Director of Compliance

Vertex Education • Chandler, AZ

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About The Position

Be the one who makes a difference! At Vertex Education we are a team of high achievers, courageous leaders, and passionate believers in changing lives through education. As a purpose-led education services provider, our mission is destined to benefit many and yet it starts with just one person inspired to work together with us to make a memorable and meaningful difference for our clients, schools, students, and communities. Be the one who makes a difference—with us. As the Director of Compliance, you will serve as the primary guardian of Legacy Traditional Schools’ critical funding streams. Your mission is to build an audit-proof compliance framework from the ground up, leading a team of deep technical experts to achieve flawless state reporting and eliminate financial risk. We are seeking a leader with the technical command to master complex state regulations and the drive to ensure every submission is unimpeachable, thereby protecting the resources essential to our mission of changing lives through education.

Requirements

• 5+ years of progressive experience in K-12 education compliance, state reporting, or student data management.
• Demonstrated experience leading, coaching, and developing teams responsible for technical, detail-oriented work.
• Deep technical expertise with Student Information Systems (SIS), such as PowerSchool or Infinite Campus, particularly in relation to state reporting logic and data validation.
• Proven experience managing the end-to-end state and federal reporting processes for a multi-site school network or district.
• Experience serving as a primary point of contact during formal state audits, with a track record of successfully defending data submissions and mitigating financial risks.
• Track record of improving data accuracy by designing and implementing proactive data validation systems and standardized operational workflows.
• Experience leading complex, cross-functional projects requiring influence across academics, finance, and operations.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Public Administration, Business, Data Management, or a related field.
• Direct experience working within a multi-state charter school management organization (CMO/EMO).
• Experience coordinating the development and submission of new charter applications or charter renewal applications.
• Familiarity with school accreditation processes, particularly with agencies like Cognia.
• Proficiency with data analytics tools such as Tableau or advanced functions in Excel to analyze trends and report on compliance metrics.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Compliance & Risk Management: Develop and implement a comprehensive, multi-year compliance strategy for Legacy Traditional Schools focused on preventing funding loss and audit findings. Conduct regular, rigorous internal mock audits across all campuses to proactively identify and mitigate potential compliance vulnerabilities and data risks. Analyze complex state and federal education regulations to anticipate changes and integrate new requirements into existing compliance frameworks. Advise executive leadership on critical compliance risks, potential financial impacts, and strategic recommendations for mitigation. Lead the development, review, and ongoing maintenance of all parent student handbooks, including K-12, Legacy Kids Care (LKC), and Pre-K, ensuring alignment with state and federal regulations and organizational policies.
• Legislative Monitoring & Regulatory Updates: Monitor and track state legislation and regulatory changes across all states in which VMS operates. Analyze the impact of new and pending legislation on organizational policies, procedures, and compliance requirements. Ensure timely updates to internal policies, processes, and documentation to maintain compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Proactively communicate legislative changes and required actions to internal stakeholders, ensuring alignment and understanding across departments. Partner with operational and academic leaders to implement necessary changes and ensure ongoing compliance.
• State Reporting & Data Integrity: Direct all state and federal reporting processes, guaranteeing 100% accuracy, completeness, and on-time submission. Establish and continuously refine multi-point data validation systems to ensure the integrity of student information within the Student Information System (SIS) from entry to submission. Serve as the primary organizational authority during state audits and formal inquiries, providing expert defense of data submissions and compliance methodologies. Develop and manage a master compliance calendar, complete with detailed checklists and automated alerts, to ensure meticulous adherence to all reporting deadlines.
• Process Optimization & Enforcement: Design, document, and enforce standardized operational workflows for student enrollment, attendance tracking, and data management across all Legacy Traditional Schools. Collaborate with school operations and technology teams to integrate compliance requirements into school-level systems and provide essential tools and training. Analyze historical audit findings and compliance data to identify root causes of errors and drive continuous improvement of existing processes and systems. Oversee the accuracy and completeness of enrollment documentation and student registration processes to safeguard critical funding streams. Own and conduct annual website compliance audits and establish standardized processes for ongoing maintenance, ensuring all required postings, public notices, and regulatory information are accurate, complete, and consistently maintained in alignment with state and federal requirements.
• Team Leadership & Technical Development: Lead, coach, and mentor the State Reporting and Attendance teams, fostering a culture of precision, accountability, and unwavering commitment to data integrity. Develop deep, state-specific technical expertise within the compliance team, enabling them to navigate complex regulations and troubleshoot data discrepancies independently. Engage directly in the most complex data discrepancy investigations, guiding the team to diagnose root causes and implement lasting, systemic solutions. Establish clear performance expectations and provide regular feedback to ensure the compliance team consistently meets the highest standards for data accuracy and audit-readiness.
• Compliance for Growth & Sustainability: Lead the coordination and compliance review of all new charter applications and renewals, ensuring all submissions meet authorizer requirements and quality standards. Oversee all processes related to obtaining and maintaining Cognia accreditation for new and existing campuses, ensuring meticulous documentation and adherence to standards. Partner with cross-functional leaders from Academics, Finance, and Operations to gather and integrate data for charter applications and renewals and Cognia accreditation efforts. Develop and refine standard operating procedures and templates for efficient and compliant submission of all growth-related documentation.

Benefits

• Enjoy industry-leading pay, rewards, referral bonuses, with unlimited flexible paid time-off for performance.
• Be able to care for your health and your family with comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits and invest in your future with 401(k) plans with a 6% employer match on your contributions.
• Enhance your growth and development with mentoring and money to take training classes.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director