While no one candidate will embody every quality, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional qualifications and personal attributes:
Required Qualifications
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Bachelor’s degree and at least 15 years of progressively responsible experience, including a minimum of five years in compliance, privacy, risk, legal, audit, regulatory, or a closely related function
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Demonstrated success leading, designing, and implementing enterprise compliance or risk management programs in complex organizations
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Exceptional leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills
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Strong analytical and strategic thinking capabilities
Preferred Qualifications
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Advanced degree (e.g., JD, Master’s)
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Experience in higher education or other large, decentralized organization
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Experience working with governing boards and senior leadership
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Experience leading an institutional compliance, enterprise risk, privacy, regulatory, legal, audit, or related function in a complex organization
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Experience managing privacy regulations at a complex institution that includes healthcare operations
Key Leadership Competencies
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Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills
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Strategic and enterprise mindset
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Integrity and sound judgment
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Ability to lead through influence in a decentralized environment
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Capacity to translate complex risks into clear, actionable insights
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Commitment to continuous improvement and institutional excellence
ROLE OF THE ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER
Reporting directly to the Executive Vice President for Finance and Operations, the CCO leads the Office of Institutional Compliance, and serves in an advisory role to senior leadership and the Board of Regents. The CCO will be a trusted partner to campus and unit leaders, providing consultation and judgment on complex or cross-functional compliance issues. The CCO will oversee compliance activities, aligning policy and prioritizing risks across the University. The CCO will establish a central function to assess new laws and regulations, determine impact and resource needs, and guide implementation. The CCO will oversee a newly consolidated Privacy Office within the OIC. As part of this strategic reorganization, the University’s Health Information Privacy & Compliance Office (HIPCO) will transition from the Office of Academic Clinical Affairs into this unified Privacy Office. The CCO will recruit and onboard a dedicated Chief Privacy Officer to manage this comprehensive portfolio, ensuring seamless compliance with HIPAA, FERPA, and evolving global data privacy standards.
KEY OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT AND
CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER
Strategic Leadership & Compliance Infrastructure Modernization
The CCO will provide strategic leadership to advance a modern, enterprise-wide compliance function that reflects and supports the scale and complexity of the University. The CCO will serve as the key architect and leader of the University of Minnesota’s institutional compliance framework across the highly decentralized, five-campus system, partnering closely with Chancellors, Vice Presidents, and senior leaders to align compliance strategy with institutional priorities and best practices. They will champion a proactive approach to compliance and risk management that emphasizes early identification, coordinated response, clarity of responsibility, and continuous improvement. This individual must uphold a culture of
integrity, accountability, and ethical decision-making across the University to undergird the institutional compliance framework and ensure its ongoing effectiveness and success.
To modernize the University of Minnesota’s compliance infrastructure, the CCO will strategically develop systems, tools, and technologies that support training, reporting, policy management, and overall coordination. Beginning with a comprehensive review of existing structures across the University, the CCO will identify gaps, redundancies, and opportunities for greater alignment and use these findings to develop a prioritized multi-year compliance investment roadmap. Additionally, the CCO will establish a data framework that ensures the protection, integrity, and accessibility of compliance-related data to support units with timely execution of compliance and reporting functions.
Governance & Institutional Coordination
The CCO will play a central role in reestablishing and reinvigorating University compliance governing bodies, providing renewed formal oversight with defined charters, cadence, reporting, and system representation.
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Leadership: The CCO will serve as a liaison to the Board of Regents Audit and Compliance Committee. The CCO will participate directly in the newly re-chartered leadership governance
committee and the President’s Policy Committee. -
Operational Architecture: The CCO will formally lead and chair the Institutional Strategic Risk and Compliance Group, coordinating legal, risk, audit, and information security leaders to address emerging enterprise risks.
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Distributed Accountability: The CCO will guide the systemwide Compliance Partner network, leveraging a decentralized, collaborative model to share information and scale best practices
across all five campuses. The CCO will formalize cross-functional affinity groups organized around key areas of risk and compliance, such as international activities, research, clinical care, student services, athletics, and data/privacy.
Enterprise Integration & Network Leadership
The CCO will lead and strengthen the University’s Compliance Partner network, modeled on a distributed accountability framework with clear institutional alignment. Leveraging University of Minnesota’s institutional culture that values communication and relationships, the CCO will establish mechanisms for information sharing, escalation, and coordination across compliance areas. Across these efforts, the CCO will ensure that compliance risks are identified and addressed collaboratively across organizational boundaries.
Privacy & Regulatory Oversight
The CCO will recruit and onboard a Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) to oversee a newly established Privacy Office within OIC. In close partnership with the CPO, the CCO will guide a unified privacy governance framework that defines principles, assigns decision-making authority, and coordinates privacy-related efforts across IT, research, healthcare, and administrative units. Moreover, the CCO, in collaboration with the CPO, will strengthen the University’s approach to privacy and data protection, ensuring compliance with HIPAA, FERPA, GDPR, and other privacy laws and regulations. The University’s Health Information Privacy & Compliance Office (HIPCO) will transition from the Office of Academic Clinical Affairs to the Privacy Office within OIC. The CCO will hire a Chief Privacy Officer who will oversee the HIPCO.
Core Compliance Program Leadership
The CCO will provide oversight and strategic direction for OIC’s core compliance programs, including institutional compliance coordination, conflict of interest, University policy, delegations of authority, and suspected misconduct reporting and investigations through the University’s confidential UReport system. They will continuously review and strengthen these programs to reflect constantly evolving best practices and regulatory requirements.
Training, Onboarding & Role Clarity
The CCO will review and strengthen a comprehensive, role-based compliance education framework to enhance awareness and accountability across the University. In partnership with Human Resources and University compliance leaders, the CCO will implement a curriculum tailored by job function and a corresponding tracking system that ensures completion and identifies areas of non-compliance. To support training efforts, the CCO will create a comprehensive inventory of compliance responsibilities, mapping roles across academic, administrative, research, and operational units to clarify ownership, reduce duplication, and strengthen coordination across the University’s decentralized environment.
Risk Identification, Reporting & Communication
In close collaboration with Internal Audit, Office of the General Counsel, Enterprise Risk Management, and other key partners, the CCO will participate in the University’s enterprise-wide approach to identifying, assessing, and managing compliance risks. They will enhance institutional visibility into compliance trends and emerging areas of concern by harnessing data, reporting, and analytics. To promote awareness and accountability regarding risk, the CCO will develop and implement a comprehensive communication and training strategy that reaches constituents across the University community.
Leadership & Team Management
The incoming CCO will inherit a dedicated, collaborative, and stable team within the Office of Institutional Compliance. Backed by seasoned professionals who possess deep institutional knowledge, the office has maintained high performance and strong operational continuity throughout this transition period. The CCO will lead the Office of Institutional Compliance, providing direction for staff, resources, and program priorities, while developing and supporting this team to drive the University’s mission. The CCO will need to hire a Chief Privacy Officer to oversee HIPCO and other privacy programs. The CCO will build a highperforming and collaborative culture that strives for continuous improvement and operational effectiveness and efficiency. The CCO will also cultivate a culture of mutual respect, integrity, and shared accountability, motivating OIC to develop strong partnerships and provide a high level of support and service across the University.
COMPENSATION AND LOCATION
The Associate Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer position is a 100-percent time, 12-month, professional and administrative (P&A) appointment based in Minneapolis. Salary is commensurate with education and experience, with an anticipated salary range of $273,395 to $325,545.
The University of Minnesota offers excellent benefits. Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.
OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL COMPLIANCE
The Office of Institutional Compliance (OIC) helps the University and its community comply with applicable laws, regulations, and University policies, while strengthening awareness of the role compliance and integrity play in advancing the University’s mission. OIC’s ethics work complements this effort by fostering a culture in which members of the University community act in alignment with University values.
OIC includes five major program areas: Privacy, Compliance Operations, Conflict of Interest, Administrative Policy, and Delegations of Authority.
APPLICATIONS, INQUIRIES, AND NOMINATIONS
Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website: https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/university-minnesota/chief-compliance-officer.
This position will remain open until filled.
To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail [email protected] or call (612) 624-8647.
The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.
The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu
Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.
At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by Forbes as a Best Employer for Company Culture (2026), Best Employer for Women (2023), and Best Employer by State (2022-2026). In 2026, we also received Culture Excellence & Industry Awards recognition for employee appreciation and work-life flexibility.
