Privacy and Data Protection Advisor

Location/s: Edinburgh, Newcastle or York
Recruiter contact: Nikki George
Hiring manager contact: James Alexander

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.

About the business unit  

Mott MacDonald’s support services are the driving force behind our organisation enabling us to run efficiently and effectively. The team works collaboratively to offer specialist advice, best practice and technology to all areas of our business specifically designed for our global reach.

The Group Head of Privacy and Data Protection and his team operate as a global advisory, compliance, and assurance function. This Privacy and Data Protection Adviser role is focussed on supporting those activities across Europe and Africa. 

• Informing and advising colleagues of their obligations under our global privacy and data protection compliance framework and applicable privacy and data protection laws in Europe and Africa (including the UK Data Protection Act, the UK General Data Protection Regulation, and the EU General Data Protection Regulation and relevant national implementing legislation). 
• Working with colleagues in our legal, procurement, and commercial functions to ensure that appropriate contractual safeguards (covering the collection, use, disclosure, storage, and destruction of personal information) are in place between Mott MacDonald and its clients, suppliers, and other commercial partners.  
• Working with internal stakeholders (including IT and cyber/information security teams) to support the timely identification, reporting, logging, investigation, notification (to relevant regulatory authorities and affected individuals), and resolution of personal data breaches. 
• Supporting the completion and maintenance of our ‘record of processing activities’ to ensure compliance with record-keeping, transparency, and accountability requirements under relevant policies and legislation. 
• Advising colleagues when/how to complete Personal Information Risk Assessments (PIRAs), AI Risk Assessments (AIRAs), International Transfer Risk Assessments (ITRAs), Personal Information Compliance Assessments (PICAs), Asset Discovery Questionnaires (ADQs) in the context of new/evolving projects, initiatives and technologies. 
• Reviewing completed assessments (PIRAs, PICAs, and ADQs), providing feedback, recommending appropriate risk treatments/mitigations, and then monitoring their implementation. 
• Providing advice and guidance to colleagues on the identification, logging, evaluation, and timely resolution of individual rights requests (for example, requests from job applicants or former employees who want to obtain copies of their personal information). 
• Co-ordinating the response to individual rights requests (engaging with requesters, locating and reviewing personal information within scope of their request, identifying and applying relevant exemptions, and ensuring necessary actions are taken to resolve the request). 
• Supporting the development and maintenance of our privacy and data protection compliance framework (including policies, requirements, guidance, work instructions, consent statements, and privacy information notices). 
• Co-ordinating the activities of our internal privacy and data protection champions across Europe and Africa, contributing to quarterly briefings and helping to maintain appropriate coverage (at least one ‘Privacy Practitioner’ in each jurisdiction). 
• Delivering training (including one-to-one coaching sessions and team briefings) and contributing to the development of eLearning and Intranet content which helps colleagues understand their responsibilities under privacy and data protection legislation. 
• Providing advice and guidance to colleagues on the identification, definition, recording, evaluation, mitigation, and treatment of risks related to the processing of personal information. 
• Supporting the investigation and resolution of privacy and data protection concerns/complaints raised by individuals (including employees, job applicants, client contacts, and members of the public) whose personal information is processed by Mott MacDonald. 

Candidate Specification 

• An awareness of privacy and data protection laws (and associated regulatory frameworks) in relevant jurisdictions outside of the United Kingdom and European Union. 
• Experience of supporting the response to personal data breaches; and an understanding of the potential impact this type of incident can have on the individuals affected, as well as the processor(s)/controller(s) involved. 
• Experience of supporting and promoting behaviour change (focussed on building an effective privacy and data protection compliance culture) within a large, complex, multi-site organisation. 
• Holds at least one recognised privacy and data protection qualification or certification (for example the CIPP/E or PC.dp). 
• General awareness of information security and records management issues. 
• Experience of using OneTrust or another privacy management system/application. 

We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. 

#LI-NG

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.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

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.

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.

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.
• 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.

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.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

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