Data Protection Advisor

Role: Data Protection Adviser

Location: We welcome applications from those looking for hybrid working, based 2 days per week in our Handforth (Cheshire) Office.

Competitive package, including excellent benefits.

About us

Pets at Home Group Plc is the UK’s leading pet care business, providing pets and their owners with the very best advice, products and care. Pet products are available online or from over 450 pet care centres, many of which also have vet practices and grooming salons. The Group also operates a leading small animal veterinary business, with over 440 veterinary general practices located both in our pet care centres and in standalone locations.

“We put pets first” is our number one value at Pets at Home. Every colleague has a part to play to ensure that we deliver on this value every day. Our love and understanding of pets led us to develop our long-term goal to improve the life of every pet in the UK.

This covers not only the pets in our care, the pets of owners that use our products and services but also the pets that we can help through our charity work and through educating and advocating for change in society and the wider pet care and veterinary industry.

Our business is fast-paced, innovative, at the cutting edge of technological developments and fun and it's our people that make the real difference.

This role represents a fantastic opportunity to come and work for an award-winning company, who put people at the very heart of everything they do.

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity for Data Protection Adviser to join the Data Protection team at Pets at Home Group.

Reporting to the Data Protection Officer (DPO), this role will support the data protection team with ensuring compliance with Data Protection law across the group.

The team deals with a wide and interesting range of work, including processing of DPIAs and other impact assessments as appropriate, dealing with data subject rights requests, investigating data breaches, managing complaints, managing record keeping and assisting the business with privacy related projects and queries.

Key Responsibilities

• Process Data Subject Rights requests (SARs, rectifications, erasures etc)
• Process third party data requests (insurance, police, CCTV etc)
• Provide tailored advice to all parts of our business on data protection matters
• Investigate and respond to customer and colleague complaints about the processing of their personal data
• Provide administrative support to the team including but not limited to, managing the teams email inbox, incoming telephone calls and post
• Advise on and respond to personal data breach notifications and identify remedial actions, escalating to the DPO where appropriate
• Provide support to the team with Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs)
• Support the team in conducting data protection audits
• Support with the delivery of training and awareness raising activities to colleagues on data protection related matters
• Support the team with implementation of the data protection strategy and any other data protection work as advised by the DPO
• Maintain a good knowledge of data protection and privacy law, regulation, practices and related guidance and updates at an EU and UK level including GDPR, Data Protection Act and Privacy and Electronic Regulations (PECR) 

Skills and Qualifications

Essential

• Experience of processing Data Subject Requests
• Good knowledge of UK data protection laws and regulations

• Previous experience of handling customer complaints effectively
• Previous experience of successfully investigating and remediating personal data breaches

• Able to work individually and as part of a team with minimal supervision
• Strong communicator
• Experience of organising and planning your own workload, with an ability to prioritise tasks to be able to meet various competing deadlines
• High standard of literacy and effective written communication skills for writing letters, reports, procedures, briefing and meeting notes
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and Adobe Pro (or similar document redaction software)
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with internal / external stakeholders

Desirable

• Background from similar industry or private sector
• Degree level education or equivalent experience
• Data protection related qualifications / certification, i.e. International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
• Good knowledge of the PECR

• Good understanding of information security principles

By joining the team, you will have the opportunity to take on an exciting and challenging role within a supportive and dynamic environment.

Pets just see people. They aren’t biased and they don’t discriminate. We take our inspiration from pets, and we value and respect difference in all its forms. Our aim is to reflect the diversity of the communities we operate in, and every colleague can help us achieve this. We encourage our people to be themselves so even if your skills and experience don’t perfectly align, if you think you can make a unique contribution through your values and behaviours, we want to hear from you!