Regional Compliance & Assurance Manager - North/Midlands

Role Overview

Wynnstay Group is looking for a proactive and detail-focused Regional Compliance & Assurance Manager to provide independent assurance across our retail store network throughout the North & Central England region.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced compliance professional who combines strong auditing skills with a practical, coaching-led approach. Working closely with Store Managers and their teams, you will help ensure stores remain safe, compliant and audit-ready, while building understanding and ownership of compliance standards across the business.

You will play a key role in identifying risks, assessing compliance against internal standards and regulatory requirements, and supporting colleagues to implement sustainable improvements. Through a combination of scheduled audits, follow-up reviews and hands-on coaching, you will help create a culture where compliance is understood, embedded and maintained every day.

This is a highly visible field-based role that requires excellent judgement, attention to detail and the confidence to challenge constructively. You will work independently across multiple locations while collaborating with operational and compliance teams to share best practice, monitor performance and strengthen compliance capability throughout the region.

If you enjoy helping teams succeed, solving problems at their root cause and making a tangible impact on business standards and risk management, this role offers an excellent opportunity to do so within a growing agricultural and rural retail business.

Responsibilities:

• Delivering scheduled and unannounced compliance audits across stores within the allocated region.
• Assessing compliance against Wynnstay policies, regulatory requirements and relevant industry standards and codes of practice.
• Producing clear and accurate audit reports, documenting findings and identifying areas for improvement.
• Agreeing corrective actions with store management teams and monitoring progress through to completion.
• Conducting follow-up visits and reviews to ensure actions have been implemented effectively and improvements have been sustained.
• Identifying, investigating and escalating recurring, systemic or significant compliance risks.
• Providing assurance over food and feed hygiene, Health & Safety, Trading Standards, VMD, UFAS, FIAS, BASIS, FACTS and AHDA requirements where applicable.
• Reviewing compliance relating to product storage, handling, segregation, traceability, recalls, controlled products, environmental requirements, transport and fire procedures.
• Verifying the accuracy and completeness of compliance records and documentation.
• Using audit outcomes to provide practical coaching, guidance and refresher training to colleagues.
• Supporting Store Managers and teams in developing ownership and accountability for compliance standards.
• Sharing best practice and lessons learned across the region to drive continuous improvement.
• Supporting compliance activities associated with new store openings, acquisitions and integration projects.
• Monitoring regional compliance performance and identifying trends, recurring themes and emerging risks.
• Producing reports on audit outcomes, compliance performance and overdue actions for management review.
• Supporting the National Stores Compliance Manager in delivering compliance assurance across the wider store estate.
• Promoting a positive compliance culture through effective communication, coaching and engagement.
• Contributing to agreed business objectives and complying with all company policies and procedures.

What We're Looking For

Essential

• Experience within compliance, quality assurance, audit, Health & Safety or another regulated environment.
• Practical auditing, inspection or compliance monitoring experience.
• Strong understanding of regulatory compliance, risk management and effective control frameworks.
• The ability to assess standards objectively and identify material risks and non-conformances.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively and professionally.
• Strong coaching and influencing skills, with the ability to translate technical requirements into practical guidance.
• Excellent organisation and attention to detail.
• The ability to work independently across multiple locations while managing competing priorities.
• Experience monitoring actions, maintaining records and following issues through to resolution.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a root-cause approach to improving compliance performance.
• Competent IT skills and the ability to produce accurate reports and compliance documentation.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel extensively throughout the region.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of agricultural, feed, retail or manufacturing environments.
• Experience working with standards or regulatory frameworks including VMD, UFAS, FIAS, BASIS, FACTS, AHDA or Trading Standards.
• Formal audit, compliance, quality or Health & Safety qualifications.
• Experience delivering compliance-related training or coaching programmes.
• Experience supporting multi-site operations or geographically dispersed teams.
• Understanding of continuous improvement methodologies and corrective action processes.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary.
• Company vehicle or vehicle allowance.
• Employee Assistance Programme with BUPA.
• Company profit related pay scheme.
• Life assurance of twice your salary following successful completion of probation.
• 25 days' annual leave plus UK bank holidays.
• Employee discount at Wynnstay Stores.
• Ongoing training and professional development opportunities.
• Opportunity to join a supportive, values-led organisation with a turnover of over 500 million and more than 900 colleagues nationwide.

Location: Field-based, North England and Midlands

Reporting To: National Stores Compliance Manager

Ready to help our stores stay safe, compliant and audit-ready? Join Wynnstay and play a key role in reducing risk, improving standards and building lasting compliance capability across our retail network.

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