Compliance Officer Data Privacy at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Summary

The Group Data Privacy Office is responsible for ensuring compliance with Data Privacy and Data Protection requirements in all the Jurisdictions Absa operates. The role would serve to provide guidance and support to the various internal stakeholders on Data Privacy requirements and ensure the organization is complainant with all applicable data protection and privacy prescripts.

This role will drive the institutionalisation and embedment of a Data Protection Culture across the Group by assisting the Group Privacy Office in creating awareness, supporting, and guiding Business in the implementation of Data Privacy Policies and Standards and relevant Privacy legislation applicable to Absa Group LTD.

Job Description

Accountability

• Assist the Africa Regional Privacy Officer supporting ASUK, ASUS, Mauritius, Seychelles, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Botswana, Zambia (current Privacy laws in place) with Data Privacy Compliance accountability obligations.
• Assist ARO in the engagement with data owners on centralizing records management, records lifecycle management, data architects and the development of a processes for effective data destruction and retention.
• Support the Senior Privacy Officer (SPO) in the enablement of compliance with data privacy & data protection regulations.
• Foster a data protection and privacy culture within the organization.
• Assist the SPO conduct data privacy impact assessments for the Group’s products, projects, and processes.
• Partner with Business and Technology to ensure data privacy issues are considered at the outset of new projects, products, and initiatives.
• Monitor the evolving data privacy regulatory landscape to keep visibility on trends, and best practices to adequately address current polices or standards.
• Inform and monitor the Absa Group Limited Data Privacy risk appetite and changes to it.
• Assist in the development and maintaining of an appropriate operating model to ensure that the data privacy policy and standards requirements are implemented within Business with adequate oversight from the Group Privacy Office.
• Assess the risk on all requests for dispensations, waivers, and breaches, and escalate to the Principal Risk Officer for consideration.
• Participate in investigations, reviews, approvals, incidents, and exceptions to address matters impacting the risk.
• Assist in the development of the process for the identification and assessment of all severity incident breaches within Absa Group Limited.
• Administer the Group Data Privacy Data Subject Access & PAIA requests.

Oversight & reporting

• Monitor compliance with data protection regulations and Group policies
• Support the data incident response and data breach notification procedures
• Timeously validate and respond to data subject requests
• Assist in overseeing data privacy incident, breach procedures and response, including investigation, documentation, reporting, maintenance of records and the implementation of corrective action.
• Assist in the management of and reporting on the status of data privacy risk to internal and, where relevant, external stakeholders, including regulatory bodies.
• Keep up to date and maintain the Group Risk Framework and identify and warn the business and the Compliance Executive Committee of emerging risks. Develop the methods to manage risks, by providing actionable intelligence.
• Promote and communicate the embedment of compliance throughout the organisation and oversee the development and implementation of high-quality compliance policies and standards.

Management and Leadership

• Develop the capability through internal and external networks, research, and tools to identify emerging risks and potential enhancement of the Risk Framework and Data Privacy Policy.
• Assist in the Developing and implement policies, procedures, and systems to ensure efficient and effective identification and assessment of Data Privacy risks
• Promote the cultural, behavioural, and organisational changes necessary within the business to achieve continuous improvement.

Accountability: Stakeholder management

• Act as an ambassador with colleagues, regulators, and other stakeholders with a view to establishing a leading function within the organization. Monitor and report progress with advancing ethical culture with regard to maturity model.
• Assist in implementing corrective actions from ethics culture and climate monitoring report.
• Ensure that all Absa’s polices, processes, and systems are aligned with and in support of the Absa Way Code of Ethics.
• Interpret the Absa Way Code of Ethics and supporting policies and provide ethics advice and recommendations.
• Monitors evaluate and report adherence to ethical standards and procedures.

Relationship, Teamwork and Collaboration

• Build professional relationships with stakeholders by providing professional knowledge on ethics and corporate governance.

Education

• Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)