Data Protection Officer

Position Name: Data Protection Officer (DPO)

Designation: Manager / Sr. Manager

Reporting To: AVP

Location: Corporate Office, Hyderabad

JOB PURPOSE:

To oversee and ensure compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 and other applicable privacy regulations, establish privacy governance frameworks, safeguard personal data, manage data protection risks, and serve as the primary point of contact for regulators, data principals, and internal stakeholders on all privacy-related matters.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop, implement, and monitor the organization's data privacy and data protection framework.
• Ensure compliance with the DPDP Act, 2023, related rules, and other applicable privacy regulations.
• Advise management on privacy risks, regulatory obligations, and data protection controls.
• Monitor lawful processing of personal data, consent management, data retention, and data lifecycle practices.
• Conduct Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA/DPIA) and recommend risk mitigation measures.
• Coordinate and manage privacy incidents, investigations, and breach notification processes.
• Facilitate internal and external audits, regulatory inspections, and compliance reviews.
• Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, IT, Information Security, HR, and Business Teams to ensure privacy compliance.
• Develop and conduct privacy awareness programs and employee training initiatives.
• Maintain privacy-related policies, procedures, records, reports, and regulatory submissions.
• Act as the designated point of contact for Data Principals and regulatory authorities on privacy-related matters.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's Degree or higher from a recognized university in Information Security, Computer Science, Information Technology, Law, Business Administration, or related discipline.
• 8+ years of overall professional experience, including at least 5 years of specialized experience in the privacy domain, with expertise in Data Protection, Privacy, Compliance, Information Security, Risk Management, Internal Audit, or Legal functions.

Preferred Certifications

• Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP)
• Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM)
• ISO/IEC 27701 Lead Implementer / Lead Auditor
• ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor
• DPDP Practitioner / DPDP Lead Auditor
• CISSP (Preferred)
• CISM (Preferred)
• ISO 31000 Risk Management Certification (Preferred)

KEY COMPETENCIES:

• Strong knowledge of the DPDP Act, 2023, privacy regulations, and data protection governance.
• Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate privacy and data protection risks, including conducting DPIA/PIA assessments.
• Sound understanding of information security frameworks, regulatory compliance, audit, and incident management.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and training capabilities to drive privacy awareness across the organization.
• High standards of integrity, professional ethics, analytical thinking, and independent decision-making.