Senior Data Protection Advisor - 12 Month FTC (5678)

Irwin Mitchell LLP; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading national law firm in the UK is seeking a Senior Data Protection Advisor to provide essential strategic advice on privacy and compliance. The ideal candidate will be an expert in UK data protection legislation and will play a pivotal role in shaping policies and guiding the business through complex regulatory landscapes. This is a unique opportunity to lead change and drive continuous improvement within the organization, while mentoring team members and supporting their development.

Benefits

25 days holidays plus bank holidays

Generous and flexible pension schemes

Two paid volunteering days annually

Westfield Health membership

Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of UK data protection legislation and ICO requirements.
• Proven experience in a specialist data protection role within a large organization.
• Strong background in compliance or in-house legal functions.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice on ICO investigations and data breaches.
• Lead strategic improvements to data protection policies and procedures.
• Conduct horizon scanning for regulatory changes.

Skills

UK data protection legislation

Stakeholder engagement

Excellent communication

Influencing change

Tools

ISO 27001

AI tools

Data analytics

Job description

We’re a national law firm with a local reach. Our legal experts are here for you. Whether it’s personal or business, we understand that everyone’s situation is different. But we’re more than just a law firm – we’re a team of people working together to help individuals and businesses navigate life’s ups and downs. Working here you’ll feel a part of our friendly and inclusive environment.

We’ll value you for who you are and what you bring. We support each other and push boundaries to achieve incredible things and make a real difference to our clients and communities.

We're always looking to support our colleagues to work in a way that works best for them and everyone else, including our clients, the business and the regulators. Please speak to a member of our Recruitment and Onboarding team for more information.

Your Role and What You'll Be Doing

Are you a data protection expert ready to lead, influence, and make a real impact? We're looking for a Senior Data Protection Advisor to be the go-to specialist on all things privacy and compliance. In this pivotal role, you'll provide strategic advice, shape policy, and guide the business through complex regulatory landscapes.

• Be a trusted advisor across the firm in all aspects of data protection
• Support large-scale change and transformation programmes
• Act as a key data protection subject matter expert across technical change and transformation project lifecycles
• Liaise directly with regulators and senior stakeholders, both internally and externally
• Drive continuous improvement and embed best practice
• Mentor and support team members, helping build resilience and capability within the team

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide expert advice on ICO investigations, data breaches, and individual rights requests
• Lead strategic improvements to data protection policies and procedures
• Conduct horizon scanning for regulatory changes and ensure proactive action
• Present trends and recommendations at senior management meetings
• Supervise team members and support their technical development
• Lead technical input on projects and implement process improvements
• Draft reports and deliver training across the business
• Act as a senior point of contact for complex queries and escalations
• Promote a commercial, risk-based approach to compliance
• Contribute to GCT KPIs and demonstrate Irwin Mitchell’s values daily

About You

Key Experience Required:

• Extensive knowledge of UK data protection legislation and ICO requirements
• Proven experience in a specialist data protection role within a large, consumer-focused organisation
• Strong background in compliance or in-house legal functions
• Excellent communication, drafting, and stakeholder engagement skills
• Ability to present to senior managers and influence change
• Experience with regulatory horizon scanning and risk-based decision making
• Demonstrated experience supporting technical change and transformation programmes, acting as a key data protection subject matter expert across project lifecycles
• Desirable: Familiarity with ISO 27001, AI tools, and data analytics

Our Benefits - What We Can Offer You

• 25 days holidays as standard plus bank holidays - You can ‘buy’ up to 35hrs of extra holiday too.
• Generous and flexible pension schemes.
• Volunteering days – Two days of volunteering every year for a cause of your choice (fully paid)
• Westfield Health membership, offering refunds on medical services alongside our Aviva Digital GP services. #LI-Remote

We also offer a wide range of well-being initiatives to encourage positive mental health both in and out of the workplace and to make sure you’re fully supported.This includes our Flexible by Choice programme which gives our colleagues more choice over a hybrid way of working subject to role, team and client requirements.

We have been ranked in the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing for Large Organisations for 2024!

Our responsible business programmes are fundamental to who we are and our purpose. We’re committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace where our colleagues can flourish, and we have established a number of inclusion network groups across our business to support this aim.

Our commitment to Social Responsibility, community investment activity and tackling climate change is a fundamental part of who we are. It’s made up of four strands: Our People, Our Community, Our Environment and Our Pro Bono.

Additional Information

As part of the Irwin Mitchell Group’s on-boarding process all successful applicants are required to complete the group’s employment screening process. This process helps to ensure that all new employees meet our standards in relation to honesty and integrity therefore protecting the interests of the Group, colleagues, clients, partners and other stakeholders.

We carry out pre employment screening to establish your eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record and financial checks with our trusted 3rd parties.

The employment screening process will fully comply with Data Protection and other applicable laws.

Irwin Mitchell LLP is an equal opportunity employer.

We're proud of our values, and we're looking for people who share them

Regulatory & Compliance - Data Protection

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