Data Protection Associate

Michael Page (UK); Welwyn Garden City; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment firm is seeking a Data Protection Associate to support GDPR compliance across EMEA operations. This role involves managing privacy assessments, responding to data incidents, and providing training. Candidates should have 3-5 years' experience in data protection and familiarity with GDPR and related regulations. This is a permanent position based in Hertfordshire, offering a competitive salary up to £62,000 and hybrid working options.

Benefits

Competitive salary up to £62,000

Discretionary annual bonus

Professional working environment

Hybrid working model

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in data protection and privacy compliance.
• Strong working knowledge of GDPR, UK GDPR, and the UK Data Protection Act.
• Familiarity with global data protection laws is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support EMEA Data Protection Officer and Manager in GDPR compliance.
• Manage privacy assessments and lead data protection reviews.
• Provide training sessions on privacy matters.
• Respond to data incidents and perform risk assessments.

Skills

Experience in data protection and privacy compliance

Knowledge of GDPR and UK GDPR

Experience with privacy online platforms (OneTrust)

Understanding of AI regulations

Experience in pharmaceutical/life sciences sector

Tools

OneTrust

Job description

• Join a leading pharmaceutical business, in a supportive Data Protection team
• Reporting to the Data Protection Manager, this is a broad EMEA focused role

About Our Client

Join a research based pharmaceutical business with a global presence. This Data Protection Associate joins an EMEA compliance team, supporting the DPO and Data Protection Manager. This role is based in Hertfordshire.

Job Description

This Data Protection Associate role involves: Support the EMEA Data Protection Officer (DPO) & EMEA Data Protection Manager (DPM) in ensuring that operations across the EMEA region, as well as other entities outside the UK/EU, comply with the GDPR and all relevant local data protection laws. This role plays a key part in maintaining the company's commitment to privacy, regulatory compliance, and ethical data handling.

• Manage Privacy Assessments - Create and maintain assessment templates in OneTrust. You will be the main point of contact for assessments and lead all data protection reviews such as Service Assessments, DPIAs, AI Impact Assessments, Legitimate Interest Assessments, Vendor Assessments, and Transfer Impact Assessments.
• Helpdesk Management - Oversee the EMEA privacy helpdesk, respond to queries promptly, and expedite complex issues to DPM or DPO when necessary.
• Maintain Data Registers - Ensure records of processing activities are accurate and compliant with GDPR Article 30.
• Compliance Reviews - Assist DPM and DPO with conducting regular reviews of business data processing activities, provide actionable recommendations, and identify areas for improvement.
• Training & Awareness - Design and deliver engaging training sessions tailored to different teams to foster a strong privacy culture.
• Incident & Breach Management - Respond to data incidents and breaches, perform risk assessments, and escalated appropriately.
• Policy, SOP and Working Instruction Updates - Keep privacy policies, SOPs and templates up to date with evolving legal and regulatory requirements and ensuring revisions to these documents are mirrored in the team's Working Instructions.
• Support & Advice - Act as an advisor, offering practical guidance on privacy matters and helping teams navigate complex regulations.
• Data Subject Requests - Ensure timely and compliant handling of requests such as access, deletion, and consent withdrawal.
• Stay Ahead of the Curve - Monitor local and global privacy law developments and implement best practices to maintain compliance and efficiency.
• Team Collaboration - Actively contribute to team projects and process improvements to enhance compliance and operational effectiveness.
• Other Tasks - Support additional team activities and responsibilities as needed.

The Successful Applicant

A successful Data Protection Associate should have:

• 3-5 years* of experience in data protection and privacy compliance role (* given as guidance only, candidates with more or less experience that meet the technical requirements of the role will also be considered)
• Strong working knowledge of GDPR, UK GDPR, and the UK Data Protection Act, with hands-on experience applying these regulations in a business setting.
• Experience using data privacy online platform (OneTrust would be preferred but not essential), including creating and updating privacy assessments and templates.
• Understanding of AI regulations and AI Governance, especially the EU AI Act, and how AI impacts personal data processing.
• Previous experience in a data protection or privacy role-ideally within the pharmaceutical or life sciences sector.
• Familiarity with other global data protection laws (e.g. Saudi Arabia, Israel) is a plus, but not essential.
• Practical Experience in Privacy Operations
• You should be able to demonstrate experience in one or more of the following:
• vendor and third-party privacy assessments
• data protection compliance reviews
• data protection impact assessments (DPIAs)
• legitimate interest assessments (LIAs)
• transfer impact assessments (TIAs)
• AI Impact Assessments (AIIAs)

What's on Offer

• A competitive salary ranging up to £62,000
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Permanent position based in Hertfordshire
• Hybrid working (3 days a week in the office)
• A supportive and professional working environment.

If you are ready to take the next step in your career as a Data Protection Associate, we encourage you to apply today.