Assistant Director - Compliance (Broker-Dealer)

Principal Financial Group • Des Moines, IA

4h

About The Position

Principal Financial Group is seeking a strategic, relationship-driven Assistant Director of Compliance to support and elevate the compliance program for Principal Securities (PSI)—a Registered Investment Adviser focused on managed accounts and helping individuals prepare for retirement. This role is ideal for someone who understands both the investment adviser landscape, and who thrives at bridging those two worlds.
As the Assistant Director of Compliance, you will work closely with the Chief Compliance Officer and senior leaders to ensure we maintain a strong, adaptive compliance framework in an evolving regulatory environment. This position combines hands-on compliance oversight while working with a team, ensuring policies and procedures are effectively implemented and monitored in a dynamic regulatory environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of RIA compliance experience, ideally within a retirement or broker-dealer.
• Demonstrated expertise with regulatory frameworks including Reg BI, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and ERISA fiduciary investment advice rules.
• Strong analytical, investigative, and risk-assessment abilities; comfortable operating in areas of regulatory nuance.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• High degree of creativity, resourcefulness, and problem-solving ability.
• Strong interpersonal, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Proven ability to use data analysis, dashboards, and reporting to enhance oversight.
• Demonstrated experience implementing process improvements.
• Experience engaging directly with regulators, including the SEC.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with ERISA recordkeeping operations strongly preferred.
• Financial planning experience preferred.
• Series 65 or 66 licensing preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key compliance partner bridging the recordkeeping and investment advice functions to ensure aligned, compliant delivery of retirement-focused advisory services.
• Stay continually informed about regulatory changes impacting RIAs, retirement advice, and ERISA-governed programs, adjusting compliance programs as necessary.
• Develop, maintain, and enhance written compliance policies, procedures, and internal controls.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate compliance risks across the firm, supporting leadership in addressing current and emerging issues.
• Lead and support compliance training to deepen regulatory awareness across the organization and promote a strong ethical culture.
• Manage regulatory filings, disclosures, and Form ADV updates with accuracy and timeliness.
• Conduct ongoing monitoring, testing, and documentation to assess the effectiveness of the compliance program, reporting findings to senior leadership.
• Maintain and organize compliance records to ensure readiness for audits and regulatory examinations.
• Leverage automation, dashboards, and new technologies to increase the efficiency and scalability of compliance oversight.
• Support interactions with regulatory bodies (including the SEC), as well as internal and external legal teams.
• Build strong partnerships across compliance, legal, risk, recordkeeping operations, and advisory teams.
• Champion initiatives that reinforce the firm’s Code of Ethics and strengthen an ethical, accountable workplace culture.

Benefits

• Flexible Time Off (FTO) is provided to salaried (exempt) employees and provides the opportunity to take time away from the office with pay for vacation, personal or short-term illness. Employees don’t accrue a bank of time off under FTO and there is no set number of days provided.
• Pension Eligible

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees