Data Protection Officer (DPO)

About this role

Phillips Outsourcing Limited is recruiting a Data Protection Officer to oversee privacy and data protection across the organisation in Lagos. The role involves advising leadership and staff on data protection obligations, maintaining governance frameworks and processing activity records, and monitoring compliance through reviews, training, and action tracking. The DPO will manage data protection impact assessments, third-party data handling, incident response, and regulatory reporting, acting as the main point of contact for the Nigeria Data Protection Commission and other stakeholders. The position requires a strong background in law, IT, cybersecurity or related fields, with substantial privacy or governance experience and professional data protection qualifications. The employer provides outsourcing services to clients across Nigeria and is expanding its operations regionally.

What you would do

• Advise leadership, management, employees and process owners on data protection obligations and privacy-by-design requirements.
• Maintain the privacy governance framework, records of processing activities, privacy notices, data retention standards and data-subject-rights procedures.
• Monitor compliance through risk-based reviews, evidence checks, staff training, awareness programmes and corrective-action tracking.
• Advise on DPIAs for high-risk processing activities, new clients, products, ERP changes, biometrics, surveillance, international transfers and emerging technologies.
• Advise on controller and processor roles, contractual arrangements, third-party due diligence, international transfers and processor oversight.
• Coordinate assessment and escalation of personal data incidents and breaches, including regulatory and data-subject notifications.
• Serve as key contact point for NDPC, data subjects, clients and other stakeholders on privacy matters.
• Report material privacy risks, data incidents, non-compliance and resource limitations to management or governance structures.
• Coordinate statutory filings, audits and engagements with external DPCOs or legal counsel when required.
• Maintain knowledge of evolving data protection regulations and uphold confidentiality and independence from conflicting duties.

What they are asking for

• Bachelor's Degree in Law, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Information Management, Business or related field.
• 7 – 10 years of experience in privacy, legal/compliance, information governance, cybersecurity governance or risk management with substantial data protection responsibility.
• Professional qualifications such as CIPP/E, CIPM, CIPT, ISO 27701/27001, CISA or a legal qualification, plus Nigerian data protection training or certification.
• Practical knowledge of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) and NDPC guidance.
• Strong technical knowledge of privacy governance, DPIAs, data-subject rights, incident management, contracts and information security.
• Strong integrity, confidentiality, interpersonal and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to advise senior management and business stakeholders on data protection obligations and compliance requirements.

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