Data Protection Officer (DPO)

About the Role

Salla is seeking a Data Protection Officer (DPO) to lead and oversee the organization's data privacy and protection framework. This full-time position is based in Jeddah, Makkah Province, and focuses on ensuring compliance with Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), its Implementing Regulations, and other applicable regulatory requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain the organization's data protection and privacy compliance framework in accordance with Saudi PDPL, its Implementing Regulations, and applicable SAMA requirements.
• Monitor regulatory developments and ensure ongoing compliance with applicable data protection laws and standards.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for relevant regulatory authorities on data protection matters.
• Advise senior management on privacy risks, regulatory obligations, and compliance improvements.
• Develop, review, and maintain privacy policies, procedures, data retention schedules, and internal guidelines.
• Conduct and oversee Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs/DPIAs) for new products, systems, and business processes.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate privacy risks associated with personal data processing, third-party vendors, and cross-border data transfers.
• Embed Privacy by Design and Privacy by Default principles into business operations.
• Establish and manage processes for handling Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs) and other data subject rights under Saudi PDPL, in coordination with Information Security, Legal, and IT teams to ensure timely and compliant responses.
• Monitor compliance with data protection requirements and maintain appropriate documentation and audit evidence.
• Develop and deliver employee privacy awareness and data protection training programs.
• Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, Cybersecurity, IT, Product, and business teams to ensure effective privacy controls.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Law, Information Security, Cybersecurity, Compliance, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Professional privacy certifications such as CIPP/E, CIPM, CIPP/A are preferred.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience in Data Protection, Data Privacy, Privacy Compliance, or Regulatory Compliance.
• Strong knowledge of Saudi Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and its Implementing Regulations.
• Understanding of SAMA regulatory requirements and their application to financial institutions, payment service providers, or FinTech companies.
• Proven experience developing and implementing privacy policies, data protection frameworks, and compliance procedures.
• Practical experience conducting Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs/DPIAs), privacy risk assessments, and maintaining Records of Processing Activities (RoPA).
• Experience managing Data Subject Rights Requests (DSARs), personal data breaches, and privacy incident response.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and communicate regulatory requirements to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, documentation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Work Environment

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience implementing data protection programs, conducting Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs/DPIAs), managing privacy risks, and advising stakeholders on data protection obligations, preferably within FinTech, banking, payments, or other regulated financial services environments.