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Function: Delivery Excellence, Quality and Risk Management at GDS consulting
Job level: Associate Director / Senior Manager
Role Summary
The Contract Risk Lead is responsible for assessing, governing, and monitoring contractual, regulatory, privacy, security, operational, AI, and delivery risks associated with GDS-supported engagements. The role ensures that contract obligations, regulatory requirements, client-specific commitments, and internal risk policies are understood, operationalized, and continuously monitored throughout the engagement lifecycle.
The individual will partner with Legal, Quality & Risk Management, Data Privacy, Information Security, Delivery Excellence, ODC, AI Governance, and Engagement teams to proactively identify risks, provide mitigation guidance, and support predictable, compliant delivery.
Key Responsibilities
- Review Statements of Work (SOWs), MSAs, Change Requests, Service Agreements, and subcontractor agreements.
- Identify contractual obligations that may impact delivery, security, privacy, staffing, geography, subcontracting, hosting, AI usage, or operational processes.
- Translate contractual requirements into actionable delivery controls and compliance obligations.
- Maintain a repository of contract risk clauses, deviations, exceptions, and mitigation actions.
- Provide risk sign-offs and recommendations for complex or high-risk engagements.
Data Privacy & Regulatory Compliance
- Assess contracts for privacy and data protection obligations.
- Evaluate applicability of:
- GDPR
- UK GDPR
- EU AI Act
- Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA)
- Local country privacy regulations
- Sector-specific regulations (Financial Services, Healthcare, Public Sector, etc.)
- Ensure compliance requirements are incorporated into delivery plans.
- Support privacy impact assessments and data processing reviews.
- Review cross-border data transfer requirements and restrictions.
- Assess contractual requirements related to AI, GenAI, Machine Learning, Automation, and Data Usage.
- Identify AI-related obligations including:
- Transparency requirements
- Model governance requirements
- Human oversight requirements
- Data governance obligations
- AI security controls
- AI auditability requirements
- Partner with AI governance teams to assess compliance with emerging AI regulations and client mandates.
- Review third-party AI tool usage and associated contractual restrictions.
Information Security & Data Protection
- Evaluate engagement compliance with:
- Information Security policies
- Client security requirements
- Data handling obligations
- Encryption standards
- Access management requirements
- Incident reporting obligations
- Validate alignment with privacy, security, and confidentiality commitments.
- Participate in security reviews, spot audits, and compliance assessments
ODC Governance & Audit Readiness
- Review contractual clauses governing Offshore Delivery Centers (ODCs).
- Support ODC setup governance and compliance validation.
- Ensure contractual commitments are reflected in ODC operational controls.
- Participate in ODC readiness reviews and audits.
- Drive audit remediation and closure of identified findings.
Delivery & Operational Risk Management
- Assess delivery risks arising from:
- Resource location restrictions
- Client-specific delivery controls
- Segregation requirements
- Staffing commitments
- Subcontractor usage
- Service-level obligations
- Transition and transformation commitments
- Work with Delivery Excellence teams to ensure contractual obligations are reflected in project governance.
- Identify risks early and recommend preventive actions.
Compliance Monitoring & Assurance
- Monitor compliance throughout the engagement lifecycle.
- Perform periodic reviews of:
- Contractual compliance
- Data privacy compliance
- Security compliance
- AI compliance
- ODC compliance
- Support internal and external audits.
- Track remediation plans and risk closure.
Stakeholder Management
- Partner with:
- Legal
- Quality & Risk Management
- Data Privacy Officers
- Information Security Teams
- Delivery Excellence Teams
- Client Service Teams
- Engagement Leaders
- Serve as trusted advisor for contract risk interpretation and mitigation.
- Present risk assessments and recommendations to leadership forums.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's degree required.
- Master's degree, Law degree, or Risk/Compliance qualification preferred.
Experience
- 10-15 years of relevant experience in:
- Contract management
- Risk management
- Data privacy
- Regulatory compliance
- Information security governance
- Consulting or professional services environments
Preferred Certifications
- CIPP/E, CIPM, CIPT
- CRISC
- CISA
- CISSP
- AI Governance / Responsible AI certifications
Critical Skills
- Contract interpretation
- Regulatory analysis
- Negotiation support
- Compliance assessments
- Audit management
Data Privacy & Security
- GDPR
- Privacy-by-design
- Cybersecurity controls
- Data classification and handling
AI Governance
Business & Leadership
- Executive communication
- Ability to translate legal and regulatory requirements into practical delivery controls
Success Measures (KPIs)
- High-risk contracts reviewed before delivery initiation.
- Reduction in contract-related escalations and compliance breaches.
- Timely closure of audit and compliance findings.
- Zero material privacy/security violations attributable to contractual non-compliance.
- AI compliance assessments completed for applicable engagements.
- Percentage of high-risk engagements covered by proactive contract risk reviews.
- Leadership satisfaction with risk advisory support.
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