Privacy and Data Protection Advisor

Location/s: Edinburgh / Newcastle / Birmingham
Recruiter contact: Erinda Hazizi

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 Privacy and Data Protection Officer and their team operate as a global advisory, compliance and assurance function for Mott MacDonald.

As a Senior Privacy and Data Protection Advisor, you will support these activities across 24 jurisdictions in Europe and Africa.

Key responsibilities and duties include:

• Inform and advise colleagues of their obligations under our global privacy and data protection compliance framework and applicable privacy and data protection laws in Europe and Africa. This includes 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.
• Work with colleagues across our legal, procurement and commercial functions to ensure appropriate contractual safeguards are in place between Mott MacDonald and its clients, suppliers and other commercial partners. These safeguards will cover the collection, use, disclosure, storage and destruction of personal information.
• Work with internal stakeholders, including IT and cyber/information security teams, to coordinate the timely identification, reporting, logging, investigation, notification and resolution of personal data breaches. This may include notifications to relevant regulatory authorities and affected individuals.
• Advise colleagues on when and how to complete privacy, data protection and AI risk/impact assessments. You will evaluate completed assessments, provide feedback, recommend appropriate risk treatments and mitigations, and monitor their implementation.
• Provide advice and guidance on the identification, logging, evaluation and timely resolution of individual rights requests.
• Coordinate responses to complex individual rights requests, including engaging with requesters, locating and reviewing personal information within the scope of a request, and identifying and applying relevant exemptions.
• Work with colleagues in our legal function and with external legal advisers to ensure appropriate arrangements are in place for international intra-group transfers of personal information.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of our privacy and data protection compliance framework, including drafting consent statements and privacy information notices.
• Coordinate the activities of our internal network of privacy and data protection practitioners across Europe and Africa, including arranging quarterly briefings and helping to maintain appropriate coverage.
• Deliver training and contribute to the development of eLearning and intranet content that 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 coordinating the resolution of individual rights requests and/or complaints from individuals about the processing of their personal information.
• Experience of contributing to the response to personal data breaches and assessing their potential impact on affected individuals, as well as the organisations involved.
• An articulate self-starter who can manage and prioritise a large and varied workload, work autonomously, use their own initiative within defined parameters, and meet tight deadlines while 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 across different countries and cultures.

Desirable:

• An awareness of privacy and data protection laws and associated regulatory frameworks in relevant jurisdictions outside 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 and 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, focused on building an effective privacy and data protection compliance culture within a large, complex, multi-site organisation.
• At least one recognised privacy and data protection qualification or certification, for example CIPP/E, CIPM, CIPT or PC.dp.
• Experience of using OneTrust or another privacy management system or application.

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.

AI Usage

At Mott MacDonald, we see the value AI can bring, but we take a people-first approach to hiring. While AI tools can help candidates prepare and build confidence, every application and hiring decision is reviewed by our recruitment and hiring teams. We encourage the responsible use of AI while ensuring we get to know the real person behind the application.

Accessibility

We want you to feel supported and able to perform at your best throughout our recruitment process. If there is anything we can do to make applying or interviewing with us more accessible, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we'll be happy to discuss how we can help.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

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.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

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.

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.
• 10 days additional paid leave for Armed Forces Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.
• 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.
• We offer policies and dedicated support to help military families balance service life with career and wellbeing.

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.
• We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and Gold Award holders in the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme, supported by our dedicated internal Armed Forces Network.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

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