Data Protection Officer
Location: Police Headquarters, Waterwells
Contract: 6 month contract with likely extension
Hours: 37 hours per week (Monday-Friday) generally between 8am-6pm
Pay Rate: £30.28LTD per hour
About the Role: The Data Protection Officer is professionally accountable for strategic data protection decisions across the organisation, ensuring full compliance with UK GDPR, DPA 2018, and policing-specific legislative and regulatory requirements. This is not an advisory-only role. The postholder will own decisions, challenge senior stakeholders, and act as the authoritative voice on data protection risk within the Force.
Key Responsibilities:
* Act as the organisation's statutory Data Protection Officer, with professional independence and authority.
* Provide strategic oversight and decision-making on all data protection matters, including high-risk and complex processing.
* Lead on data protection compliance across operational and corporate policing functions.
* Advise and challenge senior leaders on data protection risk, mitigations, and lawful processing.
* Oversee Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), breaches, and regulatory engagement.
* Ensure compliance with ICO guidance, national policing standards, and relevant legislation.
* Embed a culture of data protection awareness and accountability across the Force.
* Liaise with internal governance, legal, and information assurance stakeholders.
Essential skills and experience:
* Data Protection qualification: Part 2 AND demonstrable understanding and application of Part 3 (Law Enforcement Processing). Candidates with Part 2 only and no Part 3 exposure will not be suitable.
* Proven, senior-level experience in data protection, ideally within the public sector.
* Experience operating with professional accountability for strategic decisions.
* Strong working knowledge of UK GDPR, DPA 2018, and ICO expectations.
* Ability to operate independently, challenge constructively, and influence at senior levels.
* Experience handling complex, sensitive, or high-risk data environments.
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