Community First Bank is one of Australia's leading customer-owned banks, proudly serving members and communities since 1959. With more than 80,000 members, over $2.4 billion in assets, and a strong presence across Sydney, the Illawarra, Sutherland Shire, Western Sydney and the Hunter region, Community First Bank is built on a simple philosophy: people helping people. As a member-owned organisation, we reinvest in delivering exceptional service, competitive products, and meaningful community support rather than generating profits for external shareholders. Our purpose is to help our members achieve their financial goals through trusted relationships, innovation, and a genuine commitment to the communities where we live and work.

For careers at Community First Bank, you'll join a values-driven organisation that puts people first, celebrates collaboration, and empowers employees to make a real difference in the lives of members and local communities.

About the role

Community First distributes financial products and services across a range of channels Australia wide. Our store locations stretch from the Sutherland Shire, the Hunter Region, Western Sydney and in between. Community First is member owned and run for the benefit of members, not for external shareholder profit. Our mission is to help members achieve their financial goals by building relationships for mutual benefit. Community First therefore strives to offer members something different to traditional banking institutions and puts members first in the delivery of products and services which help them achieve their personal financial goals.



Community First also owns Easy Street – an online only provider of savings and loan products that offer simple value and appeal to people who prefer to do their banking online themselves.

The Legal & Compliance Manager is the Bank’s principal internal legal advisor and compliance leader within the Line 2 function. The role provides independent oversight, challenge and guidance on the Bank’s legal, regulatory, compliance, privacy and governance obligations—while ensuring that Line 1 owns and manages legal and compliance risks and controls.

As a newly merged mutual bank with uplifted prudential expectations (including CPS 230 operational resilience, CPS 234 cybersecurity, CPS 220 risk management, AML/CTF obligations and enhanced ASIC regimes), the role ensures the Bank operates safely, ethically and in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.

This role leads the design, maintenance and embedding of the Bank’s Legal Risk Management Framework and Compliance Management Framework, including the obligations register, policy governance, compliance monitoring, breach oversight, horizon scanning and regulatory change implementation. It also strengthens organisational capability, fosters integrity and supports safe strategic growth.

What you'll do

Legal Advisory & Leadership (Internal Legal Function)

- Act as the Bank’s principal internal legal advisor, delivering timely and practical legal advice on corporate, regulatory, privacy, consumer, lending, contracts, commercial, property,



banking and governance matters.
- Lead and maintain the Legal Risk Management Framework, including legal risk identification, contract governance, legal risk assessments and legal incident management.
- Partner with business units on reviews of new products, digital initiatives, contracts, third-party arrangements, technology solutions and outsourcing arrangements.
- Oversee internal and external dispute resolution including oversight of AFCA matters.
- Support governance frameworks including conflicts of interest, delegations, document execution, and powers of attorney (as required).
- Manage relationships with external legal service providers and the internal legal budget.
- Monitor and interpret changes to legislation, case law, industry standards and codes with Bank-wide impact.
- Act as spokesperson or regulatory point of contact on legal matters where appropriate.

Compliance Framework & Governance

- Own and maintain the Compliance Management Framework, ensuring alignment with APRA, ASIC, AUSTRAC, OAIC and industry standards.
- Maintain the obligations register / obligations library, ensuring obligations are accurately interpreted, mapped to controls, assigned to Line 1 owners and kept current.
- Oversee compliance monitoring, thematic reviews, compliance assurance and Line 1 control attestation processes.
- Drive explicit accountability for compliance obligations within Line 1, ensuring policy, control and process ownership is understood and discharged.
- Ensure the Bank complies with all relevant obligations, including:
- APRA Prudential Standards (CPS 220, CPS 230, CPS 234, CPS 510, CPS 520)
- AML/CTF Act and Rules
- ASIC Act, Corporations Act, RG 78, DDO, c

📌 Legal Compliance Manager (Sydney)
🏢 Community First
📍 Sydney