SCS1 Deputy Director Data Protection Officer *Deadline extended*

at  Department for Work and Pensions

JOB SUMMARY

The Deputy Director Data Protection Officer is part of the senior leadership team in the Security and Data Protection Directorate of Finance Group. It is a role required by law and the DPO has a responsibility not just to the Executive Team and Permanent Secretary within DWP to advise on issues relating to data protection risk and compliance but also to play a key part in enabling delivery of the Department’s future strategy by ensuring that new initiatives are legally compliant and appropriately protect the privacy of our customers and employees as well as enhance trust.
The DPO leads a team of Information Rights specialists, who provide advice and guidance on data protection issues to colleagues and customers and monitor the Department’s compliance and risk. The team conducts over 300 Data Protection Impact Assessments a year, often involving complex and cutting-edge data protection issues.
A key part of the role is forming a constructive working relationship with senior stakeholders within DWP and the Information Commissioner’s Office. Communication skills are key here and the postholder will often have to exercise excellent judgement as to how to present often difficult issues in the clearest and most helpful way.
In DWP the post holder will also have responsibility for the central Information Management Team, responsible for the Department’s compliance with the Public Records Act and the central Freedom of Information Team, who look after monthly FOI performance and ensure DWP’s performance meets ICO expectations despite the very large volume of FOI requests the Department receives.

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)

TYPE OF ROLE

Architecture and Data
Finance
Information Technology
Security
Senior leadership

WHAT ARE MY RESPONSIBILITIES?

• To provide the Department advice with its obligations under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.
• To independently monitor the Department’s compliance with those obligations and raise issues, risks and concerns.
• To act as the first point of contact for DWP’s customers (over 20 million) and employees (approximately 90,000) for Data Protection matters.
• To provide advice on Freedom of Information requests (approx. 3,000 pa), and oversee DWP’s overall FOI performance.
• To be the point of contact between DWP and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in relation to Data Protection and FOI matters.
• To lead a team of some 40 Information Rights specialists (including the Departmental Information Management Team).
• As part of the Security and Resilience SLT to provide leadership and support to the Directorate and SLT colleagues and to ensure integration between our teams.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA FOR THE ROLE WHICH WILL BE USED TO ASSESS YOUR APPLICATION, ALONGSIDE SUCCESS PROFILES AS MENTIONED ON THE NEXT SLIDE:

• Hold a recognised Data Protection qualification.
• Experience of operating within a data protection profession in an organisation which processes a significant amount of personal data, delivering a high quality, efficient and cost-effective service by considering a broad range of methods for delivery, ensuring adherence to legal, regulatory and security requirements in service delivery.
• A proven track record of delivering timely quality outcomes, through providing the right resources to do the job, reviewing and adjusting performance expectations and rewarding success. Experience of monitoring the effectiveness of own and team communications and take action to improve where necessary.
• Experience of being an excellent leader, with the ability to coordinate the activities of others and inspire and motivate teams to be fully engaged in their work and dedicated to their role.
• Be confident in encouraging, recognising and sharing innovative ideas from a diverse range of colleagues and stakeholders and create an environment where people feel safe to challenge and know their voice will be heard.
• Have excellent communicating and influencing skills, building and maintaining a network of colleagues and contacts to achieve progress on shared objectives, build strong interpersonal relationships and show genuine care for colleagues.
• Be confident in stakeholder management, communicating with others in a clear, honest and enthusiastic way in order to build trust, and explain complex issues in a way that is easy to understand.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ROLE AND THE SELECTION PROCESS, PLEASE SEE THE CANDIDATE PACK ATTACHED TO THE ADVERT.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.