Privacy & Compliance Specialist, EMEA in Sevenoaks

At Certn, we’re changing how trust works with The World’s Easiest Background Check. Our goal is straightforward: help people move faster - into jobs, homes, and opportunities - by simplifying the path to trust. We’re a team of curious, collaborative builders who care about solving real problems for real people.

The Privacy & Compliance Specialist, EMEA is responsible for supporting Certn’s UK and EMEA privacy and regulatory compliance program for background screening services. In this role, you’ll help manage privacy rights requests, maintain compliance documentation, support screening-specific regulatory requirements, and provide practical support to internal teams and customers.

You’ll work under the direction of our Global Privacy Officer, partnering with Legal, Security, Operations, Customer, and Go-to-Market teams. This role is hands-on and detail-oriented, with a strong focus on helping Certn meet its obligations under UK GDPR, EU GDPR, applicable EMEA privacy and data protection laws, and background screening requirements connected to DBS, Disclosure Scotland, AccessNI, and other relevant regional regulatory bodies.

This position follows standard business hours in the UK/EMEA time zone. Given our globally distributed team, some flexibility may be required to accommodate collaboration across Pacific and GMT time zones.

What You’ll Be Doing (and Crushing)

• Support Certn’s UK and EMEA privacy compliance activities under UK GDPR and EU GDPR.
• Assist with end-to-end data subject access requests, deletion requests, and related privacy rights requests.
• Maintain and update privacy documentation, including Records of Processing Activities, DPIA materials, cross-border transfer documentation, and records related to special category data such as criminal records and biometrics.
• Coordinate responses where Certn acts as a processor, in accordance with customer instructions, applicable data processing agreements, and internal escalation procedures.
• Support Certn’s compliance framework for certain criminal record disclosure services, including DBS, Disclosure Scotland, and AccessNI requirements.
• Create and maintain customer-facing and internal guidance on screening-specific compliance requirements.
• Support responses to client inquiries on data handling practices, lawful bases for processing, and screening regulatory requirements.
• Assist with RFPs, due diligence questionnaires, and compliance-related customer requests using approved materials and guidance.
• Support regional personal data incident and breach assessment activities, including intake, fact-gathering, documentation, escalation, and follow-up.
• Partner with Privacy, Legal, Security, and Operations teams to support containment and regulatory notification analysis under UK GDPR and EU GDPR.
• Support the development and delivery of data protection and compliance training tailored to UK/EMEA operations.
• Create and maintain internal guidance materials for teams handling criminal records, biometric data, and other sensitive information.
• Assist with internal compliance audits, sub-processor compliance documentation, regulatory tracking, and process improvements.

What You Bring to the Table

• Some previous experience in data protection, privacy, regulatory compliance, legal operations, risk, audit, or a related function.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain privacy and compliance concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, documentation, and follow-through.
• Sound judgment when handling sensitive information, identifying risk, and escalating issues appropriately.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with Legal, Security, Operations, Customer, Product, and Go-to-Market teams.
• Post-secondary education in law, business, compliance, privacy, public policy, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Bonus Points

• CIPP/E, CIPM, ICA, or equivalent privacy or compliance certification.
• Experience in background screening, employment screening, identity verification, HR technology, SaaS, or another regulated technology environment.
• Familiarity with ISO 27001, ISO 9001, PBSA, customer due diligence, RFPs, or regulatory inquiries.

Our Culture

We’re a remote-first company with a high-performance edge. We value hustle, hunger, and helping each other win - but we also have a strict no-jerk policy. Ambition here is about lifting people up, not stepping on toes.

What’s In It For You

• Private health and dental insurance.
• Benefits start on the 1st of the month following start date.
• Flex Allowance: £325 per year.
• Professional Development: £650 per year.
• Work From Home Stipend: £325 to get your home office setup as needed.
• Pension through Aviva.

We’re committed to building a workplace that’s diverse, inclusive, and empowering for all. If you need accommodations to support any special needs at any stage of the recruitment process, just let us know - we’ve got you.

Just so you know, the selected candidate will be required to complete a background check.