Data Protection Officer (DPO)

Pakistan Digital Authority is seeking a skilled Data Protection Officer (DPO) to join their team in Islamabad. The successful candidate will be responsible for establishing, maintaining, and monitoring the organization’s data protection, privacy, and data governance programs. This role ensures the responsible handling of personal, sensitive, financial, and confidential information in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, contractual obligations, and internal policies. The DPO will play a critical role in safeguarding data privacy and supporting the organization’s commitment to data security and regulatory compliance.

Key Responsibilities

Data Protection & Privacy Governance: Develop and maintain comprehensive data protection, privacy, and data governance policies and procedures. Manage data inventories, data flows, Records of Processing Activities (RoPA), and relevant data registers to ensure transparency and accountability.

Privacy Risk & Impact Assessment: Identify and evaluate risks associated with personal, sensitive, financial, and confidential data. Conduct or oversee Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) for high-risk processing activities to mitigate potential privacy risks.

Privacy by Design & Data Lifecycle: Implement Privacy by Design and Privacy by Default principles across applications, projects, technologies, and business processes. Monitor all stages of data collection, processing, storage, sharing, retention, and secure disposal to maintain data integrity and confidentiality.

Data-Subject Rights: Establish and manage processes to handle data-subject rights requests and privacy-related inquiries in line with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

Third-Party & Cross-Border Data: Assess risks related to vendors and third-party data processors. Provide guidance on data-sharing agreements, contractual privacy obligations, and cross-border data transfers to ensure compliance.

Data Breach & Compliance Management: Support the investigation and management of data breaches and privacy incidents. Conduct regular privacy and data protection compliance assessments, identify gaps, and monitor remediation efforts.

Technology & Privacy Advisory: Offer privacy and data protection advice for new applications, cloud services, integrations, and emerging technologies. Collaborate on cybersecurity measures, encryption, Identity and Access Management (IAM), Data Loss Prevention (DLP), database, and application controls.

Coordination & Awareness: Work closely with Information Security, IT, Legal, Compliance, Risk, Internal Audit, HR, Procurement, and Business/Data Owners. Develop and deliver data protection and privacy awareness programs to promote organizational compliance.

Reporting: Prepare periodic reports on privacy, compliance, and data protection risks for senior management. Maintain thorough documentation and audit trails to support transparency and accountability.

Required Qualifications

A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Security, Information Technology, Law, Compliance, Risk Management, or a related discipline from an HEC-recognized institution is required.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits

Certifications such as ISO 27701 Lead Implementer/Auditor, Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), or equivalent credentials are preferred. Candidates should have a minimum of four years of relevant experience in data protection, privacy, information security, compliance, or risk management. Experience with data inventories, RoPA, DPIAs, privacy risk assessments, data classification, retention policies, third-party processing, data-sharing arrangements, and data breach management is highly desirable.

Familiarity with GDPR principles, local privacy laws, ISO 27001/ISO 27701 standards, data governance, and privacy compliance frameworks is essential. A basic understanding of cybersecurity concepts, cloud environments, databases, applications, encryption, IAM, and DLP technologies will be advantageous.

The position demands strong competencies in regulatory interpretation, stakeholder management, privacy advisory, documentation, reporting, and maintaining confidentiality and professional judgment.

Applications will be accepted for 15 days from the date of publication; however, submissions will continue to be reviewed until the vacancy is filled. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply promptly.