Specialist, Privacy

uottawa; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 77,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Ottawa is seeking a Specialist, Privacy to support the privacy management program by providing applied privacy analysis, advice, and coordination across initiatives. The role independently manages PIAs and privacy breach processes, working with academic and administrative units to ensure compliance with privacy laws, policies, and practices.

The position requires a university degree in law/public administration or related field, 3+ years of privacy experience, bilingualism (French

Qualifications

• Minimum 3+ years of privacy, information security, and/or risk management experience.
• Bilingualism - French and English (spoken and written).
• Privacy-related certification (CIPP/C, CIPM) preferred.
• Strong knowledge of FIPPA and privacy legislation and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Provides applied privacy advice to faculties and units on privacy laws and policies to support compliant decisions.
• Conducts Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) for new or modified initiatives and documents risks and mitigations.
• Maintains privacy policies, standards, and guidance to keep the framework current and compliant.
• Collaborates with IT, procurement, legal, researchers, and admins to embed privacy in systems and projects.
• Coordinates privacy incidents, complaints, and investigations, escalating high-risk matters as needed.
• Prepares correspondence and reports to communicate privacy issues to internal and external stakeholders.
• Prepares annual privacy breach statistics for reporting obligations to the IPC of Ontario under FIPPA and PHIPA.
• Assists with privacy training programs for university employees.

Skills

Privacy knowledge

Bilingual English/French

Policy interpretation

Education

Law / Public Administration degree

Information management background

Job description

Position Purpose

The Specialist, Privacy contributes to the delivery and ongoing operation of the University's privacy management program by providing applied privacy analysis, advice, and coordination across a range of initiatives and activities. The position plays a substantive role in identifying, assessing, and documenting privacy considerations related to the collection, use, disclosure, retention, and protection of personal information.

The role independently manages assigned privacy files, including Privacy Impact Assessments and privacy breach and complaint processes, and works directly with academic and administrative units to support compliance with applicable privacy legislation, institutional policies, and established practices.

Responsibilities

• Provides applied privacy advice to University's faculties and administrative units on the interpretation and application of privacy legislation, institutional policies, and established best practices under the direction of the Chief Privacy Officer and Legal Counsel in order to support informed, legally sound decision-making across the institution and reduce the risk of non-compliance.
• Conducts and coordinates Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) for new or significantly modified initiatives, systems, services, or data-sharing arrangements within established frameworks; documents privacy risks, tracks mitigation measures, and prepares recommendations for review so that privacy risks are identified and addressed proactively before initiatives are implemented, minimizing exposure to breaches and regulatory non-compliance.
• Contributes to the development, review, and maintenance of University's privacy policies, standards, procedures, and guidance materials to ensure that the privacy framework remains current, consistent, and aligned with legislative requirements and evolving best practices.
• Works collaboratively with IT, procurement, legal, members of the research community, and administrative stakeholders to ensure privacy requirements and considerations are addressed and are embedded consistently across university systems, contracts, and projects from the outset rather than addressed retroactively.
• Coordinates and supports the management of privacy incidents, complaints, and internal investigations, including intake, assessment, documentation, mitigation activities, and follow-up, escalating complex or high-risk matters as required to ensure privacy incidents are resolved effectively and consistently, limiting harm to affected individuals and the University's liability.
• Prepares draft correspondence and reports related to privacy matters to support timely, accurate, and consistent communication on privacy issues with internal and external stakeholders.
• Prepare the annual statistical report for privacy breaches to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario required under FIPPA and PHIPA, and other reports as directed by the Chief Privacy Officer to fulfill the University’s statutory reporting obligations and maintain transparency and accountability with the regulator.
• Assist with the development and delivery of training programs, materials, and presentations for university employees to build employee awareness of applicable privacy legislation and institutional policies and support consistent compliance across the University.
• Assist with special projects, including participation on special committees and support the response to access to information requests, as directed by the Chief Privacy Officer and Legal Counsel, to contribute privacy expertise to institutional initiatives and ensure the University meets its access-to-information obligations.

What you will bring

• University degree in law, public administration, information management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum 3+ years of privacy, information security, and/or risk management experience.
• Bilingualism - French and English (spoken and written).
• Privacy-related certification is preferred, including Certified Information Privacy Professional/Canada (CIPP/C), Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM), or other similar credentials.
• In-depth knowledge of FIPPA and privacy and access to information legislation related access to information and privacy regulation and procedures.
• In-depth knowledge of the University's policies and procedures related to access to informatio

Job Details

• Job Type: Employee
• Hours per week: 35
• Salary Grade: Non-Union Grade NC6 - 35 hrs
• Salary Range: $76 882,00 - $96 103,00
• Campus: Main Campus
• Union Affiliation: N/A
• Date Posted (YYYY/MM/DD): 2026/08/17
• Applications must be received BEFORE (YYYY/MM/DD): 2026/08/31