Head of Data Protection

Job description

About the job

Job summary

The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate develops and operates tools and services to support us in this mission. The team have been nominated four times in a row for 'Best Public Sector Employer' at the Women in Tech awards and won the award in 2025!

About the role

As Head of Data Protection, you will lead the department's operational data protection risk assessment function, ensuring personal data is handled lawfully, securely and responsibly while enabling the effective delivery of departmental priorities.

This is a strategic leadership role, responsible for shaping the department's approach to privacy risk, data protection compliance and information governance. You will lead a small specialist team, provide expert advice on complex and high-risk issues, and work closely with senior stakeholders across Digital, Knowledge and Information Management, Legal and business areas to enable innovation, digital transformation and the responsible use of data, including emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.

Job description

You will:

• Lead the department's operational data protection function, providing strategic direction and oversight of privacy and compliance activities.

• Manage and develop a small specialist team, creating a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing culture.

• Act as the senior adviser on data protection matters, providing expert guidance on complex, high-risk or sensitive issues.

• Oversee the department's data protection compliance, including Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), data sharing arrangements, and supporting responses to data breaches.

• Identify, assess and manage data protection risks, ensuring proportionate controls are in place to support business delivery and compliance obligations.

• Develop and maintain data protection policies, standards, guidance and governance processes, ensuring alignment with legislative and regulatory requirements

• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders across DBT, influencing decision-making through practical, risk-based advice.

• Support the responsible adoption of digital services, data-driven initiatives and emerging technologies, ensuring privacy considerations are embedded from the outset.

• Represent DBT across cross-government data protection, information governance and assurance communities, promoting best practice and continuous improvement.

• Drive organisational capability by increasing awareness and understanding of data protection responsibilities across the department.

Person specification

It is essential that you have:

• [LEAD] Significant experience of leading data protection, privacy, information governance or compliance activities within and large complex organisation

• Strong knowledge of UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and wider information governance principles, with the ability to apply these pragmatically.

• Experience advising senior stakeholders on complex, high-risk or sensitive data protection matters and influencing decision-making.

• Experience leading and developing teams, driving performance and building professional capability.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to explain complex legal, technical or risk-related issues to non-specialist audiences.

• Demonstrable ability to balance compliance requirements with business objectives, using sound judgement and a proportionate, risk-based approach.

• Professional privacy qualification such as IAPP CIPP/E, CIPM, BCS Practitioner Certificate in Data Protection or equivalent.

It is desirable that you have:

• Knowledge of information security, cyber risk or assurance frameworks.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

At the interview stage for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Strengths and Behaviours from the Success Profiles framework.

Strengths are designed to test your innate talents so are not listed on the advert to ensure you provide a natural answer.

Behaviours

• Seeing the Big Picture

• Leadership

• Managing a quality service

• Communicating and influencing

You will also be asked to deliver a presentation and will be informed on the topic following the sift.

How to apply

As part of the application process you will be asked to upload a two page CV and complete a 750 word personal statement outlining how you meet the essential skills and experience listed above. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer.

Sift will be from week commencing 31st August

Interviews will be from week commencing 21st September

Please note these dates are indicative and may be subject to change.

If there is a high volume of applications, we will sift looking at the lead criteria 'Significant experience of leading data protection, privacy, information governance or compliance activities within a large and complex organisation' only. You may then be progressed to full sift or straight to interview.

How we offer

Offers will be made in merit order based on location preferences. If you pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring you will be held on a 12-month reserve list in case a role becomes available. If you are judged a near miss at interview, you may be offered a post at the grade below the one you applied for.

This role requires SC clearance. DBT's requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected and your offer will be withdrawn.

Checks will also be made against:

• departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)

• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records

• your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency

• security services record

• location details

More about us

This role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If you are based in London, you will receive London weighting. DBT employees work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office on average. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

You can find out more about our office locations, how we calculate salaries, our diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and our complaints procedure in the candidate pack attached to this advert.

Find out more about life at DBT, our benefits and meet the team by watching our video or reading our blog!

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : DDaT Recruitment
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email at [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Civil Service Commission Complaints