Senior Ethics & Compliance Advisor

About the role

We have a fabulous opportunity for a senior compliance expert to join our team as a Senior Ethics and Compliance Advisor, supporting our sites in EMEA. In this key role, you will guide and serve our Company by fostering our Journey of Transformation, acting as a vital resource for the enterprise and ensuring our global operations maintain the highest standards of trust, integrity, and regulatory adherence.

The successful candidate will be an advocate for a culture of integrity, working closely with business leaders, plant/site managers, regional leadership, and global compliance teams to embed a strong compliance framework within a complex manufacturing environment. You will provide the essential expert counsel and leadership required to navigate EMEA regulatory frameworks where safety, sustainability, and operational excellence are paramount.

Key responsibilities include:

Compliance Program Leadership: Implement and oversee ethics and compliance programs aligned with global standards, driving initiatives to strengthen ethical culture across manufacturing sites and regional offices

Legal & Regulatory Advisory: Provide expert counsel on anti-bribery, anti-corruption, competition law, trade compliance, data privacy, and environmental regulations, supporting risk assessments and mitigation strategies

Training & Communication: Develop and deliver high-impact compliance training for employees, contractors, and suppliers, effectively communicating regulatory changes across diverse, cross-functional teams

Monitoring & Investigations: Lead internal investigations into potential compliance breaches, including safety-related misconduct, while monitoring program effectiveness and reporting findings to senior leadership

Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate closely with internal functions (Legal, HR, Finance, Communications) and plant/site management, acting as the primary liaison with regulators and external counsel as needed

So, if you are an ambitious legal and compliance professional looking to drive your career forward within a sophisticated, global compliance function, then we might be looking for you!

About you

Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant area with demonstrable EMEA experience in a Legal or Compliance environment

Demonstrable experience of progressive ethics and compliance experience, preferably within manufacturing, industrial, or multi-site sectors

Solid understanding of EMEA regulatory frameworks, including environmental, health & safety, and trade compliance, with proven experience managing investigations in a multinational setting

Excellent communication and influencing skills, with a track record of working effectively and building relationships within a highly matrixed organisation

Highly collaborative, proactive self-starter possessing total integrity, sound judgment, and the cultural awareness to adapt across diverse global jurisdictions

Multilingual capability with European languages preferred

Benefits

Competitive salary

25 days annual holiday plus bank holidays

Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection

Employee Assistance Programme

Employee Discounts

Cycle to work scheme

Location: This is a hybrid role, split between the London Paddington office (3 days) and home (2 days). We are open to applications from candidates based outside the UK; Spain Portugal, France and Romania.

About us

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!

Fair recruitment at DS Smith

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas, and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.

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