Chief Compliance Officer - Atlanta, GA

Cortland Partners • Atlanta, GA

272d

About The Position

As the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) at Cortland, you will be the driving force behind our commitment to integrity, regulatory excellence, and risk management. Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, you will lead our compliance strategy, ensuring our day-to-day compliance operations align with all applicable laws, regulations, and internal standards. This is a high-impact role that requires a visionary leader who can anticipate challenges, mitigate risks, and build proactive compliance programs that seamlessly integrate with our investments, capital markets and investor relations teams to fuel Cortland's growth and success.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; JD, MBA, or relevant master's degree preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in compliance, legal, or risk management roles-preferably in real estate, financial services, or highly regulated industries.
• Deep knowledge of regulatory frameworks including SEC, Fair Housing Act, ADA, GDPR, AML, and other relevant federal/state laws.
• Proven ability to lead compliance initiatives in complex, matrixed organizations.
• Exceptional communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving abilities.

Nice To Haves

• Professional certifications (e.g., CCEP, CRCM, CAMS) a plus.

Responsibilities

• Architect, implement, and continuously refine a best-in-class compliance and ethics program that enhances our business operations.
• Maintain the firm's regulatory risk matrix in collaboration with the CFO, General Counsel, CTO, and external consultants, regularly assessing business and technology risks, documenting controls and reporting program effectiveness.
• Stay ahead of evolving regulatory landscapes (federal, state, and local) and proactively adapt policies to maintain full compliance.
• Act as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, providing strategic counsel on compliance-related risks and opportunities.
• Leverage broad market knowledge to be an effective and efficient business partner to our capital markets and investor relations team in assisting with capital raising and investor management.
• Lead and execute internal compliance audits, investigations, and responses to external regulatory inquiries.
• Track compliance metrics and ensure adherence to policies for employee trading, gifts, entertainment, business activities, political contributions, and certifications.
• Design and oversee dynamic compliance training programs that empower associates at all levels.
• Establish clear, data-driven reporting mechanisms to track and manage compliance risks across the organization.
• Serve as Cortland's primary liaison with regulatory agencies and key external stakeholders.
• Overtime, build, mentor, and lead a high-performing compliance team, fostering a culture of accountability and ethical excellence.
• Assist with preparation of required state and federal filings (e.g. Form ADV, Form PF) ensuring timely and accurate submissions.
• Partner with the CFO to integrate compliance into risk mitigation strategies, financial audits, and long-term business planning.
• Collaborate cross functionally to ensure compliance in all marketing materials, private placement memoranda, due diligence questionnaires, investor reports, and other external-facing documents.
• Maintain and organize all compliance records, policies, training materials, and disclosures for easy retrieval and regulatory adherence.
• Ensure robust compliance in critical areas including data privacy, anti-money laundering, fair housing, and real estate investment regulations.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Industry: Real Estate
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree