Data Protection Specialist

BriefYour role

Also known as Data protection officer · Compliance officer data privacy · Data protection advisor · Data protection and security officer

and 5 more

Data protection counsel · Data protection legal advisor · GDPR expert · Legal and data protection officer · Privacy officer

L3 salary: Not published yetSalary figures open with the salaries section.
Upcoming dated changes: 12 changes aheadNext: 28 Nov 2026
Where the changes come from
Each change in the Regulatory calendar comes from an official text, linked on its page.
A change affects this role directly when it names a process that is one of the role's main tasks.
Top critical skills: Data protection and privacy law (GDPR, CCPA, DPDP)
Legal research and regulatory interpretation
Internal controls and risk oversight

See all levels

What the role does

Data Protection Specialist is a role in Legal & Governance. The family covers legal counsel, contracts, company secretarial, paralegal and privacy roles. The core skill is data protection and privacy law (GDPR, CCPA, DPDP), and the main work is audit and assurance, data management and governance and operational risk and controls.

This is a brief profile written from the catalogue. A full profile with a day in the life, level descriptions and the effect of AI is being written.

Levels

L1 Starting out 0-2 years
L2 Independent 2-5 years
L3 Senior or specialist 5-9 years
L4 Leads a team or an area 8-14 years
L5 Leads the function 12+ years

Full level descriptions and job titles

The EFO level names are the common scale; job titles differ between employers.

Levels of Data Protection Specialist
Level	What the work looks like	Typical years	Typical job titles
L1 Starting out	Learns the job; executes defined tasks with supervision	0-2	Banks: Analyst, Junior Analyst, Associate (asset servicing), Trainee, GraduateAsset servicers: Junior, Specialist (entry), Officer
L2 Independent	Owns a process end to end; trains L1; first contact for the team's clients	2-5	Banks: Analyst / Senior Analyst, AssociateAsset servicers: Specialist, Senior Specialist, Senior Officer
L3 Senior or specialist	Deep expertise; handles exceptions and change; represents the function in projects	5-9	Banks: Senior Associate, AVP, Assistant ManagerAsset servicers: Senior Specialist, Expert, Team Lead (small team)
L4 Leads a team or an area	Manages people or a large process; owns budgets or controls; escalation point	8-14	Banks: VP, Manager, Senior ManagerAsset servicers: Team Lead, Manager, Head of Section
L5 Leads the function	Accountable for the function in a legal entity or region; sets priorities and standards	12+	Banks: Director, Executive Director, Managing Director, Head of functionAsset servicers: Head of Department, Director

Skills

The percentage is the skill's share of the role; the bars are drawn relative to the anchor skill, which is shown full.

Critical 3

The job cannot be done without these.

Data protection and privacy law (GDPR, CCPA, DPDP)Weight 15.4%Anchor skillExpected level: practitionerRelevant to you
Legal research and regulatory interpretationWeight 10.3%Expected level: practitionerRelevant to you
Internal controls and risk oversightWeight 10.3%Expected level: practitionerRelevant to you

Important and supporting skills 18

Important 9

Needed in most positions.

Ethical judgment in grey areasWeight 5.1%Expected level: practitionerRelevant to you
Operational resilience and ICT risk rules (DORA and equivalents)Weight 5.1%Expected level: practitionerRelevant to you
Professional written communicationWeight 5.1%Expected level: practitionerRelevant to you
Control mindset (what could go wrong)Weight 5.1%Expected level: practitionerRelevant to you
Identity and access managementWeight 5.1%Expected level: practitionerRelevant to you
Process mapping and redesignWeight 5.1%Expected level: practitionerRelevant to you
Attention to detailWeight 5.1%Expected level: practitionerRelevant to you
Risk judgment and escalation instinctWeight 5.1%Expected level: practitionerRelevant to you
Corporate governanceWeight 5.1%Expected level: practitionerRelevant to you

Supporting 6

Help in many positions.

Application security and frameworksWeight 2.6%Expected level: working knowledgeRelevant to you
Ticketing platforms (ServiceNow)Weight 2.6%Expected level: working knowledgeRelevant to you
Stakeholder managementWeight 2.6%Expected level: working knowledgeRelevant to you
Regulatory change impact assessmentWeight 2.6%Expected level: working knowledgeRelevant to you
Verbal communication and presentingWeight 2.6%Expected level: working knowledgeRelevant to you
Data governance, quality and lineageWeight 2.6%Expected level: working knowledgeRelevant to you

Useful 3

Occasionally useful.

Querying data with SQLWeight 0.9%Expected level: working knowledgeRelevant to you
Working to tight deadlinesWeight 0.9%Expected level: working knowledgeRelevant to you
Advanced Microsoft ExcelWeight 0.9%Expected level: working knowledgeRelevant to you

Processes

The work the role takes part in.

What each process covers

Audit and assuranceMainInternal and external checks on accounts, controls and processes.
Data management and governanceMainData quality, lineage, master data and analytics.
Operational risk and controlsMainIdentifying what can go wrong in processes and keeping controls effective.
Change and project deliverySupportingRunning programmes and projects: plans, budgets, requirements, testing, cutover.
ICT risk and operational resilienceSupportingKeeping systems secure and available, managing incidents and IT third parties.

Dated changes for this role

28 Nov 2026TARGET Services November 2026 releases moved to 28 November 2026Relevant to you
31 Dec 2026DORA register of information: 2027 annual submissionRelevant to you
31 Dec 2026Swift defers SR2026 and the end of unstructured addressesRelevant to you
1 Jan 2027CSRD scope narrowed by Omnibus I; second wave reports from financial year 2027Relevant to you
1 Jan 2027FINMA circular on nature-related financial risks phases inRelevant to you

Worth knowing

Changes that touch a process this role takes part in as a secondary task.

24 Dec 2026EU Digital Identity Wallets: banks must accept them
1 Jul 2027ECB digital euro pilot with 36 payment providers

See all 14 in the Regulatory calendar

Salary snapshot

Salary figures are not published yet

The L3 salary range for this role, with its sources, will appear here when the salaries section opens.

Certifications

CIPP/E IAPP

Concepts to know

Neighbouring roles

Roles that need many of the same skills, by weighted skill overlap, with the skills you would need to add.

Privacy Specialist (Technology)

91% skill overlap

To add: Functional analysis between business and IT

Your role

Compliance Officer

61% skill overlap

To add: Conduct and investor protection rules (MiFID II, FINRA, SEBI), Anti-money laundering regulation

Your role

Conduct Risk Analyst

57% skill overlap

To add: Conduct and investor protection rules (MiFID II, FINRA, SEBI), Anti-money laundering regulation, Consumer credit and consumer duty rules (CCD, Consumer Duty, TILA)

Your role

Regulatory Change Analyst

57% skill overlap

To add: Conduct and investor protection rules (MiFID II, FINRA, SEBI), Anti-money laundering regulation, Prudential and regulatory reporting (COREP, FINREP, US call reports)

Your role

Legal Counsel

54% skill overlap

To add: Contract drafting and negotiation, Assessing the quality of sources, Integrity and discretion

Your role

Cyber Risk Consultant (Banking)

43% skill overlap

To add: Trade lifecycle, Security incident response, Project governance and reporting

Your role

Do this job? Suggest a correction

Sources

The EFO role catalogue, with skills, levels and processes. How it is built
ESCO classification of the European Commission (external site) for job titles