Global Data Protection and Privacy Lead

HKA is a leading global consultancy in risk mitigation, dispute resolution, expert witness and litigation support. We anticipate, investigate and resolve complex challenges by harnessing world leading multi disciplinary expertise and experience.

As trusted independent consultants, experts and advisors, we deliver solutions amid uncertainty, dispute and overrun, and provide the insights that make the best possible outcomes a reality for public and private sector clients worldwide. Our experts have testified across the globe on many of the largest quantum, delay, engineering and commercial damages matters.

Ready to redefine how a global consultancy protects and powers its data?

HKA is strengthening its global risk and compliance capability and is seeking an experienced, intellectually curious Global Data Protection and Privacy Lead to take ownership of our organisation wide privacy framework. If you're looking for a role that blends legal insight, operational leadership, and international impact, this is your opportunity to deliver meaningful change across a truly global business.

At HKA, you can expect:

Global Influence: Play a pivotal role in designing and maintaining our global data protection programme. You'll work across multiple jurisdictions, advising senior leaders and shaping how privacy standards are embedded worldwide.

Expert Community: Collaborate with senior legal, risk, and regulatory practitioners including specialists with extensive global, regulatory, and advisory backgrounds who will support and challenge your development.

Culture of Integrity & Collaboration: We value accountability, transparency, and critical thinking. You'll be part of a supportive environment where your expertise is respected and your contributions are visible across the organisation.

Career Acceleration: As we continue to scale, this is an exceptional opportunity to carve out a high impact leadership role. You'll have the autonomy, authority, and visibility to drive initiatives and influence long term strategy.

The Opportunity

As the Global Data Protection and Privacy Lead, you will be the organisation's trusted expert on data protection/ privacy matters. This hands on role blends strategic oversight with practical implementation, ensuring HKA remains compliant with ever evolving privacy laws across all regions in which we operate. You will collaborate to safeguard information at the heart of HKA's global investigations practice and other internal teams.

You will bring strong regulatory, analytical, and advisory capabilities to work covering:

• Development and maintenance of a global personal data map
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and multi jurisdictional compliance obligations
• International data transfers and assessments
• Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs)
• Global privacy notices, governance, and record keeping
• Data subject access request management
• Privacy training, education, and culture building
• Regulatory engagement where required
• Data breach preparation, response and reporting

You will operate in a role that is both strategic and operational working closely with Legal, HR, IT, Risk, People, Investigations and external regulators to ensure a robust, modern privacy framework.

What You Will Be Doing

• Creating and maintaining a comprehensive Data Map of all personal data held and processed globally.
• Ensuring all processing activities have a lawful basis and meet global compliance standards.
• Leading and maintaining all Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)s across the business.
• Overseeing international data transfer assessments and ensuring required agreements are in place.
• Developing and maintaining data retention schedules across regions and collaborating with teams to implement them.
• Ensuring privacy notices are up to date, accurate, and effectively communicated.
• Conducting data protection audits, reviews, and risk assessments.
• Delivering guidance on lawful processing, data subject rights, and privacy best practice.
• Responding to Subject Access Requests across jurisdictions.
• Reviewing existing training and designing new programmes to build a strong culture of privacy.
• Leading incident response efforts and advising on data breach management and reporting.
• Maintaining records of processing activities in line with GDPR and other global laws.

Skills and Experience

We are looking for candidates who ideally bring:

• You will hold the Certified Information Privacy Professional / Europe (CIPP/E) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) qualifications.
• Proven experience in international data protection or privacy roles.
• Strong understanding of global data protection frameworks and regulatory expectations.
• Experience working within complex, multi jurisdictional environments (investigations experience a plus).
• Excellent analytical skills with strong communication and stakeholder management.
• Ability to work independently, objectively, and without conflicts of interest.
• A proactive, collaborative approach with strong attention to detail.
• Additional certifications such as CIPP/US, Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT), or Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP) are highly advantageous.

If you're looking to build a meaningful global career in data protection, where your expertise directly shapes how a leading consultancy protects the integrity of its information, HKA offers an exceptional platform to make your mark.

ED&I at HKA

HKA has a thriving ED&I committee working hard to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment for a truly diverse set of employees. We are committed as a business on the continued improvement of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy, please visit our careers page for further information or feel free to ask our recruitment team for further information.

All HKA employment decisions are firstly made on merit and shall be made without regard to age, disability, gender or gender reassignment, marriage, and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation, or any other basis in compliance with local legislation.

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