Data Protection Officer

Data Protection Officer | Contract - 6 Months

A well-known national charity is looking for an experienced Data Protection Officer (DPO) to step in immediately and stabilise a busy function. This is a “hit the ground running” contract where you’ll take ownership of the day-to-day data protection workload, provide pragmatic regulatory guidance, and bring order to a fast-moving inbox and incident landscape.

Start: ASAP
Length: 6 months
Location: Remote (UK) – ability to attend site occasionally in London is a bonus, not essential
Rate: Circa £450/day DOE
IR35: Likely inside IR35

What you’ll be doing

• Act as the organisation’s lead DPO, providing hands-on support and clear, defensible advice.
• Triage and manage the shared DPO inbox: DSARs, incidents/breaches, escalations, and general queries.
• Identify and prioritise the biggest risk areas quickly; apply a practical “keep the lights on” approach in the short term.
• Support regulatory compliance activities and stakeholder decision-making.
• Work with the incumbent DPO during handover in the first week to ensure continuity.
• Contribute to improving the longer-term operating model and supporting a planned permanent hire process.
• Line manage / lead an Assistant DPO once appointed.

Essential experience

• Proven experience operating as a Data Protection Officer in complex environments.
• Strong working knowledge of UK GDPR / DPA 2018 and practical application in real operational settings.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and firefighting - able to walk into “controlled chaos” and quickly implement structure.
• Confident advising stakeholders with clear, pragmatic guidance.
• Exposure to M365 / SharePoint / Purview

Desirable

• Relevant data protection qualifications/certifications.
• Charity / NFP / volunteering sector experience