Senior Associate / Partner - Data Protection

PT group; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private MedicalInsurance

28 days annual leave (plus public hols

Cycle to Work scheme

Bonus scheme

Life Assurance

Scottish Widows Pension Scheme

Electric vehicle scheme

Job summary

HCR is seeking a Senior Associate / Legal Director / Partner to join its Commercial team focused on data protection in the UK. The role offers a rare path to leadership, with scope to shape the practice, develop market profile and deepen client relationships.

You will advise on UK GDPR, PECR and related regulation, help design compliance frameworks and collaborate with the wider firm to grow a distinctive data protection offering.

Qualifications

• Senior Associate level or above with data protection expertise.
• Ability to translate complex regulation into practical advice.
• Comfort managing matters and client relationships.

Responsibilities

• Advise organisations on UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act, PECR and the evolving UK data protection framework.
• Help clients design and implement practical compliance frameworks, policies, procedures and governance arrangements.
• Advise on complex data-sharing arrangements, international transfers, data processing terms and the data protection aspects of commercial contracts.
• Support clients with data breaches, regulatory engagement, subject access requests and other individual rights issues.
• Provide commercially focused advice on the use of data in areas such as technology, digital services, marketing and business transformation.

Skills

Data protection

Privacy law

Client relationships

Leadership

Job description

Senior Associate / Legal Director / Partner – Data Protection

Commercial Team

We are looking for an experienced data protection lawyer to join our Commercial team at an important stage in its growth. This is a newly created role, driven by the volume and quality of work available in this specialist area and the opportunity to further develop the team’s data protection offering.

This is a key appointment which will see the team evolving their data protection work. Equally, for the right candidate it could offer a supported route into a wider leadership position in the team, working closely with the partnership group to develop your profile, client relationships and practice whether in data protection or more widely.

The opportunity

You will take a leading role in advising organisations on the practical, commercial and regulatory issues that arise from collecting, using, sharing and protecting data. Alongside delivering high-quality technical advice, you will have the freedom and support to shape the direction of the practice, build your own market profile and deepen relationships with clients across the firm.

This is an opportunity for an ambitious specialist who wants more than a conventional fee-earning role. You will join a substantial Commercial team with access to a broad client base and colleagues across complementary disciplines, giving you a strong platform from which to grow a distinctive data protection practice.

What you will do

• Advise organisations on UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act, PECR and the evolving UK data protection framework.
• Help clients design and implement practical compliance frameworks, policies, procedures and governance arrangements.
• Advise on complex data-sharing arrangements, international transfers, data processing terms and the data protection aspects of commercial contracts.
• Support clients with data breaches, regulatory engagement, subject access requests and other individual rights issues.
• Provide commercially focused advice on the use of data in areas such as technology, digital services, marketing, AI and business transformation.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across Commercial and the wider firm on matters involving corporate transactions, employment, healthcare, technology and other data-rich areas.
• Develop existing client relationships, identify new opportunities and contribute to thought leadership, training and business development.
• Help shape the future of the data protection practice, with the opportunity to lead and grow the offering over time.

About You

• You will be an experienced lawyer operating at Senior Associate level or above, with strong expertise in data protection and privacy law.
• You will combine excellent technical knowledge with sound commercial judgement and the ability to translate complex regulation into clear, practical advice.
• You will be confident managing matters and client relationships, while knowing when to draw on the wider expertise of the team.
• You will have a genuine interest in building a practice, developing new opportunities and raising your profile in the market.
• You will be collaborative, approachable and motivated by the chance to help shape a growing specialist offering.

Why join us?

You will have access to high-quality work from organisations of different sizes and sectors, from growing businesses to larger national and international clients. Our approach is pragmatic and commercially minded: we get to know each client’s business and provide advice that helps them use data confidently while managing legal and reputational risk.

You will be given the autonomy to develop your own ideas and relationships, backed by the support, reach and cross-team opportunities of the wider firm. Whether you are ready to step into a leadership role now or want a clear pathway towards leading the data protection offering, we will support you to build a practice with real visibility and long-term potential.

Benefits of working with us:

• Income
• Protection
• Private MedicalInsurance
• Sight tests / Glasses discounts
• Bonus scheme
• Electric vehicle scheme
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme
• 28 days annual leave (plus public holidays)
• Happy People / Perks at Work benefits portal
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Life Assurance
• 1/3 gym membership contribution
• Flu vaccinations

About Us

Is HCR the smart move for you? HCR suits people who love a challenge and want to work in an environment where careers thrive on the back of hard work and personal merit. Our people enjoy feeling part of something bigger than themselves, and whilst our clients drive our development, it is our people who bring their energy, enthusiasm, and entrepreneurial mindsets together to solve problems and help our clients succeed.

Why HCR people love their jobs

Our people tell us they enjoy working on good quality, interesting matters from a wide variety of our clients, because they get the experience they want to develop their careers. We will give you responsibility early, the mandate to make things happen and we’ll back your good ideas. Our “Passion for People” lives and breathes every day throughout the firm as our peoples’ energy and sense of fun create a warm environment in which to thrive.

What career progression will HCR offer you?

HCR’s growth constantly creates opportunities for people who want to go places and make a difference, your career plan can become part of our growth plan. At HCR you can expect to work with friendly, energetic, ambitious people, who love getting stuck into a client problem, and enjoy celebrating a good outcome. Our people value the sense of community provided by the individual personality of each office and the collegiate approach across all our service and sector teams.

What does HCR believe, achieve and stand for?

As a Times Best Law firm, among the UK Top 50, we provide the full range of services that you would expect to organisations, business leaders and individuals. However, in our mission to give everyone the opportunity to experience a different kind of legal service we take an entrepreneurial approach. We’re flexible and responsive to the needs of our clients, delivering the best outcomes for them. We have more than 1000 lawyers and support staff, including more than 180 partners, and have been awarded the Law Society’s Lexcel quality mark in recognition of our compliance and client care standards.

With 13 offices in England and Wales our well-established presence stretches from west to east, ensuring clients can access a full-service legal offering no matter where they’re located. We’ve expanded significantly across all our regions, and are well-respected as a regional firm with a strong London and international presence.

With solid connections in the communities we work in, and a track record of delivering legal advice to businesses and individuals throughout the areas we base ourselves in, our clients continue to value our approach to providing legal advice, in the way they need, when they need it.

As HCR is an equal opportunities employer, we don’t just accept differences, we celebrate them. We want to attract a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and skills to create a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and which works together to achieve the best outcome for our clients. We are privileged to be an armed forces-friendly organisation.

We also want you to achieve your absolute best during the recruitment process. Please let us know of any changes we can make at any point that will help support your application.

A note for recruitment agencies – The HCR Resourcing Team is responsible for recruitment across the firm, and where possible will use direct hiring methods. We do work with a Preferred Supplier List, and where appropriate, we will release vacancies to those agencies who we deem most appropriate to support us. Only those agencies will be invited to submit candidates via our recruitment portal. Any speculative or unsolicited CVs sent to any employee or Partner of HCR will not be considered an introduction, and no fees will be applicable. Furthermore, we retain the right to pursue these candidates without query of ownership