Data Protection Analyst

The Information Compliance Team sits within the Assurance Service at Dorset Council. We coordinate the council’s responses to information requests, including Subject Access Requests (SARs) for personal data, Freedom of Information (FOI) Requests and Environmental Information Regulation (EIR) requests, in accordance with statutory timescales. We also have a team of SAR Review Officers, who focus on reviewing and preparing Children's Services records for disclosure in response to SAR requests.  The team is also tasked with maintaining a register of data breaches, and to provide advice to services to ensure the organisation properly responds to and learns from incidents.

The role is an opportunity to gain a broad insight into the wide range of services that make up the council, and will involve supporting the data protection team to further improve the organisation's compliance with legal and regulatory data protection requirements at pace.  You will be required to support key areas of work set out in our data protection action plan, including developing policies, procedures and compliance audits.  In addition, the role will provide crucial support to identify and embed organisational learning in response to security incidents.

Duties include:

• Developing data protection policies, procedures, guidance and training
• Monitoring reports of personal data breaches and assisting with the sending of notifications to the Information Commissioner's Office
• Supporting council services to conduct root cause analyses in response to significant security incidents
• Supporting the continuous development of an effective root cause analysis framework and controls provided for in the council's policy framework
• Conducting internal data protection compliance audits
• Provide advice to services completing Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) 

We are seeking someone with the following skills:

• pro-active and flexible
• excellent research and analytical skills
• confident exercising their own initiative in solving problems
• ability to assess, manage, and prioritise conflicting work priorities
• accuracy, attention to detail and an analytical mindset
• excellent IT skills and a digital mindset
• good organisational skills
• strong communication (written and oral)

You should have a detailed knowledge of data protection laws.  On the job training will be provided and we are great believers in investing in people!  This role could be ideal for someone who is looking to develop a career in a varied and fast-moving field within local government.