Privacy Officer and Project Manager

Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED); Rootstown Township (OH); Hybrid; USD 81,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Educational benefits with partner Univ

Lean Six Sigma certification

Employee wellness programs

Job summary

NEOMED seeks a Privacy Officer and Project Manager to lead privacy, data governance, compliance, and operational improvements.

This role coordinates stakeholders, timelines, resources, and risk mitigation, serving as the central privacy resource for policies and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5 years of project management experience.
• Minimum 2 years of privacy, compliance, risk management, or related experience.
• Experience with privacy and data protection requirements such as HIPAA and FERPA.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage cross-functional privacy and project management initiatives.
• Develop project plans, timelines, milestones, budgets, and resource needs.
• Coordinate activities across multiple departments and stakeholders.
• Monitor progress, identify risks, and adjust plans to maintain timelines.
• Prepare reports and executive-level briefings on privacy and project status.
• Maintain documentation related to privacy assessments, policies, training, incidents, and corrective actions.

Skills

Project management

Privacy & compliance

Risk management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, IT, Healthcare Administration, Public Administration, or related field

Job description

Department Specific Information

NEOMED is a mission-driven, community-based medical university committed to educating health professionals, advancing discovery, and improving the health of our region.

We are seeking a Privacy Officer and Project Manager who wants to contribute to meaningful work in a collaborative academic environment.

Position Type: Admin/Professional

Department: Information Technology

Full or Part Time: Full Time

Pay Grade: MN12

Starting Salary Range: $80,635 – $85,000, commensurate with experience.

This position requires candidates to be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Benefits & Perks

NEOMED is committed to supporting your health, well-being, and long-term success—both at work and beyond. Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to help you thrive.

Healthcare Coverage

• Competitive medical, dental, and vision insurance through Medical Mutual
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Short- and long-term disability coverage, Long-term care coverage options, and Life insurance

Retirement

• State retirement plan with 14% employer matching to help you plan for the future

Paid Time Off

• Generous vacation and sick leave, in addition to 11 paid holidays each year

Additional Benefits

• Hybrid work environment (up to two remote days per week after six months) (Policy#3349-7-151)
• Educational benefits with our partner universities (Policy#3349-07-45)
• Ongoing investment in your professional growth through on-site training and Lean Six Sigma certification
• Employee wellness activities and initiatives that support a healthy work-life balance.

Summary

The Privacy Officer and Project Manager provides leadership and coordination for institutional projects involving privacy, data governance, compliance, and operational improvement. This position manages projects from initiation through implementation, coordinating stakeholders, timelines, resources, deliverables, and risk mitigation. As Privacy Officer, the position serves as a central resource for privacy-related policies, procedures, regulatory requirements, and organizational practices, helping ensure that the institution appropriately protects confidential, sensitive, and personally identifiable information.

The position works collaboratively with academic, clinical, research, administrative, information technology, legal, compliance, and other institutional stakeholders to identify privacy risks, develop and implement appropriate processes, and support compliance with applicable federal and state privacy requirements and institutional policies.

Principal Functional Responsibilities

Privacy and Compliance

• Serve as a primary institutional resource and point of contact for privacy-related questions, concerns, and initiatives.
• Monitor applicable privacy laws, regulations, standards, and industry practices and assess their potential impact on institutional operations.
• Assist in developing, reviewing, and maintaining privacy policies, procedures, standards, and guidelines.
• Coordinate privacy assessments and reviews for new or existing programs, processes, technologies, systems, and data uses.
• Identify potential privacy risks and work with appropriate stakeholders to develop and implement mitigation strategies.
• Provide guidance regarding the appropriate collection, access, use, disclosure, retention, storage, and disposal of confidential and sensitive information.
• Collaborate with Information Technology, Information Security, Legal, Compliance, Human Resources, Research, Clinical Operations, and other departments on privacy-related matters.
• Assist with the investigation, documentation, escalation, and resolution of potential privacy incidents and concerns.
• Support institutional responses to privacy inquiries, complaints, audits, assessments, and regulatory requests, as appropriate.
• Participate in the development and delivery of privacy education and awareness programs.
• Develop training materials and communications to promote understanding of privacy requirements and institutional expectations.
• Maintain appropriate documentation related to privacy assessments, policies, training, incidents, and corrective actions.
• Assist with periodic privacy audits, reviews, and risk assessments and track corrective actions through completion.

Data Governance and Institutional Support

• Collaborate with data owners, system administrators, and institutional leaders to establish appropriate data access and handling practices.
• Assist in defining roles, responsibilities, and accountability for the protection and appropriate use of institutional data.
• Support the development and maintenance of data inventories, data classifications, privacy documentation, and related governance resources.
• Evaluate proposed uses or disclosures of institutional data and coordinate appropriate reviews when necessary.
• Promote consistent privacy practices across academic, clinical, research, and administrative environments.
• Serve as a liaison between operational departments and institutional privacy, compliance, legal, and information security functions.

Project Management

• Lead and manage cross-functional projects from planning and initiation through implementation, evaluation, and closeout.
• Develop project plans, timelines, milestones, deliverables, budgets, and resource requirements.
• Coordinate project activities across multiple departments and stakeholder groups.
• Monitor project progress, identify barriers and risks, and develop strategies to address issues and maintain project timelines.
• Facilitate project meetings, establish agendas, document decisions and action items, and communicate project status to leadership and stakeholders.
• Develop project documentation, reports, presentations, procedures, and other materials necessary to support successful implementation.
• Coordinate the implementation of new processes, systems, policies, and initiatives resulting from institutional projects.
• Establish measures and metrics to evaluate project outcomes and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously while prioritizing competing deadlines and institutional needs.

Communication and Leadership

• Establish effective working relationships with faculty, staff, administrators, researchers, and other institutional stakeholders.
• Communicate complex privacy, compliance, and project information in a clear and practical manner to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Prepare reports, presentations, recommendations, and executive-level briefings.
• Facilitate consensus among stakeholders with differing priorities and perspectives.
• Exercise sound judgment when handling confidential, sensitive, or potentially high-risk information.
• Maintain current knowledge of privacy, data governance, project management, and compliance practices.

Other Duties

Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Information Technology, Healthcare Administration, Public Administration, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5 years of project management experience.
• Minimum 2 years of privacy, compliance, risk management, or related experience.
• Experience with privacy and data protection requirements such as HIPAA and FERPA.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree
• Experience managing regulatory or compliance-focused projects

Preferred Certifications

• PMP (Project Management Professional)
• Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP)
• Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security (CHPS)
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• Lean Six Sigma certification

Physical Requirements

Must be able to utilize a phone, computer and other office equipment.

NEOMED is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants without discrimination on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, status as a parent during pregnancy and immediately after the birth of a child, status as a parent of a young child, status as a foster parent, veteran status or any other category protected by applicable state or federal law. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, NEOMED also affirms its commitment to nondiscrimination in its employment policies and practices. In compliance with Title IX (20 U.S.C Sec. 1681 et seq.), NEOMED prohibits sex discrimination, including sexual harassment.