• Safeguard the success and reputations of companies by ensuring compliance with standards, laws, and regulations.
• Analyze complex regulatory information to develop compliance initiatives.
• Design frameworks and procedures that enable organizations to meet requirements and avoid fines or legal action.

• How can we measure the effectiveness of our compliance program, and what metrics should we use to assess our performance?
• How can we use gamification and other incentives to encourage employees to follow our compliance policies and procedures, and how can we measure the effectiveness of these techniques?
• How can we develop effective compliance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that are aligned with our organization's strategic goals and objectives?
• What are the best practices for conducting a compliance investigation, and how can we ensure that our investigations are thorough, objective, and transparent?
• How can we use data analytics to monitor and identify potential conflicts of interest, and what steps can we take to mitigate these risks?

As a Compliance Analyst, you’ll have a direct impact on the success and reputation of a company. You can work in many organizations, performing a variety of functions to ensure that a company operates in accordance with existing regulations. 

In this role, you will be responsible for understanding relevant standards, regulations, and laws, and developing frameworks and procedures to ensure that the company satisfies all relevant requirements. You will build a deep understanding of an ever-evolving regulatory and legal landscape and will analyze complex information to understand the impact of new regulations on a business. This helps the company to avoid fines, legal action, or reputational damage. 

As a Compliance Analyst, you may work in finance departments, people operations (HR), or on a dedicated compliance team. You will continually monitor and evaluate compliance against the frameworks and policies you’ve devised, and may develop training materials to inform employees of their responsibilities regarding compliance policies and procedures. Additionally, you may attempt to identify and assess potential compliance risks and conduct investigations or audits in instances of non-compliance. 

Your work as a Compliance Analyst will be crucial, as you will report to executives and in some cases government regulators or other stakeholders, such as investors. This ensures that the company maintains its reputation and avoids costly legal action. With the ever-changing regulatory and legal landscape, the role of Compliance Analyst is constantly evolving and provides opportunities for growth in your career.

Compliance Analyst; Compliance Risk Analyst; Regulatory Affairs Consultant; Internal Auditor; Compliance Officer.

• Oversee the timely and efficient completion of projects.
• Collaborate and communicate with a broad range of stakeholders to keep everyone on the same page.
• Anticipate risks and roadblocks to ensure smooth project execution.

• What are the project dependencies, and how can we manage them to minimize project delays and risks?
• What is the project budget, and how will it be managed and controlled to ensure cost-effectiveness?
• How will project success be measured, and what metrics will be used to evaluate the project’s outcomes and effectiveness?
• How can we effectively communicate project status and progress to stakeholders, including project sponsors and team members?
• How can we manage project changes effectively, including scope, schedule, and cost impacts?

As a Project Manager, you’ll be responsible for gathering requirements from stakeholders, developing project timelines, articulating project deliverables, anticipating risks and roadblocks, and ensuring that communication lines remain open throughout the project. You may also directly manage people or be responsible solely for the project’s management.

Project Managers work with teams throughout the organization to structure work according to the company’s priorities. Using project management frameworks such as agile, waterfall, six sigma, or others, you’ll develop roadmaps to ensure that the project stays on track. You’ll provide updates to leaders and executives on progress being made, and identify and mitigate any potential risks that could impede the project’s success.

Measuring project success is also a key responsibility for Project Managers. You’ll assess whether goals and objectives have been met, the project is on time and within budget, the project meets predetermined quality standards, and that team morale remains high and stakeholders remain in communication. At the end of a project, you’ll evaluate the success of the project and look for lessons learned that can help future projects run more smoothly.

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in Project Management, there are many roles to start with, such as Project Analyst, Associate Project Manager, and Budget and Cost Analyst. And even if you don’t think you have project management experience, you might be surprised to find that the skills you gained in managing your academic workloads can be applied to project management. 

Companies implement different types of projects based on their needs. Examples of projects include: organizing a conference or industry event that a company will host or participate in; launching a new marketing campaign; research projects; projects related to business transformation such as the adoption of a new technology; and projects related to organizational change, such as the implementation of a new policy or process. Project Managers also work on projects that arise when mergers and acquisitions happen.

Project Manager; Project Analyst; Project Management Analyst; Assistant Project Manager; Budget Analyst / Cost Analyst.

• Oversee collections of independent projects that are aligned with strategic goals.
• Collaborate across departments and functions to maintain effective communication channels.
• Set long-term objectives and analyze and mitigate risks to position the program for success.

• How can we ensure that the program’s objectives align with the company’s strategic goals and vision?
• How can we effectively manage program stakeholders, including executives, program sponsors, external vendors, and/or clients?
• What are the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that will be used to measure the program’s success, and how can we track progress against those KPIs?
• How can we ensure that the program’s scope remains aligned with its objectives and deliverables, and prevent scope creep?
• How can we ensure that the program’s benefits are sustained over time, even after the program is completed, and what are the best practices for achieving this?

As a Program Manager, you will be responsible for managing a collection of related, interdependent projects that support a new or strategic initiative. Depending on the size and scope of the projects involved, you may manage multiple projects at once, or you may have several Project Managers who report to you. Programs typically have longer timelines than projects, with some lasting multiple years. 

Your role as a Program Manager will be wide-ranging and dynamic. You’ll be responsible for gathering and analyzing requirements for the program, writing statements of work (SOWs), and managing stakeholder meetings to ensure everyone is on the same page regarding expectations and deliverables for the program. You’ll also be responsible for tracking and reporting progress to executives and other stakeholders. 

Examples of programs that a Program Manager might oversee include: enterprise-wide technology upgrades such as the integration and implementation of a new software platform; digital transformation initiatives, such as the migration from on-premise servers to a cloud architecture; organizational change programs, such as a restructuring or reorganization of the company and its departments; and talent development programs, such as developing a leadership training program or upskilling the workforce.

Program Managers are responsible for managing these programs from beginning to end, ensuring that all related projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. If you’ve managed a departmental initiative or worked on a multi-year project in your academic experience, you likely have program management experience. Whether as a Program Manager or a supporting Program Analyst depends on the work you did. 

While some program management positions require years of experience, there are supporting roles such as Program Analyst and Project Analyst that present an accessible career path for those just starting out.

Program Manager; Technical Program Manager; Assistant Program Manager; Associate Program Manager; Program Analyst.

• Ensure the smooth and efficient flow of goods and materials.
• Optimize transportation networks to ensure timely delivery.
• Forecast demand and optimize stock levels.

• How can we ensure that suppliers meet our quality and ethical standards while still maintaining competitive prices?
• How can we optimize the transportation network to reduce transportation costs while ensuring on-time delivery?
• How can we manage and mitigate the risks associated with geopolitical factors, such as tariffs and trade agreements?
• How can we improve warehouse operations to reduce handling costs and improve efficiency?
• What statistical or optimization models can we use to determine the optimal inventory levels for each product in our supply chain, considering factors such as lead time variability, demand uncertainty, and the cost of holding inventory?

As a Supply Chain Analyst, you’ll be responsible for optimizing the operations of companies by analyzing and improving various components of the supply chain. This can include inventory management, forecast demand, finding optimal inventory levels, and developing strategies to minimize excess inventory. You’ll also analyze and optimize transportation networks, looking for opportunities to consolidate shipments and select the most efficient transportation modes. 

In addition to optimizing the various components of the supply chain, you’ll also be responsible for establishing and monitoring supply chain performance metrics, such as on-time delivery and quality level. You’ll find areas where performance can be improved and make recommendations for doing so. As a Supply Chain Analyst, you’ll find opportunities to minimize costs, reduce waste, improve energy efficiency, and use low-carbon or carbon-neutral solutions. 

You’ll work on optimization problems involving pricing, scheduling, warehousing and storing, projecting demands, adhering to regulations, ethical considerations, taxes and tariffs, and forecasting of geopolitical circumstances. You’ll use your analytical skills to optimize the procurement and/or distribution of the goods in this high-dimensional environment, finding ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Supply Chain Analyst; Logistics Analyst; Logistician; Purchasing Analyst; Analyst - Sourcing and Supply Chain.

• Shape company policies and procedures by using data to drive decisions.
• Make a real impact on the lives of employees and the success of the company.
• Optimize the employee experience.

• What are the key drivers of employee turnover, and how can we address them proactively?
• How can we leverage data and analytics to identify high-potential employees and create development plans for them?
• How can we ensure that our performance and evaluation process is fair and unbiased?
• How can we improve our employee onboarding process to increase retention and engagement?
• What metrics should we use to measure the success of our talent development programs, and how can we improve those programs based on the feedback and data we collect?

As a People Operations Analyst, you’ll play a crucial role in supporting your company’s workforce. You’ll conduct research on compensation, job classification, and benefits to ensure your employees are receiving the best possible compensation packages. Negotiating with vendors and communicating with employees about their benefits might also be part of your responsibilities. 

You’ll also help your company make data-informed decisions about hiring, training, and retaining talented individuals. You’ll analyze data and may even build predictive models to understand employee turnover and performance. Additionally, as a People Operations Analyst, you’ll research local and federal regulations to develop policies and ensure compliance. 

To attract and retain top talent, you’ll research salary information and industry trends and may even recruit and conduct interviews with candidates. And to optimize the employee experience, you’ll create and deliver surveys or assessments to gain insights into job satisfaction, benefit usage, and employee performance.

Benefits Analyst; Compensation Analyst; Workforce Analyst; Personnel Consultant; People Ops Analyst.