Data Protection Officer & Head of Information Rights Management; Grade 7; Permanent; Liverpool/Newport

Job summary

The Data Protection & Information Rights (DPIR) team sits within the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Directorate and is responsible for ensuring that the Commission is fulfilling its responsibilities under information rights law; applying best practice and robust procedures to minimise risk to the organisation in order to deliver positive outcomes and solutions to data protection and information rights issues.

The post-holder will lead the Commission’s Data Protection and Information Rights function and will be responsible for ensuring the Commission is compliant with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Environmental Information Regulations 2004, and the Reuse of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005. In addition, they will lead a strategic review of the Commission’s information rights function with a view to driving up performance and efficiency of the service through a programme of modernisation, whilst maintaining a high level of compliance with our statutory obligations.

In parallel, the post-holder will serve as Data Protection Officer for the Commission. They will inform and advise on our obligations under data protection law and monitor compliance with the appropriate elements of the regulations. This is a statutory role requiring the incumbent to advise on data protection solutions; and will work with critical areas of the business to develop a privacy conscious culture within the organisation, empowering business areas to deliver strategic objectives with confidence. Pursuant to UK GDPR Article 38, the post holder will report directly and independently to the Executive Leadership Team and the Board on all aspects of the Commission’s compliance with data protection legislation.

Job description

The main things you will be doing are:

• Lead a strategic review of the Commission’s information rights operational function, effectively designing and implementing all of the recommendations from said review.
• Lead the Commission’s information rights service, ensuring requests are responded to in a timely manner in compliance with statutory targets and are robustly considered, maintaining the Commission’s Publication Scheme, and ensuring internal review cases are considered thoroughly.
• Lead the delivery of the Commission’s Privacy Compliance Framework. This will include identifying and implementing controls to develop a culture of Privacy by Design, enhancing the Commission’s data incident management procedures, and working with key stakeholders in the business to ensure the Commission’s processing of personal data is compliant with UK GDPR principles and any related or future data protection legislation such as PECR and the DUAA.
• Overseeing all operations relating to the office of the Data Protection Officer including Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) performance in the team, providing risk-based advice to stakeholders on high-profile DPIAs, advising on processing risks and appropriate controls.
• Line management and development of eight personnel charged with delivering the Commission’s data protection and information rights function.

Person specification

Key skills and experience and knowledge you will need are:

• Expert knowledge of data protection & information rights law including GDPR, DPA 2018, FOI, EIR
• A relevant qualification in Data Protection or FOI (e.g. BCS, IAPP, etc.) and a willingness to work towards practitioner status for both disciplines
• Ability to make informed decisions on complex matters often with a high-risk to the organisation
• Ability to drive cultural, behavioural and process change aligned to corporate strategy and the regulatory environment
• Ability to lead within the organisation on data protection and information rights compliance matters, adapting processes and procedures in a changing environment
• Ability to form strong working relationships with key stakeholders within the business
• Independently managing complex information requests and liaising with the ICO

Qualifications

A relevant qualification in Data Protection or FOI (e.g. BCS, IAPP, etc.) or a willingness to work towards professional certification within the first 12 months

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,245, Charity Commission contributes £16,583 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

This is your chance to make a contribution that really matters and to make an impact in an organisation where your voice will be heard and your hard work noticed.

Watch this short video to find out more about us.

We operate a flexible hybrid working policy where office attendance is combined with up to 3 days homeworking per week dependent on role requirements.

We recognise everyone as an individual, accepting people for who they are and treating everyone fairly. We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring from all backgrounds and we aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We champion inclusion and wellbeing, aiming to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and has a sense of belonging.

We do not discriminate on the basis of culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.

We offer access to the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme (employer contributions of 28.97%), far more than in the private sector, and a flexible, family-friendly environment. Additionally you can look forward to other great benefits via our ‘Perkbox’ and ‘Edenred’ schemes. These include everything from an interest-free season ticket loan and bicycle loan (after two months) to discounts on gym membership, cinema tickets and restaurants. Please see the attached Charity Commission benefits document.

A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30 days per year. You have the opportunity to purchase up to an additional 5 days annual leave (pro rata) per year, requests must be submitted in the February of that year.

The Charity Commission’s operational ambition is to realise the Commission’s values of being an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent, which works in a way that is supportive, collaborative, and innovative to achieve our ambitions. We want to develop our capability to regulate charities to realise this goal and meet our statutory and public duties to ensure that charity in England and Wales can deliver maximum benefit to society in a way that upholds its reputation in the eyes of the public.

Work at the Charity Commission and you’ll make a difference every day to:

• The 170,000 charities of all shapes and sizes that we regulate across England and Wales.
• The trustees we partner with and advise.
• The people and causes that benefit from the £10bn generously donated each year by the public.

Find out more about working for us here.

To note: Any move across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018 may have implications on an employee’s ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

To apply for this post, you must complete the following:

• Comprehensive CV which lists qualifications and skills sets
• Personal statement of up to 750 words demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria for the role outlined on the Job Description.

At sift we will assess you against the essential criteria outlined on the Job Description.

We will assess your experience, strengths and the following Behaviours at Interview stage:

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

You will also be asked to carry out a presentation at interview. This will be on a prepared topic and will assess your knowledge and experience.

Interview Arrangements

Interviews will be taking place via MS Teams

The sift is due to take place the week commencing 23rd February 2026.

Interviews will be held on the week commencing 09th March 2026.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

At the interview, the panel can then probe further and ask applicants to provide further specific examples that show how they best demonstrate their skills.

We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process to manage numbers.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Behaviours

The distinguishing Behaviours (the required skills, knowledge, and behaviours) for this role are set out in the Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours (Success Profiles - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) and should be referred to when making this application.

You are required, under the Behaviours approach, to describe how you have dealt with a specific situation.

You must give evidence of your knowledge, skills, and behaviours and how you have applied this, such as what you did or said and how you interacted with other people.

When you are giving your examples, do not spend too many words on description and background information. Avoid using general or unspecific statements. Instead say what the situation was, what you did, what your thought process was and what was the result.

This post is full time however those applicants who do or wish to work an alternative working pattern are welcome to apply. The preferred working pattern may or may not be available. You should discuss this with the vacancy holder.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled persons, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via Charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Reserve Lists

If we have more successful candidates than available vacancies, we will hold a 12-month reserve list as standard.

During that time, we may use the list to fill the same, or similar roles with closely matching essential criteria, without further testing of merit. Any appointments from the Reserve list will be made in strict merit order.

Applying

We recognise everyone as an individual, accepting people for who they are and treating everyone fairly.

All applications for these vacancies must be made online. There are limited exceptions to this. Paper applications will only be considered if you have a disability that will prevent you from applying online. If this is the case, please email Charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Once you have submitted your application it cannot be amended; only submit your application when you have completely finished and answered all the relevant questions.

Please note that late applications will not be accepted.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Sean Egan
• Email : Recruitment@charitycommission.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

The Charity Commission’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance hrselfservice@charitycommission.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web page here.

Attachments

Job Description - Data Protection Officer and Head of Information Rights Opens in new window (pdf, 215kB)Job Description - Data Protection Officer and Head of Information Rights - Welsh Opens in new window (pdf, 196kB)Benefits 1 Opens in new window (pdf, 169kB)Benefits - Welsh Opens in new window (pdf, 170kB)