Senior Information Rights Advisor

As a Senior Information Rights Advisor, you will play a key role in helping the Department for Transport manage information responsibly, transparently and in compliance with its legal obligations. Working within the Protect Service Line, you will provide expert advice on data protection, Freedom of Information (FOI) and wider information rights matters, helping to safeguard information and reduce organisational risk.

Working closely with colleagues across the Department, you will support the Data Protection Officer by advising on Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), data sharing agreements, privacy notices, overseas transfers, contracts and data breaches. You will champion data protection by design, ensuring compliance requirements are embedded into projects and services from the outset.

You will also lead on complex FOI cases, complaints and reviews, working with senior stakeholders, legal advisers and regulators to deliver high-quality outcomes. Alongside this, you will develop guidance and training materials and delivery training to promote best practice and strengthen compliance across the organisation.

This is an excellent opportunity for an information rights professional looking to influence decision-making, lead a team, and help build a culture of transparency, accountability and trust across DfT.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Supporting the Data Protection Officer in carrying out their statutory tasks by providing expert, timely, risk-based advice to business areas and risk owners on DPIAs, privacy notices, data sharing, data processing contracts, overseas transfers and all other aspects of data protection compliance.
• Being an enthusiastic advocate for data protection by design and default and proactively engaging with project teams to ensure that data protection requirements are factored into the design of new solutions at the earliest stages.
• Managing the timely maintenance of departmental records to ensure compliance with our accountability obligations.
• Risk-assessing, recording and escalating data breaches, advising the business on steps to contain the breach and reduce the impact and likelihood of a recurrence.
• Taking steps to maintain your own expert knowledge of data protection and/or FOI legislation and developing the expertise and capability of your team., We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service, At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:
• Behaviours – Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, We will also hold a 12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for.

During your application, you should indicate which location(s) you wish to be considered for and, if successful, you will be placed on an individual list of candidates for each location. Candidates will be held on that list and drawn from it in merit order. We advise you to carefully consider which locations you wish to be considered for. If you decline an offer for a location you have expressed a preference in or have expressed an interest in more than one location and accept an offer, you will be withdrawn from any lists you may be held on. We may also offer candidates a location that they have not expressed a preference for where we have the requirement to do so but this will again be done on the basis of your place in the overall merit order and, in this event, you will not be removed from the list if you decline.

Appointments for this position will be made in order of merit. If you are successful in the selection process but there are no further available posts for the advertised role, you may be contacted to discuss an offer for a lower graded role (with similar experience and responsibility requirements).

If you are unsuccessful in the selection process, your application may be considered for a lower graded position if your demonstrated skills and experience meet the requirements of the alternative position. Candidates will be considered in order of merit.

If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

• Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
• Threats or acts of violence
• Illegal activity or substance misuse
• Sexually explicit material
• Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle - it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes., * 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)
• 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

• You will have successfully obtained an industry-recognised Data Protection Practitioners Certificate
• You will have or be prepared to undertake a Freedom of Information practitioner certificate qualification.

You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications/certifications at some point during the recruitment process. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn.

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Expert knowledge and practical experience of data protection law and practices.
• Experience of identifying, assessing and mitigating compliance risks
• Independently leading a small team to deliver at pace.
• Excellent communicator to a range of stakeholders at all levels of seniority with an eye for detail who can support their teams to handle and advise on complex issues.
• Well-organised and great at prioritising multiple demands on their time.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week.

Occasional travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation., Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1000 word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

• Expert knowledge and practical experience of information rights law and practices.
• Experience of identifying, assessing and mitigating compliance risks.
• Excellent communication skills to a range of stakeholders at all levels of seniority on compliance matters.
• Able to deliver at pace and great at prioritising multiple demands on their time., Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .

Pulled from the full job description Annual leave Employee discount Employee assistance programme Company pension, Protect information. Influence decisions. Build public trust. Play a leading role in data protection, information rights and transparency across the Department for Transport. In this influential position, you’ll use your expertise to shape policy, manage risk, drive compliance and help ensure the highest standards of information governance across the organisation.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it’s like working at Department for Transport Central - Department for Transport Careers, Alongside your salary of £44,241, Department for Transport contributes £12,816 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies.