Senior Privacy and Data Protection Advisor

Location/s: Edinburgh, Newcastle, Birmingham; UK
Recruiter contact: Alice Roostan

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. 

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual. 

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

Overview of the role

The Group Head of Privacy and Data Protection and his team operate as a global advisory, compliance, and assurance function. The role of Senior Privacy and Data Protection Advisor is focussed on supporting these activities across multiple jurisdictions in Europe and Africa 

Key responsibilities and duties include:

• Informing and advising colleagues of their obligations under our global privacy and data protection compliance framework and applicable privacy and data protection laws in Europe and Africa (including the UK General Data Protection Regulation, Data Protection Act, Data Use and Access Act, and the EU General Data Protection Regulation and relevant national implementing legislation).

• Working with colleagues in our legal, procurement, and commercial functions to ensure that appropriate contractual safeguards (covering the collection, use, disclosure, storage, and destruction of personal information) are in place between Mott MacDonald and its clients, suppliers, and other commercial partners.

• Working with internal stakeholders (including IT and cyber/information security teams) to co-ordinate the timely identification, reporting, logging, investigation, notification (to relevant regulatory authorities and affected individuals), and resolution of personal data breaches.

• Advising colleagues when and how to complete privacy, data protection, and AI risk/impact assessments and evaluating completed assessments (providing feedback, recommending appropriate risk treatments/mitigations, and then monitoring their implementation).

• Providing advice and guidance to colleagues on the identification, logging, evaluation, and timely resolution of individual rights requests; and co-ordinating the response to complex requests (engaging with requesters, locating and  reviewing personal information within scope of their request, identifying and applying relevant exemptions).

• Working with colleagues in our legal function (and with external legal advisers) to ensure appropriate arrangements are in place covering international intra-group transfers of personal information.

• Contributing to the development and maintenance of our privacy and data protection compliance framework (including the drafting of consent statements, and privacy information notices).

• Co-ordinating the activities of our internal network of internal privacy and data protection practitioners across Europe and Africa, arranging quarterly briefings and helping to maintain appropriate coverage.

• Delivering training and contributing to the development of eLearning and Intranet content which helps colleagues understand their responsibilities under privacy and data protection legislation.

Candidate specification

Essential:

• Able to identify and respond to a range of privacy and data protection compliance issues (including changes to the law, new regulatory guidance, and emerging technologies) and work with colleagues to identify pragmatic cost-effective solutions.

• Experience of co-ordinating the resolution of individual rights requests and/or complaints by individuals about the processing of their personal information.

• Experience of contributing to the response to personal data breaches and assessing their potential impact on the affected individuals (as well as the organisations involved).

• An articulate self-starter able to manage and prioritise a large and varied workload, work autonomously, act on your own initiative within defined parameters, and meet tight deadlines (whilst managing the expectations of others).

• Able to assimilate and interpret information quickly; and explain complex processes or requirements to colleagues without using confusing technical or legal jargon.

• Able to communicate effectively (and respectfully) with colleagues, data subjects, commercial partners and other external stakeholders irrespective of national boundaries and cultures.

Desirable:

• An awareness of privacy and data protection laws (and associated regulatory frameworks) in relevant jurisdictions outside of the United Kingdom and European Union.

• Experience of evaluating systems and/or processes and recommending corrective actions required to achieve compliance with applicable privacy and data protection legislation/policies.

• Experience of engaging with privacy and data protection regulators to complete statutory registration processes and/or respond to regulatory investigations.

• Experience of supporting and promoting behaviour change (focussed on building an effective privacy and data protection compliance culture) within a large, complex, multi-site organisation.

• Holds at least one recognised privacy and data protection qualification or certification (for example the CIPP/E, CIPM, CIPT, or PC.dp).

• Experience of using OneTrust or another privacy management system/application.

We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. 

Please be advised that offers for this role are conditional upon obtaining the appropriate level of Security Clearance.

Please note, closing date for applications will be midnight on Friday 30th January. The closing date for applications could be subject to change if we receive a high volume of applications. 

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working  

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion 

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

 Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.