WHAT DOES A DATA PRIVACY SPECIALIST DO?

Published: October 8, 2024 - The Data Privacy Specialist develops and maintains the company's privacy and data protection policies, collaborating closely with the Director of Information Security, Legal, and web services teams to build a comprehensive data privacy roadmap. This position conducts privacy and data protection impact assessments, identifies risks, and leads the development of mitigation plans to ensure compliance with regulations while mentoring and providing technical leadership on privacy implementations. This role coordinates the documentation of processes, monitors evolving privacy regulations and technology trends, and develops training materials to promote privacy awareness across the company.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Data Privacy Specialist

1. Data Privacy Specialist Duties

  • Data Privacy Policy Development: Contribute to the development and maintenance of data privacy policies, standards, and processes.
  • Compliance Auditing: Facilitate data protection impact assessments and compliance audits and serve as a point of escalation for all data privacy issues.
  • Stakeholder Mediation: Act as a mediator between business functions, supervisory authorities, and data subjects.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Ensure new and existing processes, systems, and services comply with UK and EU GDPR regulations.
  • Risk Management: Manage and report on risks, issues, and performance of the data privacy program.
  • Data Management Support: Support the overall data management and quality improvement program.
  • Consultation: Liaise with cross-functional teams to provide consulting as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on data privacy requirements.
  • Communication: Engage with the wider business to ensure data privacy policies are communicated and understood.
  • Regulatory Awareness: Stay aware of new developments in data privacy compliance and the regulatory environment.
  • Incident Management: Handle inquiries, requests, and incidents in relation to information security and data privacy.
  • Risk Management Process Development: Assist in the development of risk management processes.
  • Legal and Technical Collaboration: Work with internal and external legal counsel and technical consultants and advisors on privacy and security matters.

2. Data Privacy Specialist Details

  • Data Privacy Roadmap Development: Build the data privacy roadmap in close collaboration with the Director of Information Security and the Legal and web services teams.
  • Policy Development: Lead the development and maintenance of company privacy and data protection policies, processes, and standards that address privacy and data protection regulations.
  • Consultation and Support: Provide consultation and support to business units and functions and promote awareness of privacy concepts, legal and regulatory requirements, company privacy, and data protection policies, processes, and standard methods and tools.
  • Stakeholder Communication: Communicate and collaborate with key stakeholders on internal privacy matters.
  • Impact Assessments: Complete privacy and data protection impact assessments against business activities that involve personal information.
  • Risk Identification and Mitigation: Identify privacy risks, lead resolution and the development of mitigation plans, and recommend safeguards and controls.
  • Documentation Coordination: Lead and coordinate the documentation of processes and improvements.
  • Regulatory Monitoring: Monitor privacy regulations, technology trends, business process changes, and developments in the privacy field, evaluate potential business impacts, and implement applicable changes to Company privacy and data protection governance in response.
  • Data Subject Rights Management: Develop processes and lead responses to data subject rights requests and privacy incidents.
  • Training Development: Guide the development of privacy and data protection training and awareness materials for employees.
  • External Representation: Represent the Company’s privacy interests with external parties.
  • Technical Leadership: Provide mentoring and technical leadership for privacy implementations.

3. Data Privacy Specialist Responsibilities

  • Telecommunication Assessments: Undertake assessments of telecommunication products concerning data privacy considerations.
  • Legal Advice Coordination: Provide and coordinate legal advice to various stakeholders involving the processing of personal data as well as data privacy impact assessments (DPIAs).
  • Supply Agreement Review: Review supply agreements in connection with data privacy concerns.
  • Data Processing Mechanisms: Define appropriate mechanisms and rules for the processing of personal data.
  • Confidentiality Legal Advice: Provide legal advice on confidentiality and privacy matters in IT and data-related projects.
  • Team Collaboration: Develop a constructive working relationship with a team that is distributed across the world.
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Work closely with enterprise, business unit stakeholders, and corporate teams to embed data protection principles into business plans and strategic initiatives during the design and execution process.
  • Data Protection Framework Implementation: Support the implementation of a data protection controls framework and monitoring and testing of those controls.
  • Policy Development: Assist in the development and maintenance of LATAM policies, standards, and procedures that support data protection program objectives.
  • Privacy Assessments: Conduct privacy impact and control assessments on applications, products, and processes to evaluate compliance with laws, regulations, and internal standards.
  • Regulatory Research and Response: Research and respond to data protection and compliance-related questions from business unit stakeholders, customers, or regulatory agencies.

4. Data Privacy Specialist Job Summary

  • Data Privacy Management: Assist the Data Privacy Director with managing and responding to data subject access requests, conducting data protection impact assessments, and coordinating with outside counsel.
  • Project Coordination: Manage the status of data subject access requests, annual reviews and calendar deadlines, data privacy projects, and other routine data privacy compliance tasks while assisting the Data Privacy Director.
  • Record Keeping: Maintain data privacy compliance records, including records of data processing activities, data subject access requests, consumer consent, a database of privacy notices and policies, calendar updates for privacy documentation, and review and prepare privacy documentation while attending meetings as requested.
  • Compliance Documentation: Assist the Data Privacy Director with the review and documentation of privacy compliance activities, conducting privacy risk assessments and investigations, communicating privacy objectives internally, developing training, presentation, and meeting materials, and managing privacy compliance projects.
  • Administrative Support: Perform general administrative duties, including organizing travel, copying, filing, preparing correspondence, answering the phone, and maintaining databases.
  • Business Process Analysis: Conduct independent analysis of business processes from a data protection perspective and document findings appropriately.
  • GDPR Compliance: Implement measures to manage data use in compliance with the GDPR, including updating templates for data collection and assisting with data mapping.
  • Policy Drafting: Draft, review, and update privacy notices and cookie policies.
  • Risk Assessment: Support the identification and assessment of data protection risks.
  • Advisory Support: Assist departments and subsidiaries in addressing current data protection issues.

5. Data Privacy Specialist Accountabilities

  • Technical Expertise: Act as a Data Privacy Technical Specialist for the AWP H&L Business Units and support the AzP International Health Regional Data Protection Officer in overseeing compliance with all relevant Data Privacy legislation and Group Standards.
  • Committee Participation: Participate in relevant Committees, particularly local Data Protection Workgroups and Compliance Committees.
  • Breach Management: Manage the oversight of the Data Privacy Breach Registers in each of the Business Units.
  • Team Supervision: Supervise all AWP Health & Life SA Data Privacy Champions in the conduct of assigned roles.
  • Process Implementation: Ensure all Data Privacy-related processes within AWP H&L SA are appropriately implemented, maintained, and adhered to.
  • Reporting: Report directly to the AzP International Health DPO on the status of data privacy across the organization.
  • Complaint Management: Manage complaints, investigations, or inquiries from data subjects on behalf of the AWP Health & Life SA Business Unit.
  • Request Approval: Manage and approve Data Privacy requests and complaints for all entities within the AWP H&L Business Units.
  • Regulatory Support: Support the local Data Privacy Professionals regarding periodic reviews of the requirements for BCR transfers against applicable laws and regulations that may prevent AWP Health & Life SA from fulfilling obligations under the Allianz Privacy Standard, various Data Processing Agreements, and Allianz BCRs.
Relevant Information
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