The Office of Procurement Regulation (OPR) is an organisation incorporated under the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act, 2015, as amended.  The Office is responsible for regulating public procurement, retention, and disposal of public property in Trinidad and Tobago, in accordance with the principles of good governance, accountability, transparency, integrity and value for money.

The OPR invites suitably qualified professionals to apply for the position of;
Chief Operations Office - Compliance & Enforcement.

The Chief Operations Officer (COO) - Compliance & Enforcement is an executive leader responsible for driving directing, strengthening, and overseeing the Office of Procurement Regulation’s (OPR) compliance, enforcement, and regulatory assurance functions.

The role provides executive leadership for OPR’s oversight, investigative, quasi-judicial, audit, and enforcement portfolios, ensuring that public procurement and disposal activities across Trinidad and Tobago comply with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act, 2015 (as amended) and related regulations.

The COO-Compliance & Enforcement leads and coordinates the following functional areas, each headed by a Senior Manager:

• Administrative Review Secretariat

• Complaints & Investigations

• Audit & Compliance

• Tobago Operations

The role operates within a matrix leadership framework, requiring close collaboration with Strategy & Enablement portfolios to ensure that enforcement actions, compliance systems, legal frameworks, and digital tools are fully aligned and mutually reinforcing.

This role ensures that OPR maintains a credible, independent, and effective enforcement presence, protects public value, strengthens accountability, and upholds confidence in the national procurement system.

Qualifications: 

• Master’s Degree in Law, Public Administration, Public Policy, Criminology, Regulatory Studies, Governance, or a related compliance/enforcement discipline.

Experience: 

• 15+ years of senior leadership experience in regulatory enforcement, investigations, compliance, audit, or legal environments.

• Proven experience managing enforcement, investigations, or compliance portfolios.

• Experience working with statutory authorities, oversight bodies, or quasi-judicial processes.

• Strong knowledge of public-sector accountability and regulatory frameworks.

• Any other combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.

Principal Accountabilities/ Key Functions:

Compliance & Enforcement Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership for the OPR’s compliance, monitoring, investigations, audits, and enforcement functions.

• Ensure regulatory actions are fair, timely, evidence-based, and legally defensible.

• Strengthen enforcement frameworks to deter non-compliance and protect public value.

• Promote consistency, integrity, and professionalism in regulatory decision-making.
  
  

Portfolio Oversight & Senior Management Leadership

• Provide executive oversight and strategic direction to the following Senior Manager portfolios:

  • Administrative Review Secretariat

    • Ensure the effective operation of administrative review and appeals processes.

    • Safeguard procedural fairness, due process, and legal integrity in quasi-judicial matters.

  • Complaints & Investigations

    • Oversee investigations into alleged breaches of procurement and disposal laws.

    • Ensure complaints are handled objectively, efficiently, and transparently.

  • Audit & Compliance

    • Strengthen risk-based audit, compliance monitoring, and assurance systems.

    • Ensure findings support regulatory improvement and enforcement action.

  • Tobago Operations

    • Ensure OPR’s regulatory presence and service delivery in Tobago are effective and aligned with national standards.

    • Support enforcement, compliance monitoring, and stakeholder engagement.
      
      

Legal, Governance & Regulatory Assurance

• Ensure compliance with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act and all related regulations.

• Strengthen enforcement policies, procedures, and legal frameworks.

• Support legislative reform, regulatory guidance, and enforcement policy development.

• Work closely with Legal, Governance & Regulatory Innovation functions to ensure legal robustness of enforcement actions.

Enforcement Systems & Case Management

• Oversee the development of investigation, case management, and compliance monitoring systems.

• Ensure regulatory actions are supported by accurate evidence, documentation, and reporting.

• Strengthen data-driven enforcement and intelligence-led oversight.

Risk Management & Public Value Protection

• Lead enforcement strategies to reduce procurement risk and financial leakage.

• Protect public value through targeted regulatory interventions.

• Ensure high-risk cases are escalated appropriately to the Chairman/Procurement Regulator and the Procurement Board.

Executive Collaboration & External Engagement

• Work closely with the Chairman/Procurement Regulator and the COO- Strategy & Enablement to ensure coordinated, integrated, and legally robust regulatory delivery.

• Co-lead cross-functional initiatives that require both enforcement and institutional enablement inputs, including system modernisation, legislative reform, and national compliance strategies.

• Represent OPR in high-level engagements with Ministries, oversight bodies, law enforcement agencies, and Tobago stakeholders on enforcement and regulatory assurance matters.

Work Flexibility & HSSE Standards

• Perform other duties as directed by the Chairman/Procurement Regulator or designate.

• Uphold HSSE standards and ensure a secure, compliant, and ethical working environment.

The OPR thanks all applicants, however, please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.