Privacy Specialist (HR Data Privacy Focus)

Principal Financial Group; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 56,000 - 126,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Time Off

Pension Eligible

Remote work options

Job summary

Principal Financial Group is seeking a Privacy Specialist to support HR privacy activities and promote sound data protection practices for employee data. You will collaborate with privacy partners and HR process owners to assess risks and implement controls.

The role focuses on privacy-by-design, governance, and guidance to stakeholders, balancing operational needs with privacy requirements within a large enterprise.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred with strong privacy focus.
• 2+ years of professional privacy experience required.
• Experience with privacy risk management and assessment processes.

Responsibilities

• Support HR privacy assessments and reviews, incl. PIAs, DPIAs, data-sharing reviews, vendor assessments, and Coupa requests.
• Partner with HR, project teams, tech, and Enterprise Privacy to assess privacy risks.
• Identify, document, and help mitigate privacy risks with appropriate controls.
• Support privacy-by-design integration into HR processes and systems.
• Contribute to governance processes for appropriate handling of employee data.
• Provide privacy consultation and guidance to HR partners and stakeholders.
• Promote continuous improvement of HR privacy processes across the organization.

Skills

Privacy risk management

Privacy assessments

Stakeholder collaboration

Communication & influence

Privacy by design

Regulatory awareness

Risk mitigation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

PIAs tooling

DPIA reviews

Job description

What You'll Do

As a Privacy Specialist, you’ll serve as a key privacy resource that supports Human Resources (HR), helping promote and support responsible handling of employee data. The individual will work closely with business process owners, privacy partners, and stakeholders to assess privacy risks, support privacy-related processes, and advocate for sound data protection practices. The position focuses on helping HR teams navigate privacy requirements while balancing operational needs and employee data protection.

What You’ll Do

• Support HR privacy assessments and reviews, including Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs), Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), data-sharing reviews, vendor assessments, Coupa requests, and other privacy governance activities.
• Partner with HR process owners, project teams, technology teams, and Enterprise Privacy to assess privacy risks related to new systems, vendors, technologies, integrations, and employee data initiatives.
• Identify, document, and help mitigate privacy risks by recommending appropriate controls, maintaining privacy documentation, and ensuring compliance with enterprise privacy standards.
• Support the integration of privacy-by-design principles into HR processes, technologies, and employee data management practices.
• Contribute to HR's First Line of Defense responsibilities by supporting governance processes that promote the appropriate collection, use, sharing, retention, access, and protection of employee data.
• Provide privacy consultation and guidance to HR business partners and stakeholders, promoting awareness and the responsible handling of sensitive employee information.
• Support the continuous improvement of HR privacy processes by identifying efficiencies, enhancing governance practices, and encouraging adoption of privacy-focused behaviors across the organization.

Who You Are

• Bachelor's degree is preferred
• 2+ years of relevant professional experience is required.
• Privacy experience with demonstrated knowledge of privacy risk management and privacy assessment processes is highly preferred
• Ability to interpret and apply privacy-related requirements and considerations.
• Experience collaborating with stakeholders across multiple functions.
• Strong communication and influence skills with the ability to advocate for privacy practices

Skills That Will Help You Stand Out

• Experience working with Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs), privacy reviews, privacy risk evaluations, or similar activities.
• Experience supporting HR-related privacy initiatives or working with employee data is preferred
• Background in privacy, compliance, risk management, audit, security, or related disciplines.
• Experience improving processes and driving continuous improvement initiatives.
• Familiarity with privacy regulations and data protection concepts.
• Professional privacy certifications.
• Experience partnering with business teams to implement privacy-focused solutions.

Salary Range Information

Salary ranges below reflect targeted base salaries. Non-sales positions have the opportunity to participate in a bonus program. Sales positions are eligible for sales incentives, and in some instances a bonus plan, whereby total compensation may far exceed base salary depending on individual performance. Actual compensation for all roles will be based upon geographic location, work experience, education, licensure requirements and/or skill level and will be finalized at the time of offer.

Salary Range (Non-Exempt expressed as hourly; Exempt expressed as yearly)

$55800 - $126000 / year

Salary Details

The following levels and locations are examples of market-specific salary ranges across different job levels and geographies. Candidates will be evaluated to determine the appropriate job level based on their skills and experience.

Governance Associate-

• Wichita, KS: $55,800 – $75,600 / year
  Des Moines, IA: $58,900 – $79,800 / year
  Charlotte, NC: $62,000 – $84,000 / year
  Chicago, IL / Minneapolis, MN: $68,200 – $92,400 / year
  Los Angeles, CA / New York City, NY: $74,400 – $100,800 / year

Governance Sr Associate

• Wichita, KS: $69,300 – $94,500 / year
  Des Moines, IA: $73,150 – $99,750 / year
  Charlotte, NC: $77,000 – $105,000 / year
  Chicago, IL / Minneapolis, MN: $84,700 – $115,500 / year
  Los Angeles, CA / New York City, NY: $92,400 – $126,000 / year

Time Off Program

Flexible Time Off (FTO) is provided to salaried (exempt) employees and provides the opportunity to take time away from the office with pay for vacation, personal or short-term illness. Employees don’t accrue a bank of time off under FTO and there is no set number of days provided.

Pension Eligible

Yes

Job Level

We’ll consider talent at the next level with the right experiences and skills. The next level is a Governance Sr Associate and requires 4+ years of revelant experience.

Work Environments

This role offers in-office, hybrid (blending at least three office days in a typical workweek), and remote work arrangements (only if residing more than 30 miles from Des Moines, IA, Charlotte, NC, and Raleigh, NC). You’ll work with your leader to figure out which option may align best based on several factors.

Work Authorization/Sponsorship

At this time, we’re not considering applicants that need any type of immigration sponsorship (additional work authorization or permanent work authorization) now or in the future to work in the United States. This includes, but IS NOT LIMITED TO: F1-OPT, F1-CPT, H-1B, TN, L-1, J-1, etc. For additional information around work authorization needs please use the following links.

Investment Code of Ethics

For Principal Asset Management positions, you’ll need to follow an Investment Code of Ethics related to personal and business conduct as well as personal trading activities for you and members of your household. These same requirements may also apply to other positions across the organization.

Experience Principal

At Principal, we value connecting on both a personal and professional level. Together, we’re imagining a more purpose-led future for financial services – and that starts with you. Our success depends on the unique experiences, backgrounds, and talents of our employees. And we support our employees the same way we support our customers: with comprehensive, competitive benefit offerings crafted to protect their physical, financial, and social well-being. Check out our careers site to learn more about our purpose, values and benefits.

Principal is an Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Posting Window

We will accept applications for 3 full days following the Original Posting Date, after which the posting may remain open or be removed based upon applications received. If we choose to post the job again, we will accept additional applications for at least 1 full day following the Most Recently Posted Date. Please submit applications in a timely manner as there is no guarantee the posting will be available beyond the applicable deadline.

Original Posting Date

9/30/2026

Most Recently Posted Date

9/30/2026

Principal uses artificial intelligence tools to assist in reviewing and evaluating job applications, fraud prevention, and candidate matching and comparisons. These AI tools support our human recruiters in the initial review process but do not make final hiring decisions without human involvement. By submitting your application, you acknowledge this use of AI in our recruitment process. Please review our Workforce (U.S.) Privacy Notice for more details on our practices and your data privacy rights.

LinkedIn Remote Hashtag

#LI-Remote