Data Protection Audit Specialist

Role Summary 

As a Data Protection Audit Specialist, you will play a key role in strengthening our global privacy and compliance posture across all GEDU, and its entities that process personal data under UK GDPR and EU GDPR. 

In this role, you’ll lead and support internal data protection audits, partner closely with IT, Cybersecurity, Legal, and operational teams, and help us build a privacy environment that is transparent, secure, and audit‑ready. Your work will directly contribute to identifying risks, closing compliance gaps, and ensuring that our global operations meet regulatory expectations with confidence. 

Key Responsibilities 

Compliance Monitoring 

• Monitor and support GDPR compliance efforts across all global entities. 
• Help maintain our global data protection governance framework. 
• Review departmental processes to ensure that personal data is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently. 

Internal Data Protection Audits 

• Plan and conduct GDPR compliance audits across business units, systems, and regions. 
• Develop and maintain structured audit programs, checklists, and evidence frameworks. 
• Assess compliance with key GDPR principles, including: Lawfulness and lawful basis 
• Purpose limitation and minimisation 
• Retention and secure deletion 
• Data subject rights and response processes 
• Produce clear, actionable audit reports focusing on: Identified gaps 
• Associated risk levels 
• Remediation recommendations 
• Track mitigation and corrective actions with stakeholders through closure. Job Description 

Collaboration with IT & Cybersecurity 

• Work closely with IT and Cybersecurity teams to assess technical and organisational measures required under GDPR (Article 32). 
• Review controls related to: Access management 
• Encryption and key management 
• System logging, monitoring, and backup practices 
• Security of cloud platforms and SaaS applications  
• Participate in system reviews, change assessments, and security audits involving personal data. 
• Maintain a global DPIA register, ensuring risks, mitigations, and ownership are documented clearly. 
• Maintain and periodically verify the Record of Processing Activities (ROPA) across all global entities, collaborating with process owners and system experts. 

DPIAs & ROPA 

Incident & Breach Support 

• Support IT/Cybersecurity in incident investigations and post‑incident assessments. 
• Ensure documentation and evidence trails are complete and audit‑ready.  
• Feed insights into improved controls, training, or processes. 

Vendor & Third-Party Assurance 

• Support assessment of vendor security and privacy posture in collaboration with IT and procurement. 
• Ensure that data processing agreements and third‑party safeguards meet GDPR expectations. 

Minimum Requirements 

• A degree in Information Security, Compliance, IT, or a related field. 
• 5+ years of experience in data protection, privacy audits, internal audits, or compliance governance. 
• Strong understanding of UK GDPR, EU GDPR, and related global data protection frameworks. 
• Experience working with IT teams on security reviews and control assessments. 
• Strong analytical, documentation, and reporting skills. 
• Ability to interpret complex technical and regulatory requirements in practical terms.