Data Protection Officer - Fully Remote

Looking to make a real impact with your data protection expertise? Join a purpose-driven charity as our fully remote Data Protection Officer, working 35 hours per week, where your work will directly support strong governance, protect sensitive data, and help shape organisational resilience.

We are looking for a confident, independent professional to lead on compliance, privacy, and information governance, ensuring we meet the highest standards under UK GDPR while supporting teams across the organisation.

What you'll be doing:

• Lead and oversee our data protection compliance programme and audit framework
• Act as the key contact for regulators, including the ICO
• Manage data subject rights (DSARs, erasure, rectification, restriction requests)
• Advise on Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) and third-party due diligence
• Support incident response, including breaches and corrective actions
• Deliver engaging training and awareness programmes across the organisation
• Maintain compliance records and monitor adherence to UK GDPR
• Provide expert input into business continuity and organisational resilience
• Collaborate with stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership and Board

You will sit within our Governance team, reporting to the Executive Director of Governance & Quality Assurance, with the autonomy to escalate directly to senior leadership and trustees where needed.

What we're looking for:

• Essential:
• Strong experience in data protection, compliance, audit, IT/security, or legal roles
• Expert knowledge of UK GDPR and data privacy legislation
• Proven experience handling complex DSARs, DPIAs, and data incidents
• Experience working with regulators and managing compliance responses
• Ability to influence, challenge, and collaborate across all levels
• Highly organised, independent, and able to manage competing priorities
• Strong judgement when assessing and managing risk
• Qualifications:
• Degree-level education (or equivalent experience)
• Recognised certification (e.g. GDPR Practitioner, CIPP/E, CIPM, C-DPO or similar)
• Desirable:
• Experience working with Boards or non-executives
• Background in the charity, public sector, NHS, MOJ, or local authorities
• Knowledge of ISO 27001 or working with sensitive/vulnerable data

This is a rare opportunity to take on a high-impact, autonomous role in a collaborative, mission-led organisation. You will have the flexibility of fully remote working while influencing how data protection is embedded across the charity at every level. If you're looking to shape best practice, work closely with senior leadership, and make a meaningful contribution to a cause that matters, this role offers both challenge and purpose in equal measure.

Ready to lead on data protection where it truly matters? Apply now and help us build a culture of trust, compliance, and accountability.

About Us:

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community. We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity.

Benefits:

• Flexible working
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme: Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years service and up to 9% thereafter
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Diversity at Forward Trust:

The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with Lived Experience of addiction, offending, or homelessness. When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles.

To find out more about Forward's commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy, please visit our website.

We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.

Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work:

Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview. If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the Eligibility to Work in the UK requirements.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding:

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follows safer recruitment practices and supports a culture of openness and accountability.