Director, Data Protection & Privacy (Individual Contributor)

Confidential; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential in the United States seeks a Director of Data Protection & Privacy to lead enterprise-wide privacy programs, frameworks, and governance. You will drive global privacy initiatives, partner with Legal, IT, and business leadership, and oversee risk assessments, training, third-party privacy, and AI governance to ensure compliant operations across technology environments.

The role requires 10+ years of privacy experience, including multinational exposure, and the ability to translate

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• 10+ years of relevant professional experience, including 5-7 years in a privacy role with a multinational organization.
• Experience in SaaS, cloud software, or another similar technology environment with customer-facing privacy, security, compliance, or trust responsibilities.
• Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, and overseeing enterprise-wide privacy programs, risk assessments, policies, training, privacy by design, and translating regulatory requirements into practical processes for technology and business teams.
• Experience leading SOC 2 Type II readiness and audit activities, including coordination with independent third-party assessors, evidence management, control-owner follow-up, audit response, remediation tracking, and continuous compliance monitoring.
• Deep knowledge of applicable federal, state, and international privacy laws, regulatory requirements, industry standards, and privacy practices, including sector-specific privacy requirements and emerging AI governance and privacy expectations.
• Experience leveraging AI responsibly to improve privacy processes and outcomes.
• Ability to provide guidance across the organization, exercise independent judgment, establish procedures and guidelines, and partner effectively with Legal, Information Security, and business leadership.

Responsibilities

• Assess, continuously improve, and oversee the organization's enterprise-wide global privacy program, including the program roadmap and priorities, privacy risk assessments, and the design and operationalization of privacy policies, standards, procedures, and guidelines.
• Partner across Legal, Technology, Information Security, and business stakeholders on all aspects of the privacy program, translating privacy requirements into practical guidance that supports risk-based decisions and consistent implementation.
• Develop and deliver privacy training and awareness programs across the organization, ensuring the team remains current on evolving obligations and best practices.
• Maintain privacy management tools and records and oversee third-party privacy and related service providers.
• Monitor applicable privacy laws, regulatory requirements, industry standards, and emerging AI governance developments and translate relevant changes into clear guidance, processes, and training.
• Partner with business unit leaders and Legal to assess and manage privacy risks associated with the collection, protection, transfer, use, and retention of regulated data.
• Recommend contractual, operational, and technical safeguards that minimize privacy compliance risk.
• Provide privacy subject-matter input on RFPs and vendor and customer agreements involving regulated data, including data-processing terms and privacy requirements.
• Support incident assessment, communications, regulatory analysis, remediation, and post-incident recommendations.
• Use AI, automation, templates, and exception-based review to minimize repetitive work.
• Lead the vendor privacy compliance program, including due diligence, risk assessments, compliance with privacy-related contractual requirements, and ongoing monitoring of third-party service providers.
• Lead the organization's internal SOC 2 Type II compliance and audit-readiness program. Coordinate readiness planning and control-owner responsibilities; oversee evidence collection, auditor requests, findings, remediation, and continuous monitoring to help ensure business operations and security programs continue to meet SOC 2 requirements.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Privacy program management

Cross-functional collaboration

Executive communication

Risk assessment

AI governance awareness

Vendor management

Auditing readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

Privacy platforms

Job description

The Director, Data Protection & Privacy will develop, coordinate, and maintain strategic and enterprise-wide programs, frameworks, and governance structures for privacy and compliance. This role provides strategic leadership for the organization's global privacy and data protection program in a technology environment. The Data Protection & Privacy Director serves as a trusted internal- and external-facing advisor, communicates with clarity and executive presence, translates complex requirements into practical guidance, and builds effective partnerships across Legal, Information Security, Product, Engineering, and business leadership. The Director also oversees privacy governance, risk assessments, training, data subject rights processes, third-party privacy risk, incident response and regulatory coordination, and customer-assurance activities. Success in this role requires sound judgment, clear communication, executive presence, and the ability to influence across functions without relying on formal authority.

Responsibilities

• Assess, continuously improve, and oversee the organization's enterprise-wide global privacy program, including the program roadmap and priorities, privacy risk assessments, and the design and operationalization of privacy policies, standards, procedures, and guidelines.
• Partner across Legal, Technology, Information Security, and business stakeholders on all aspects of the privacy program, translating privacy requirements into practical guidance that supports risk-based decisions and consistent implementation.
• Develop and deliver privacy training and awareness programs across the organization, ensuring the team remains current on evolving obligations and best practices.
• Maintain privacy management tools and records and oversee third-party privacy and related service providers.
• Monitor applicable privacy laws, regulatory requirements, industry standards, and emerging AI governance developments and translate relevant changes into clear guidance, processes, and training.
• Partner with business unit leaders and Legal to assess and manage privacy risks associated with the collection, protection, transfer, use, and retention of regulated data.
• Recommend contractual, operational, and technical safeguards that minimize privacy compliance risk.
• Provide privacy subject-matter input on RFPs and vendor and customer agreements involving regulated data, including data-processing terms and privacy requirements.
• Support incident assessment, communications, regulatory analysis, remediation, and post-incident recommendations.
• Use AI, automation, templates, and exception-based review to minimize repetitive work.
• Lead the vendor privacy compliance program, including due diligence, risk assessments, compliance with privacy-related contractual requirements, and ongoing monitoring of third-party service providers.
• Lead the organization's internal SOC 2 Type II compliance and audit-readiness program. Coordinate readiness planning and control-owner responsibilities; oversee evidence collection, auditor requests, findings, remediation, and continuous monitoring to help ensure business operations and security programs continue to meet SOC 2 requirements.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• 10+ years of relevant professional experience, including 5-7 years of experience in a privacy role with a multinational organization. Experience in legal, compliance, and/or information security is preferred.
• Experience in SaaS, cloud software, or another similar technology environment with customer-facing privacy, security, compliance, or trust responsibilities.
• Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, and overseeing enterprise-wide privacy programs, risk assessments, policies, training, privacy by design, and translating regulatory requirements into practical processes for technology and business teams.
• Experience leading SOC 2 Type II readiness and audit activities, including coordination with independent third-party assessors, evidence management, control-owner follow-up, audit response, remediation tracking, and continuous compliance monitoring.
• Deep knowledge of applicable federal, state, and international privacy laws, regulatory requirements, industry standards, and privacy practices, including sector-specific privacy requirements and emerging AI governance and privacy expectations.
• Experience leveraging AI responsibly to improve privacy processes and outcomes.
• Ability to provide guidance across the organization, exercise independent judgment, establish procedures and guidelines, and partner effectively with Legal, Information Security, and business leadership.
• Proficiency with privacy management platforms and other technology tools, with the ability to maintain accurate records, organize evidence, and create clear documentation to support audits, customer diligence, and executive review.
• Strong presentation, written, and verbal communication skills, with the executive presence and adaptability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical audiences, customers, auditors, regulators, and senior leaders.
• Demonstrated thought leadership and ability to influence without relying solely on formal authority, build cross-functional alignment, and turn complex legal, regulatory, privacy, and security requirements into practical business actions.