How to hire an ethics officer

How to hire an ethics officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step ethics officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an ethics officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new ethics officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the ethics officer you need to hire. Certain ethics officer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An ethics officer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, ethics officers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of ethics officers.

   Type of Ethics Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Ethics Officer		$41-90
   Manager, Quality Management, Corporate Compliance	Depending on the industry, there are a lot of functions you need to comply with if you want to become a manager of quality management and corporate compliance. Commonly seen in banks, manufacturing, processing, automotive, and textile companies, this job position is responsible for monitoring, implementing, and oversees the quality of a product... Show more	$35-71
   Compliance Program Manager	A compliance program manager is in charge of devising strategies to ensure a company's overall compliance with policies and regulations. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with different departments and officers to gather data, conducting inspections and observations, and assessing the efficiency of quality control programs... Show more	$33-65

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Compliance Issues
   • Internal Investigations
   • HIPAA
   • Internal Audit
   • Ethics Training
   • Compliance Program
   • Oversight
   • Training Programs
   • Ethics Program
   • Ethics Issues

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage supervisors and individual contributors conducting confidential occupational fraud, ethics and compliance investigations across multiple lines of business.
   • Promote the use of employee helpline to all associates if need.
   • Work closely with finance group to ensure timely revenue recognition and compliance with GAAP.
   • Execute corporate short and long term business objectives while preserving margin and increasing EBITDA.
   • Investigate suspicious exchange relate transactions, AML and market abuse relate issues, and escalate appropriate remedial action for effective resolutions.
   • Focuse promotion efforts on power mobility through product information promotions for physicians, clinics, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your ethics officer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An ethics officer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, ethics officers' average salary in hawaii is 60% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level ethics officers 54% less than senior-level ethics officers.
   • Certifications. An ethics officer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an ethics officer's salary.

   Average ethics officer salary

   $127,932yearly

   $61.51 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level ethics officer salary

   $86,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing an ethics officer job description

   A good ethics officer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an ethics officer job description:

   Ethics officer job description example

   Citi Legal is responsible for providing legal advice to the Board of Directors, senior management, businesses, legal entities and other functions on legal and regulatory issues and for reporting, escalating, and resolving legal matters appropriately. Approximately 1,200 in-house attorneys and an additional 280 staff are assigned to support global products, regions and global programs with a focus on key areas of legal risk and key legal entities.
   
   Citi Legal seeks an experienced attorney to join the Citi Global Ethics Office. The Citi Global Ethics Office is responsible for managing Citi's Ethics Hotline, working with business and control functions to identify control enhancements, reporting on significant matters to Citi's internal and external stakeholders, and establishing and communicating Citi's ethical values and principles through Citi's Code of Conduct and Code of Conduct training. The Ethics Office works with partners all over the world, including with other Citi control functions, to handle internal investigations of employee-related issues and to identify and escalate matters, as appropriate.
   
   Based in Irving, Texas, the Ethics Officer (a VP) will report to a Director/Ethics Officer, and be responsible for assisting in the handling of Ethics Office matters from the APAC, EMEA, and North America regions, including coordinating the case management process.
   Qualifications
   
   The successful candidate will be a qualified lawyer with interest and/or experience in litigation, prosecutorial, investigations, employment law, or regulatory experience, including familiarity with the financial services industry and products, and a strong understanding and familiarity with a global, corporate environment. The successful candidate will have outstanding writing and analytical skills, sound judgment, discretion, and an understanding of business processes. This individual should also possess extraordinary project management and organizational skills and be capable of handling multiple projects at one time. Familiarity with the United States Sentencing Guidelines, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, whistleblowing laws and regulations outside the United States, and related best practices is a plus. Excellent interpersonal communication and presentation skills (written and oral) are critical, as this individual will work in a high volume, fast-paced environment.
   
   The primary responsibilities will include:
   Evaluating concerns reported to the Ethics Office. Determining assignment of matters reported to the Ethics Office to the appropriate control function partners. Effectively managing the investigation of matters reported to the Ethics Office, including active monitoring and follow up with control function partners performing Ethics Office investigations. Providing credible challenge to control function partners performing Ethics Office investigations, giving direction and guidance to the end-to-end handling of internal investigations. Escalating and reporting on significant matters and trends. Evaluating new laws, regulations, and regulatory guidance related to employee reporting hotlines Preparing materials for presentations as part of employee engagement programs. Assisting with other Ethics Office initiatives as needed. Additional duties as assigned.
   
   Candidates Must Have
   A Juris Doctor degree A license in good standing to practice law in at least one state Ability to both work independently and collaborate with team members Excellent project management and organizational skills and capability to handle multiple projects at one time 1-5 years of work experience
   
   Job Family Group:
   Compliance and Control
   
   Job Family:
   Ethics
   
   Time Type:
   Full time
   
   Citi is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.
   
   Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
   
   Citigroup Inc. and its subsidiaries ("Citi") invite all qualified interested applicants to apply for career opportunities. If you are a person with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to use our search tools and/or apply for a career opportunity review Accessibility at Citi .
   
   View the " EEO is the Law " poster. View the EEO is the Law Supplement .
   
   View the EEO Policy Statement .
   
   View the Pay Transparency Posting
   
   Effective November 1, 2021, Citi requires that all successful applicants for positions located in the United States or Puerto Rico be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment and provide proof of such vaccination prior to commencement of employment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find ethics officers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your ethics officer job on Zippia to find and recruit ethics officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit ethics officers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new ethics officer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the ethics officer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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