Privacy and Access Analyst, Office of General Counsel

Laurentian University/Université Laurentienne; Northeastern Ontario; On-site; CAD 69,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

Laurentian University is seeking a Privacy and Access Analyst within the Office of General Counsel. The role supports compliance with FIPPA, oversees FOI requests, and coordinates PIAs and privacy incidents to mitigate risk.

The analyst serves as a primary contact for academic and administrative units, driving workflow improvements and training on privacy practices. Qualifications include a college diploma in a related field and 3–5 years in privacy or regulatory compliance, with CIPP or similar

Qualifications

• College Diploma in Public Administration, Information Management, Law & Justice, Paralegal Studies, Business Administration, Business Analytics or related field.
• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field preferred.
• 3–5 years of privacy, access to information, regulatory compliance, process improvement, or project coordination experience.
• Experience with FIPPA or equivalent privacy legislation; strong process improvement or compliance background.
• IAPP/CIPP certification or Foundations of Privacy.

Responsibilities

• Supports the Information and Privacy Officer in developing and maintaining the university's privacy and access framework under FIPPA.
• Processes FOI requests, coordinates records retrieval, reviews for responsiveness, applies FIPPA exemptions.
• Guides units through the Privacy Impact Assessment process, manages timelines, ensures FIPPA compliance.
• Provides operational support for privacy incident and breach response, including documentation and notification coordination.
• Conducts initial privacy risk assessments for new systems, services, and vendor agreements.
• Monitors legislative developments related to FIPPA and privacy in the post-secondary sector.

Skills

FOI processing

Privacy risk assessment

Stakeholder management

Strong communication

Project coordination

Regulatory compliance

Analytical thinking

Documentation skills

Education

College Diploma in Public Administration

Bachelor's Degree preferred

FIPPA experience

IAPP privacy certification

Job description

Privacy and Access Analyst, Office of General Counsel

Position No.: JOBPOST-2026-001306

Salary: $ 68,586 - $ 85,502 per year

Competition ends: Thursday, August 13th at 4:00 pm

Reporting to the Information and Privacy Officer, the Privacy and Access Analyst supports the University’s compliance obligations under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) within the Office of the General Counsel. The Privacy and Access Analyst facilitates Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, performs initial Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs), and supports privacy incident and breach responses. The incumbent exercises independent judgment within established institutional frameworks to conduct risk assessments for new systems, services, and vendor agreements. The Privacy and Access Analyst optimizes internal workflows, manages inquiry triage, and tracks multiple concurrent files and statutory deadlines. The incumbent serves as the primary operational point of contact for academic and administrative units to streamline the privacy and access function. Additionally, the incumbent facilitates privacy awareness training, performs periodic compliance audits, and compiles data for institutional stakeholder reports.

Privacy & Access to Information Compliance

• Supports the Information and Privacy Officer in the development, implementation, and maintenance of the university's privacy and access to information framework, ensuring adherence to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and related university policies.
• Processes Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, including coordinating records retrieval, reviewing records for responsiveness, applying FIPPA exemptions, and redacting sensitive information under the guidance of the Information and Privacy Officer.
• Guides academic and administrative units through the Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) process, including conducting PIA intakes, managing timelines, and ensuring compliance with FIPPA requirements.
• Provides operational support for privacy incident and breach response, including documentation, investigation assistance, and coordination of notification processes as directed by the Information and Privacy Officer.
• Conducts initial privacy risk assessments for new systems, services, and vendor agreements, escalating complex or high-risk matters to the Information and Privacy Officer or Senior Legal Counsel.
• Monitors and researches legislative, regulatory, and best practice developments related to FIPPA and privacy in the post-secondary sector, providing summaries to the Information and Privacy Officer.

Process Improvement & Workflow Coordination

• Assesses, documents, and continuously improves privacy and access to information workflows, including Freedom of Information (FOI) intake, Privacy Impact
• Assessment (PIA) coordination, incident response, and compliance reporting, using structured process improvement approaches.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for internal university departments on privacy and access to information processes, triaging inquiries and requests and reducing demands on the Information and Privacy Officer and Senior Legal Counsel.
• Supports the Information and Privacy Officer in managing and tracking multiple concurrent files, projects, and statutory deadlines using structured project and task management methods.
• Identifies operational inefficiencies in privacy-related processes across academic and administrative units and proposes practical, scalable solutions.
• Supports the development and delivery of privacy awareness and Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) compliance training programs for university staff and faculty.

Compliance, Auditing & Reporting

• Conducts periodic privacy compliance audits across academic and administrative units, identifying gaps and recommending corrective measures.
• Maintains accurate and complete records of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA), privacy incidents, and other compliance activities.
• Compiles, analyzes, and presents compliance data for internal and external stakeholder reports, including the annual privacy and access to information report.
• Assists in the development and maintenance of privacy compliance documentation, policies, and procedures.

Other Duties

• Performs other duties within the professional scope and skill level of the position, in full compliance with applicable legislation, university policies, and collective agreements.

Qualifications

• College Diploma in Public Administration, Information Management, Law & Justice, Paralegal Studies, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Data Analytics or in a related field.
• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field is preferred.
• Three (3) to five (5) years of experience in privacy, access to information, regulatory compliance, process improvement, business analysis, or project coordination, preferably within the public or post-secondary sector.
• Experience working with FIPPA or equivalent provincial privacy and access to information legislation and/or strong process improvement or compliance background and demonstrated familiarity with privacy legislation.
• Certified Information Privacy Professional/Canada. International Association of Privacy Professionals. (IAPP: CIPP) or Foundations of Privacy.
• Google Cloud foundational certification.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skill with the ability to explain complex legislative and compliance concepts clearly to non-specialist audiences.
• Demonstrated problem-solving, attention to detail, and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Demonstrated project and task management skills, including the ability to manage multiple concurrent files, meet statutory deadlines, and coordinate effectively across diverse stakeholders.
• Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision, take initiative, and collaborate effectively within a team environment.
• Proven discretion and sound judgment when managing highly confidential business, financial, or personnel data.
• Familiarity with university governance and business processes is an asset.
• Experience conducting Privacy Impact Assessments, compliance audits, or similar structured risk evaluations.
• Experience with FIPPA or equivalent privacy and access to information legislation, with a strong willingness and capacity to deepen this expertise in a supported environment.
• Familiarity with privacy incident response processes and compliance documentation practices.
• Demonstrated ability to assess, document, and improve administrative or compliance workflows using structured process improvement approaches.
• Ability to analyze compliance data and present findings in clear, well-structured reports for internal and external audiences, including annual reporting.
• Ability to build collaborative working relationships with academic, administrative, and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work fluently, verbal and written, in both official languages, French and English is an asset.

Applications are being accepted to fill an active vacancy within the University.

***We are aware that some applicants are experiencing difficulty using our careers portal. Should you complete an application through our online form and receive an error, please submit your application to [e-mail]***

The official University hours of operation shall be from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, during, and including, the months from September to April, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m Monday through Friday during and including May to August., amounting to thirty-three and three-quarter (33.75) hours per week.

At Laurentian University, we recognize that work-life balance is essential for both personal well-being and professional success. Our policy offers employees some flexibility to better balance personal needs while maintaining effective service delivery.

Laurentian University is an inclusive and welcoming community committed to employment equity. Applications are encouraged from members of equity-seeking communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions. Laurentian University’s bilingualism policy provides a provision regarding the language requirement for persons self-identifying as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

Laurentian University is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact Human Resources for more information ([e-mail]).