Data Protection Officer

Red Kite Community Housing; High Wycombe; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Red Kite Community Housing is seeking a Data Protection Specialist to maintain and update required data protection records, lead compliance activities, and support the organisation's data governance program. You will develop policies, oversee RoPA mapping, and embed processes to ensure ongoing regulatory alignment.

You will also lead staff training, evaluate software to enhance compliance, and manage end-to-end SAR processes, data retention, sharing agreements, and STAIRS activities from Oct

Qualifications

• Experience leading data protection programs and governance.
• Strong knowledge of RoPA (Records of Processing Activities).
• Experience handling Subject Access Requests (SAR) and data breach processes.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and update data protection records across the organisation.
• Develop and embed policies, procedures and assessments.
• Lead data protection training and workshops for staff.
• Identify and implement software solutions to improve compliance and efficiency.
• Ensure a robust legal basis for processing and address retention/erasure requirements.
• Manage SAR process end-to-end and oversee data sharing agreements.
• Oversee STAIRS processes from October 2026 and coordinate with Internal Audit.

Skills

Data protection

Privacy by design

Data privacy law

Job description

This role is responsible for maintaining and updating legally required data protection records across the organisation and leading key compliance processes, including data breaches, Subject Access Requests, and STAIRS. You will develop and embed data protection policies, procedures and assessments, while working closely with the Senior Leadership Team to support the Record of Processing Activities (RoPA) data mapping exercise and establish a sustainable process to keep it updated. You will also review and deliver training, including regular in-house workshops, and identify software solutions that improve both efficiency and compliance.

Working across the business, you will ensure that an appropriate legal basis for processing data is clearly identified and applied, and collaborate with the Data Governance team to address data retention issues, putting in place robust and well-documented erasure processes. You will work with the Internal Audit Senior Specialist to develop periodic checks to test and verify that data is processed, stored and deleted in line with requirements. In addition, you will manage the Subject Access Request process end-to-end, support the identification of a suitable SAR system, review and advise on data sharing agreements, and take responsibility for managing the STAIRS process and procedures from October 2026.