Data Protection Advisor

Job summary

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

Home Office Digital designs, builds and develops services for the rest of the department and for government. Every year our systems support up to 3 million visa applications, checks on 100 million border crossings, up to 8 million passport applications and deliver 140 million police checks on people, vehicles and property.

This is an opportunity for an experienced Data Protection professional to join the Office of the Data Protection Officer (ODPO), playing a key role in helping the Home Office meet its objectives while complying with privacy and data protection legislation. You will work on complex and high-profile issues, providing expert advice, guidance and assurance across the Department and its Arm’s Length Bodies.

In return, you will have the opportunity to influence decision-making at senior levels, work with a broad range of stakeholders, including the Information Commissioner’s Office, and contribute to building a strong culture of data protection by design and default across the organisation.

Job description

As a Data Protection Advisor within the Office of the Data Protection Officer (ODPO), you will provide expert advice and support on privacy and data protection compliance across the Home Office and its Arm’s Length Bodies. Working with stakeholders at all levels, including Senior Civil Service colleagues, you will help ensure personal data is processed lawfully, fairly and transparently while supporting the delivery of departmental priorities.

You will advise on complex and high-profile processing activities, helping business areas identify and mitigate privacy risks, meet legal obligations and implement effective safeguards. The role also involves assessing personal data incidents, breaches, complaints and enquiries, providing practical recommendations and assurance to support informed decision-making. Working closely with internal teams, external partners, the Information Commissioner’s Office and civil society groups, you will contribute to improving compliance capability across the Department and embedding the principles of data protection by design and default.

Key Responsibilities

Your main day-to-day responsibilities will be:

• Provide expert advice and guidance on privacy and data protection legislation, compliance obligations and best practice.
• Assess complex and high-profile personal data processing activities and recommend appropriate risk mitigations.
• Support the assessment and management of personal data incidents, breaches, complaints and enquiries.
• Work collaboratively with business areas and stakeholders to develop practical and proportionate privacy solutions.
• Engage with internal and external partners, including regulators and other public sector organisations, on data protection matters.
• Produce clear and accessible guidance, recommendations and assurance products to support decision-making.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of communications, engagement, training, monitoring and assurance activities within the Data Protection Practitioner Network.
• Promote a culture of compliance and support the embedding of data protection by design and default across the Home Office.

Working Pattern

This role is available on a full-time basis with the option of compressed hours working . This role is also suitable for part-time working hours, with a minimum requirement to work [4 days / 29.6 hours] per week due to business requirements.

Training

As part of the development opportunities available within the role, the post holder will be expected, if not already holding it, to work towards achieving the Practitioner Certificate in Data Protection (PC.dp.) within 12 months of taking up post.

Travel

Occasional travel may be required to other work locations within the UK and may include overnight stays. All related costs will be reimbursed in line with Home Office policy.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Expert working knowledge of UK and EU privacy and data protection legislation, including the Data Protection Act, UK General Data Protection Regulation, Human Rights Act and Data Use and Access Act.
• Experience of advising on privacy and data protection matters within a complex organisational environment.
• Ability to analyse and interpret complex legal, regulatory and policy requirements and explain them clearly to colleagues and external partners at all levels.
• Experience of identifying privacy risks and recommending practical and proportionate mitigations.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, exercise sound judgement and deliver high-quality outcomes to challenging timescales.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence stakeholders and present complex information in plain English.
• Demonstrable commitment to continuous professional development and maintaining knowledge of emerging data protection issues.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working with regulators, public authorities or external partners on data protection matters.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.
• See more of our benefits on our careers website.

Sign-up on our website to receive emails with information about careers at the Home Office.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

As part of the application process, you will first be asked to confirm your eligibility by providing some basic personal information.

After submission of this first stage, you will be invited to complete the following Civil Service Judgement test.

• Online Test – by 12th October 2026

If you successfully pass the Civil Service Judgement test, you will be invited to complete the full application form. Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended). If you fail to complete the online test or full application before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.

Guidance for the Civil Service test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The online tests are accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.

You cannot complete the tests on a mobile phone or tablet.

Following successful completion of your test, you will then be asked to complete the full application form.

2. Application – by 12th October 2026

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 1000 words).
• Evidence of the Behaviour Communicating and Influencing (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour).

Your CV should consist of your career history, and skills/experience , including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

3. Sift – 14th October 2026

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement, CV, Behaviour Communicating and Influencing , as listed in the advert.

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement . Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of all the remaining elements submitted (CV / Lead Behaviour) Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the initial sift will not have their remaining submitted elements scored and will only receive a sift score for that assessed at the initial sift.

4. Interview – 4th November 2026

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) and /Strength based questions. All Behaviours listed in the selection process will be scored at the interview.

The interview will take place on Teams.

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers .

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website .

Do not create or attempt to submit another application, online test or use a different Civil Service Jobs account to proceed as this would be in violation of the candidate declaration.

Locations

You can select up to three locations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred location(s) and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.

Breaking Tied Scores

The behaviours, and strengths have been ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores.

Candidates judged to be a near miss at interview may be offered a post at the grade below the one advertised without the need to go through a further selection process, providing the role has the same Success Profiles elements and essential skills. There is no guarantee that further such vacancies will arise.

Standards

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code , and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Additional Security Ch