of the University’s compliance program, ensuring adherence to federal, state, and local laws, as well as institutional policies.
• Develops and maintains institutional compliance frameworks, oversees compliance risk assessments and monitoring activities, and partners with stakeholders across campus to foster a culture of integrity, accountability, and ethical conduct.
• Provides oversight of research related compliance activities, including research security, foreign influence, and export control regulations.
• Advises faculty and staff on risk mitigation strategies for sponsored research and works directly with the Vice President for Research to support compliant, secure, and federally aligned research operations.

Education, Reporting and Engagement

• Prepares and delivers risk, ethics, and compliance dashboards; annual compliance plans; investigation and trend analyses; program maturity and effectiveness assessments; emerging regulatory updates; performance metrics; and written reports for the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board of Trustees and senior leadership, ensuring clear, accurate, and timely communication of key institutional risks and compliance obligations.
• Collaborates with stakeholder offices including Title IX, Research Compliance, Human Resources, and others to promote transparency, accountability, and coordinated institutional responses.
• Leads and supports education and communication initiatives that strengthen the University’s culture of compliance, risk awareness, and ethical decision-making.
• Facilitates operational compliance partnerships and provides leadership support for University committees related to compliance and enterprise risk management.

Risk Management and Insurance

• Provides strategic oversight of the University’s Office of Risk Management and Insurance, which manages property, liability, workers’ compensation coverage, and medical leaves.
• Sets program direction, approve coverage strategies and ensure effective claims governance and loss prevention practices.
• Partners with the Executive Director of Risk Management & Insurance to monitor performance, broker relationships, coverage placements, claims trends, and reserve practices.
• Oversees the stewardship, and regulatory compliance of the University’s captive insurance entity, Orange Insurance Company, LLC, which provides liability coverage for the University and its subsidiaries.

Enterprise Risk Management

• Provides strategic oversight and direction for the University’s ERM program to ensure a fit for purpose framework that is well communicated, consistently applied, and tracked to completion.
• Sets risk appetite and tolerance guidance, approve ERM methodologies and reporting cadences, and ensure risk identification, assessment, mitigation planning, and issue remediation are integrated into institutional decision making.
• Ensures that ERM reporting to senior leadership and the Board is clear, timely, and actionable, and that risk mitigation commitments are monitored through closure with documented controls, owners, and timelines.
• Collaborates with the Office of General Counsel to govern University policy through a standardized policy framework ensuring policies are current, compliant, accessible, and aligned with ERM priorities and facilitate stakeholder engagement to promote clarity, consistency, and reduced institutional risk.

Ethics and Compliance Reporting Hotline

• Maintains operational oversight of the ethics and compliance reporting hotline to ensure accessibility and confidentiality.
• Monitors case progress and outcomes, ensures compliance with university standards and regulatory requirements, and prepares analytics and dashboard reports for the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board of Trustees.

Athletics Compliance

• Provides oversight of the Division I Athletics Compliance Office, ensuring adherence to NCAA rules, conference requirements, and federal and state laws.
• Responsibilities of this Office include monitoring compliance with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policies, eligibility standards, recruiting practices, and financial aid regulations; coordinating education and training for coaches, staff, and student-athletes; and implementing systems to detect and prevent violations while maintaining institutional control and integrity.

Conflicts of Interest and Financial Conflicts of Interest

• Administers and oversees annual Conflict of Interest (COI) and Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) disclosure processes.
• Ensures completion and review of COI surveys for university leadership, Board of Trustees, head coaches, and the highest-compensated individuals.
• Ensures compliance with federal regulations governing FCOI for sponsored research by collecting, reviewing, and monitoring disclosures.

Clery Reporting

• Ensures compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.
• Coordinates data collection and reporting processes, oversees timely publication of the Annual Security Report.

Management and Supervision

• Manages and oversee the work of staff within the Office of the Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, ensuring effective coordination across all functional areas.
• Provides guidance, set priorities, and monitor performance to achieve departmental objectives and initiatives as organizational needs evolve.

The Candidate

Experience

Required Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in compliance and risk management, ideally within higher education, demonstrating a deep understanding of the regulatory and operational environment.
• Leadership experience directing enterprise-wide risk management and compliance functions in a complex setting, including collaboration with academic, administrative, and operational units.
• Experience with risk mitigation, internal controls, and compliance program design, with the ability to apply best practices to strengthen institutional risk posture and accountability.

Skills and Knowledge

• Comprehensive knowledge of federal and state regulations affecting higher education, with the ability to interpret evolving requirements and guide institutional compliance efforts.
• Demonstrated understanding and ability to develop and communicate enterprise risk management frameworks and compliance standards to executive leadership, supporting informed decision making in a complex, decentralized university environment.
• Strong capability in program and policy development, including drafting, reviewing, and aligning policies to regulatory and operational requirements.
• Ability to oversee compliance functions in highly regulated environments, including Division I athletics compliance programs, ensuring adherence to NCAA, conference, and federal requirements.
• Knowledge of risk management and insurance principles, with the ability to provide strategic oversight of liability, property, workers compensation, and related coverage programs within a large institutional setting.
• Ability to navigate the operational and research complexities of an R1 university, including working effectively across academic, research, administrative, and operational units.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• Master’s degree in a field directly related to compliance or institutional risk is preferred.

Compensation

• A competitive compensation range of $235,000–$275,000, complemented by a comprehensive benefits package (including tuition support, retirement, and more).

Application Process

• Applications should include a detailed resume and a letter of interest that highlight the applicant’s personal vision and relevant leadership experience.
• To ensure full consideration, inquiries, nominations and applications should be submitted electronically in confidence to: ***email_hidden***

SE: 510801474