Data Protection Lead
| Posting date: | 16 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £57,946 to £68,205 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 29 March 2026 |
| Location: | Sheffield |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 450805/8 |
Summary
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), every public body that acts as a data controller or processes personal data is required to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO).
The Data Protection Officer’s team supports DWP in its mission to improve people’s day to day lives, helping them to build financial resilience and a more secure and prosperous future. We do this by applying effective and proportionate data protection, information rights, and information management practices that comply with legal requirements and enable the delivery of DWP and wider government objectives.
The successful candidate will be posted to one of four teams whose main responsibilities include but not limited to:
- Building strong working relationships with stakeholders, acting as the single point of contact for strategic activity, and leading teams to deliver objectives and continuous improvement.
- Developing, reviewing, and maintaining relevant policies, standards, guidance, and operational processes, ensuring they reflect legislative and ICO updates.
- Providing expert advice to the organisation on data protection, information rights, and information management, managing enquiries from citizens and staff.
- Ensuring that responses to data subject requests and complaints are handled consistently across DWP, providing clear guidance to operational teams.
- Leading training, communications, and awareness activity, maintaining accurate and accessible content on internal and external websites.
- Managing the DPIA process, assessing data protection risks, monitoring compliance and manage responses to potential or actual personal data breaches, including notifications to the ICO and affected individuals.
- Providing compliance reporting, assurance and governance updates to senior leaders and departmental boards.
- Delivering business management for the DPO function, including workforce planning, recruitment, service improvement, and support to senior leadership.
- Leading development and maintenance of information and records management policies, retention schedules, and corporate recordkeeping, including engagement with The National Archives.
- Managing the Department’s FOI function, ensuring legal compliance, providing strategic advice, overseeing complex cases, and representing DWP in Tribunal matters.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
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About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.