Director - Data Privacy Office
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Key skills for this role
About the Role
Abu Dhabi Ports seeks a Director to lead the global data privacy program, ensuring compliance with GDPR and other privacy laws. The role involves designing governance, advising executive management, and embedding privacy by design across operations.
Key Skills for This Role
Responsibilities
- Lead the enterprise wide data privacy program for a global organization, establishing strategy, governance model, policies, standards, and controls.
- Serve as senior subject matter expert on GDPR and other applicable privacy laws, translating legal requirements into practical controls.
- Act as primary privacy advisor to Chief Compliance Officer and senior leadership on strategic initiatives and emerging risks.
- Design, implement, and mature a global data privacy program including governance forums, accountability structures, policies, and reporting mechanisms.
- Drive global rollout of privacy requirements across business units and geographies.
- Establish and maintain records of processing activities, data inventories, data retention standards, and privacy controls.
- Oversee privacy risk assessments, data protection impact assessments, transfer impact assessments, and control reviews.
- Embed privacy by design and default into projects, digital platforms, data analytics, HR processes, and vendor onboarding.
- Advise on lawful bases for processing, data subject rights, consent management, retention, anonymization, cookies, profiling, and cross border data transfers.
- Partner with Legal, Compliance, Cybersecurity, IT, Procurement, HR, Internal Audit, and business leaders.
- Monitor compliance through audits, reviews, metrics, and assurance activities.
- Lead or coordinate privacy response to personal data incidents and breaches.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Law, Information Governance, Cybersecurity, Business, Compliance, or related discipline
- Minimum 10 years' experience in data privacy, data protection, compliance, legal, or related governance roles
- Demonstrated experience designing and rolling out a data privacy program for a global company
- Strong hands on GDPR experience including privacy governance, DPIAs, records of processing, data subject rights, breach response, and cross border transfer compliance
- Relevant privacy or data protection certifications strongly preferred (e.g., CIPP/E, CIPM, CIPT)
- Excellent English; Spanish and Arabic are an advantage
Full Job Posting
Role Summary
- Responsible for leading the design, rollout, governance, and continuous enhancement of the organization’s global data privacy program, ensuring compliance with GDPR and other applicable privacy laws across all jurisdictions.
Core Responsibilities
- Lead the enterprise wide data privacy program for a global organization, establishing the strategy, governance model, policies, standards, and controls required to manage privacy risk effectively.
- Serve as the senior subject matter expert on GDPR and other applicable privacy laws and regulations, translating legal requirements into practical business and operational controls.
- Act as the primary privacy advisor to the Chief Compliance Officer and senior leadership on strategic initiatives, emerging privacy risks, enforcement trends, and regulatory obligations.
- Design, implement, and mature a global data privacy program, including privacy governance forums, accountability structures, policies, procedures, notices, standards, and reporting mechanisms.
- Drive global rollout of privacy requirements across business units, functions, and geographies, ensuring consistent implementation while accommodating local legal and operational needs.
- Establish and maintain records of processing activities, data inventories, data retention standards, and privacy controls that support regulatory compliance and audit readiness.
- Oversee privacy risk assessments, data protection impact assessments, transfer impact assessments, and control reviews for new and existing processing activities, products, systems, and business initiatives.
- Embed privacy by design and default into projects, digital platforms, data analytics use cases, HR processes, customer journeys, and vendor onboarding.
- Advise on lawful bases for processing, data subject rights, consent management, retention, anonymization, cookies, profiling, and cross border data transfer mechanisms.
- Partner closely with Legal, Compliance, Cybersecurity, IT, Procurement, HR, Internal Audit, and business leaders to ensure privacy obligations are operationalized effectively.
- Monitor compliance with privacy laws, internal policies, and program standards through audits, reviews, metrics, and ongoing assurance activities.
- Lead or coordinate the privacy response to personal data incidents and breaches, including assessment, escalation, regulatory notification support, remediation, and lessons learned.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Law, Information Governance, Cybersecurity, Business, Compliance, or a related discipline.
- Relevant privacy or data protection certifications strongly preferred (e.g., CIPP/E, CIPP/M, CIPM, CIPT, or equivalent).
- Excellent English; Spanish and Arabic languages are an advantage in a global operating environment.
- Minimum 10 years’ experience in data privacy, data protection, compliance, legal, or related governance roles, including senior leadership responsibility in complex multinational organizations.
- Demonstrated experience designing and rolling out a data privacy program for a global company across multiple jurisdictions and business functions.
- Strong hands on GDPR experience, including privacy governance, DPIAs, records of processing, data subject rights, breach response, and cross border transfer compliance.
- Proven ability to partner with executive leadership and cross functional stakeholders to embed privacy by design into operations, technology, procurement, and strategic initiatives.
- Experience engaging with regulators, auditors, and external counsel on privacy matters is highly desirable.
- Strong analytical, policy drafting, communication, and leadership skills, with the ability to influence at board and executive level.
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