Senior Data Privacy Specialist – Emiratization

About the role

The Data Privacy Senior Specialist will lead the design, implementation and continuous improvement of privacy policies and procedures across the organisation, ensuring alignment with UAE national regulations, GDPR and ISO 27701. This Emiratization‑focused position works closely with legal, technical and business teams to embed privacy controls in all projects and processes.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and update data‑privacy policies and integrate them into corporate governance frameworks.
• Conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) for new initiatives, analysing data flows, risks and recommending controls.
• Monitor data‑processing activities, maintain a Record of Processing Activities (RoPA) and ensure compliance with approved policies.
• Assess privacy risks linked to technology use or data sharing, create risk‑assessment matrices and propose remediation.
• Review contracts with suppliers and partners to verify inclusion of mandatory privacy clauses.
• Lead data‑breach incident response, coordinate with technical and legal teams, and manage regulatory notifications.
• Design and deliver privacy awareness and training programmes for all employee categories.
• Define privacy‑related KPIs, track compliance, and report findings to senior management.

Required profile

• Extensive experience in data‑privacy compliance, preferably within the UAE or similar regulatory environments.
• Strong knowledge of UAE data‑protection law, GDPR and ISO 27701.
• Proven ability to conduct DPIAs, manage RoPA and lead incident‑response activities.
• Excellent analytical, communication and stakeholder‑management skills.

Required skills

• GDPR compliance
• ISO 27701 implementation
• Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) methodology
• Record of Processing Activities (RoPA) management