Director and Associate General Counsel - Data Protection Team Lead

Meta; Greater London; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology company seeks a Senior Legal Leader to manage data protection and privacy compliance for their EU Data Legal team. Responsibilities include leading lawyers in managing privacy governance, responding to regulatory inquiries, and overseeing legal advisory workstreams. The ideal candidate will have over a decade of relevant legal experience, strong team leadership skills, and a deep understanding of cross-jurisdictional compliance. This role presents an opportunity to shape data governance initiatives in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of post-qualification legal experience in data protection law.
• Experience managing teams of legal professionals.
• Proven capability in regulatory inquiries response.

Responsibilities

• Manage privacy governance programs for Meta companies in Europe.
• Lead improvements in processes and accountability documentation.
• Direct legal advisory workstreams related to Meta employees' personal data.

Skills

Privacy governance management

Data protection expertise

People management

Cross-jurisdictional legal programs

Process improvement

Regulatory compliance

Education

Law degree or equivalent

Qualified solicitor/barrister in EU or UK

Job description

Summary

We are looking for a senior-level legal leader within the EU Data Legal team. The person will lead a team of lawyers and compliance professionals responsible for advising on EU, UK, and US data protection and privacy compliance, enabling Meta’s products and services to align with our global regulatory obligations. This leader will be responsible for a portfolio that includes HR/employee data, data governance advice, incident response, contractual arrangements for data under commercial services agreements, data sharing and international data transfers, and strategic program management. This role requires developing a team of legal professionals and establishing key partnerships with cross-functional teams to effectively manage multi-jurisdictional legal and compliance risks. The ideal person will have proven data protection expertise, deep people management experience, including organisational strategy and design, be self‑motivated, and have a collaborative and positive attitude.

Required Skills

Director & Associate General Counsel – Data Protection Team Lead Responsibilities:

1. Manage the privacy governance programs to support Meta group companies that offer services in the European region.

2. Lead and direct improvements in processes and accountability documentation to address evolving legal requirements in a scalable and efficient way.

3. Maintain a robust system and dedicated staffing for reporting relevant data security incidents across the EU and the UK.

4. Lead on responses to regulatory enquiries from EU and UK regulators on data security incidents, requiring experienced senior judgment.

5. Manage and direct legal advisory workstreams related to the personal data of Meta employees and contingent workers under EU, UK, and US law.

6. Direct strategic programs for managing commercial contracts related to data use and data sharing, including driving efficiency initiatives like templatised contracts and the use of novel AI solutions.

7. Manage a dedicated project management function to support the EU Data Legal team, driving initiatives to scale workflows and reduce lawyer time on non‑legal tasks.

8. Drive initiatives to share best practices in scale and efficiency to other EU legal teams.

9. Ensure consistency and quality of legal advice provided by the team across all workstreams.

10. Exercise excellent people skills, be a team player with a bias to action, and be motivated by the opportunity to solve complex, high‑risk, multi‑jurisdictional compliance matters.

11. Lead and direct a team of full‑time lawyers and compliance professionals, managing their career development and fostering an environment of high performance.

12. Manage a contingent workforce and a significant external budget for business services and external counsel spend.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Meta requires all employed attorneys to have a law degree or equivalent certificate to permit the practice of law and be appropriately licensed and authorized to practice law for the company in their assigned work location. Unless prohibited under local law, an attorney must hold a current practicing certificate (including where required from the relevant authority in the jurisdiction of the assigned work location) or the local law equivalent bar registration or license as may be applicable.
2. Solicitor or barrister (qualified to practice law in at least one EU jurisdiction or the UK). 10+ years of relevant post‑qualification legal experience in data protection law, including EU/UK and, ideally, US regime and experience of managing teams of legal professionals.
3. Proven experience in designing, building, and executing complex, cross‑jurisdictional legal programs in a fast‑paced environment, ideally with tech industry experience.
4. Experience in complex multi‑jurisdictional incident response, including leading on responses to regulatory inquiries from EU and UK regulators.
5. Demonstrated strategic leadership in areas such as continuous process improvement, AI adoption, and efficient resource management.
6. Demonstrated ability to make and defend difficult and sensitive judgment calls on precedent‑setting legal and compliance positions.
7. Demonstrated ability to consult and coordinate with cross‑functional partners to drive systemic, cross‑functional change.

Industry

Internet