Data Protection and Privacy Associate Director

As one of the world's largest networks of audit, tax and consulting firms, RSM delivers big ideas and premium service to help middle-market businesses thrive. We are a fast‑growing firm with big ambitions -- we have a clear goal to become the premium adviser to the middle market, globally. This vision touches everything we do, motivating and inspiring us to become better every day. If you are looking for a firm where you can build a future and make an impact, then RSM is the place for you.

At RSM, our consulting team brings together diverse advisory experts to deliver our six core solutions: business transformation, forensic, deal services, restructuring, finance function support, and risk and governance. Our solutions are designed to address the unique needs, challenges, and opportunities our clients face as they strive to achieve their aspirations and organisational goals. Whether it’s supporting global expansion, developing acquisition strategies, facilitating private equity investments, or collaborating with boards to manage risk and governance, our consulting experts work as one cohesive team. We prioritise simplicity, providing data‑driven insights, value‑added assurance, and high‑quality execution to empower our clients in building sustainable, future‑fit businesses.

Why this role matters

We help clients do the right thing with personal data, building trust, enabling growth, and staying on the right side of the law. We take a human‑first, risk‑based approach and partner with our clients to deliver clear, practical, and commercial solutions.

What you’ll do

• Lead client engagements end‑to‑end.
• Plan and deliver privacy advisory work across discovery, assessment, design, implementation, and ongoing improvement.
• Translate risk into action.
• Turn legal and regulatory duties into simple, workable controls that enable teams to have great customer impact.
• Operate in complex B2C environments.
• Advise on customer data, loyalty programs, product analytics, cookies/tracking, AdTech, mobile apps, employee datasets and business transformation.
• Build and mature privacy programmes including policies, ROPAs, DPIAs/LIAs, retention schedules, notices, DSR processes, breach/incident readiness, vendor management, cross‑border transfers and training.
• Steer difficult decisions and help clients navigate commercially challenging trade‑offs, articulating options, risks, and mitigations in clear, simple language.
• Respond to change by tracking regulatory developments (UK/EU and globally) and updating client advice and templates pragmatically.
• Contribute to growth by shaping proposals, estimates, and statements of work; spotting opportunities; and developing re‑usable methods, toolkits, and thought leadership.
• Coach others by providing day‑to‑day guidance to consultants/analysts on engagements and nurturing a positive, accountable, low‑ego team culture.

What you’ll bring

• Significant hands‑on Data Protection & Privacy experience.
• Comfortable operating on your own as the senior advisor on a client account.
• Practical know‑how across customer lifecycle use cases and workforce privacy.
• Strong working knowledge of the UK Data Protection and Privacy legislation and knowledge of global data protection legislation.
• Expertise in DPIAs, LIAs, transfer risk assessments, vendor due diligence, training and awareness, and metrics for programme effectiveness.
• Experience with privacy platforms (e.g., OneTrust/TrustArc), data catalogues/records tooling, or ISO/controls frameworks (e.g., ISO/IEC 27701).
• Qualifications in BCS/ISEB or equivalent.
• Your communication style is straight talking, empathetic, and clear.

What success looks like (first 12 months)

You are the trusted lead for several client relationships, with repeat engagements and strong satisfaction. Clients have materially improved privacy maturity with measurable risk reduction. You’ve helped win/expand work and contributed practical playbooks/templates the wider team reuses.

Diversity and Inclusion at RSM

At RSM, we want to create a strong sense of belonging so that people of all identities, backgrounds, and cultures feel they can bring their true self to work. Our clients come from all walks of life. We aim to achieve that same diversity of background, experience and perspective in our own teams, so that we can genuinely understand our client's needs. Diverse teams bring a broader range of ideas and insights to work. That’s why we’re working together to ensure our firm’s principles and processes support a firm culture that embraces difference and strengthens inclusion.