Privacy & Access Specialist

BC College of Nurses and Midwives; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 97,000 - 102,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and dental benefits

Municipal Pension Plan

Professional development support

Employee assistance program

Fitness allowance

Hybrid work

Job summary

BC College of Nurses and Midwives seeks a Privacy & Access Specialist to operationalize its privacy program, lead PIAs, and support FOI responses. You will collaborate with the Privacy Office and legal teams to ensure compliance with FIPPA/HPOA while promoting privacy by design across initiatives.

The role combines policy development with hands-on privacy management, data flow analysis, and stakeholder coordination in a hybrid Vancouver setting.

Qualifications

• Degree in Law, Information Management, Computer Science, Information Systems or related field.
• Minimum 5 years in a privacy/FOI role with PIAs and cross-functional projects.
• CIPM/CIPP/CIPT certification preferred; strong privacy knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Designs and implements privacy compliance programs and training.
• Lead PIAs and monitor privacy controls and risks.
• Respond to FOI requests and collaborate with legal counsel.
• Manage privacy life cycle, data flows, and information sharing.
• Support organization-wide privacy policies and procedures.

Skills

Privacy compliance

PIAs

FOI requests

FIPPA/HPOA knowledge

Stakeholder communication

Discretion

Education

Law or Information Management degree

5+ years privacy/FOI experience

Privacy certifications preferred

Tools

MS Office

MS Dynamics

MS SharePoint

Job description

Work Location:

Hybrid, Vancouver B.C. (a minimum of 2 days in office)

Who we are

The British Columbia College of Nurses & Midwives (“BCCNM”) is the college empowered under the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) to regulate the practice of all licensed practical nurses, nurse practitioners, registered midwives, registered nurses, and registered psychiatric nurses in British Columbia. Regulation helps to protect the public by ensuring that professional care or service received by the public is competent, ethical, and meets the standards that society views as acceptable.

What we offer you

We are delighted to be recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers. It is more than a badge of honor – it’s a reflection of our people and the purpose that drives us every day. At BCCNM, we’re creating a workplace where flexibility, equity, growth, and connection are not just values – they’re part of how we work. Whether it’s through hybrid work options, meaningful employee engagement, or our commitment to reconciliation, we’re building something that matters. This honor reflects our unwavering commitment to creating a workplace where people truly thrive.

We promise to provide you with rewarding work that challenges you. You will be part of a passionate team contributing to our important mandate of protecting the public. As a member of the team, you can expect to be working in a collaborative, team-based environment, and treated in a respectful and professional manner. The expected starting base salary for this position is $97,226 - $102,086 annually, depending on a variety of factors including qualifications and experience. Once hired, you will progress through a wider salary range over time as you continue to develop job knowledge, skills and competencies for the role.

In addition to base salary, the college offers a generous vacation and extended benefits package. As an employee, you receive 100% employer-paid health and dental benefits. And we contribute to B.C.'s Municipal Pension Plan to help you secure your retirement income after 1 year of employment. Throughout your career with us, you will engage in a variety of learning and development. We will support your professional development and cover your professional membership costs. To support you in work and life, we provide an employee assistance program and fitness allowance perk. Working with us allows you to enjoy flexible hybrid work. This position is located in Vancouver, but you’ll be able to work remotely up to 3 days a week. Our office is closed for the 11 statutory holidays in B.C. as well as Easter Monday and Boxing Day.

What you’ll be doing

The Privacy & Access Specialist (PAS) operationalizes and facilitates BCCNM’s privacy management program and supports Freedom of Information (FOI) requests in accordance with relevant legislation and policies. The PAS leads Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) and supports the implementation and ongoing monitoring of resulting privacy controls and recommendations. This role identifies opportunities to improve processes relating to the collection, processing, storage, and disclosure of personal information to enable BCCNM to carry out its mandate and business activities.

More specifically, the PAS works closely with the Information Management team to identify and to review records to respond to requests under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, BC (FIPPA). The PAS works in consultation with internal legal counsels to clarify the scope of complex and time-sensitive access requests, determine if exemptions to rights to access are applicable, and to prepare responsive records in the custody or control of BCCNM. In addition, the PAS works with the Business Analysts and Project Managers to bridge project work with structured processes for managing personal information and to incorporate privacy related requirements in project work.

Key Responsibilities

• In consultation with the Senior Corporate Legal Counsel (SCLC), designs, develops and implements privacy compliance programs, including board and committee member, staff and contractor training, monitoring and evaluation. The PAS educates internal programs on awareness of privacy trends and changes in technology use and privacy legislation that impact BCCNM.
• The PAS, in consultation with and under the direction of the SCLC, supports the College wide implementation of privacy requirements under FIPPA, Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) BC and the BCCNM Bylaws.
• Leads and conducts PIAs, supports the completion of risk assessments, and conducts related ongoing compliance monitoring activities in consultation with IT security, the project, business units, and contract resources in the Privacy Office.
• Leads the ongoing lifecycle management of PIAs, including maintaining PIA inventories, tracking recommendations and mitigation measures, monitoring implementation status, conducting follow up reviews, and reporting on outstanding privacy risks and compliance activities.
• Collaborates with internal and external partners on programs and projects which may involve the handling and sharing of information across the College and with other organizations, users, clients, suppliers, and partners to ensure the protection of personal information of registrants and staff.
• Documents and analyzes personal information life cycles, data flows, information sharing arrangements and cross-system integrations to support privacy assessments and compliance activities. Working closely with SCLC and the respective program areas, supports management of information sharing agreements and related processes.
• Works with SCLC and relevant partners in defining the College’s protection goals and to apply and operationalize these goals with business process owners.
• In consultation with the SCLC, analyses and proposes development and implements organization-wide privacy policies and procedures including without limitation:
  • Privacy and initiative development processes;
  • Privacy policies and various privacy notices;
  • Authorization and consent forms;
  • Individual requests for correction of or access to information; and
  • Access and verification requests
• Ensures clarity on what the College sees as Freedom of Information requests, and designs college-wide processes and training so that FOI requests are centrally tracked and responded to as expected.
• Manages complex and sensitive FOI requests and related privacy matters, including review of records for disclosure and redaction, application of statutory exceptions, and consultation with SCLC and business areas regarding access and privacy risks. Provides operational guidance and technical expertise to other staff involved in processing FOI requests and acts as the escalation point for complex or high - risk matters.

Your education and skills

• Degree in Law, Information Management, Computer Science, Information Systems or a related discipline, or equivalent education/experience supplemented by continuing professional development in privacy
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in a privacy and access to information role, including managing technical privacy compliance components, PIAs and successful implementation and management of all aspects of cross-functional privacy projects/programs.
• Certification as an Information Privacy Professional (CIPM, CIPP/C or CIPT) preferred.
• Strong knowledge of BC's FIPPA and the HPOA, including experience in interpreting legislative privacy requirements and applying them in operational environments.
• Demonstrated experience independently leading PIAs from initiation through implementation, review, and ongoing monitoring including technical analysis of system architecture, information flows, data integrations, privacy and security controls, risks and mitigation strategies as well as developing and improving related processes.
• Understanding of common privacy industry standards and regulations and experience with industry frameworks preferred.
• Experience working on privacy focused projects such as Privacy-by-Design, privacy enhancing technologies. Experience supporting business understanding and maintaining compliance with privacy laws as well as privacy and information governance policy.
• Comfortable acting as a privacy champion, able to communicate effectively to stakeholders about privacy requirements and processes relating to freedom of information requests.
• Ability to exercise discretion and diplomacy in handling confidential information and to build effective working relationships with a diverse range of internal and external parties, including College staff, FOI requestors health profession regulators, and other organizations.
• Strong communications, interpersonal and relationship building skills as well as collaboration, and critical thinking/problem solving abilities.
• Advanced proficiency using MS Office suite. Working level knowledge of MS CRM Dynamics and MS SharePoint.
• Knowledge of cloud computing technologies and its impact on data privacy is highly preferred.
• Outstanding organization skills and attention to detail.
• Privacy and FOI experience in a public body is an asset