Privacy Specialist

PQE Partners Pty; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

PQE Partners Pty in Sydney is seeking a Privacy Specialist to own the privacy program across the business. The role sits in Legal but partners with Risk, Compliance, Technology, Cyber Security and Data/AI Governance to uplift privacy practices.

You will translate complex privacy requirements into practical guidance, engage with senior leaders, contribute to Board reporting, and drive training and awareness across the organisation in a regulated environment.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a dedicated privacy role, ideally in financial services, professional services or other regulated organisations.
• Strong knowledge of Australian privacy law including the Privacy Act and Australian Privacy Principles.
• Experience developing, implementing or uplifting privacy frameworks, policies and processes.

Responsibilities

• Uplift and embed the organisation's privacy management framework.
• Provide practical advice on Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and APPs.
• Advise on Privacy Impact Assessments for new projects and systems.

Skills

Privacy framework

PIAs

Data breach management

Stakeholder engagement

Privacy law knowledge

Education

Legal degree (LLB or JD)

Job description

PQE Partners has been engaged on a newly created Privacy Specialist opportunity within a high-calibre, established legal team.

This will be the organisation’s first dedicated privacy hire and is an opportunity for an experienced privacy professional to take genuine ownership of the area, becoming the key privacy SME across the business.

There is already an established privacy framework in place, so this isn’t a case of starting completely from scratch. The successful person will assess the current approach, identify gaps and lead the ongoing uplift and embedding of privacy practices across the organisation.

The role sits within Legal, but will work broadly across the business, partnering closely with Risk, Compliance, Technology, Cyber Security and Data/AI Governance.

A significant part of the role will be stakeholder engagement. You’ll work with and educate employees and the leadership team, translating complex privacy requirements into clear, practical advice and helping to build privacy awareness across the organisation. There will also be exposure to senior executives and the opportunity to contribute to Board-level reporting.

The organisation itself operates in a complex and highly regulated environment, with interesting exposure across finance, major projects and sophisticated transactions. It is also a particularly interesting time to take ownership of privacy given the significant regulatory change underway in Australia.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Taking ownership of and continuing to uplift the organisation’s privacy management framework
• Providing practical advice on the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), Australian Privacy Principles and other relevant privacy requirements
• Advising on Privacy Impact Assessments for new projects, systems and initiatives
• Identifying privacy risks and developing appropriate mitigation strategies
• Managing and advising on privacy incidents and data breaches, including Notifiable Data Breach requirements
• Maintaining and enhancing privacy policies, processes, notices and governance
• Monitoring regulatory developments and advising the business on their practical impact
• Developing and delivering privacy training and awareness initiatives
• Partnering with Legal, Risk, Compliance, Technology, Cyber Security and Data/AI teams
• Supporting privacy-related audits and assurance activities

A legal degree (LLB or JD) is essential for this position, together with strong, dedicated privacy experience.

You will ideally have:

• Significant experience in a dedicated privacy role, ideally gained within financial services, professional services or another complex and regulated organisation
• Strong knowledge of Australian privacy law, including the Privacy Act and Australian Privacy Principles
• Experience developing, implementing or uplifting privacy frameworks, policies and processes
• Practical experience across PIAs, privacy risk and data breach/incident management
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
• The ability to communicate complex privacy issues clearly to non-privacy specialists
• Confidence engaging with senior stakeholders and presenting to leadership teams
• A practical, commercial and solutions-focused approach

This would suit an experienced privacy professional who enjoys being close to the business and is looking for a visible role where they can take ownership of privacy rather than operating as one member of a large privacy function.