Data Protection Manager - 2nd line oversight

As a Data Protection Manager, you'll play a key role in protecting our members, colleagues and communities by helping to ensure Nationwide manages personal data lawfully, fairly and transparently.

Working within our second-line Data Protection Oversight team, you'll provide independent oversight and challenge of how Data Protection risks are identified, assessed and managed across the organisation. Using your expertise in UK Data Protection law and regulatory expectations, you'll form evidence-based opinions on complex processing activities, control effectiveness and emerging risks.

You'll work with stakeholders across Nationwide to promote effective Data Protection risk management, helping to ensure risks are understood, escalated and addressed appropriately. Through your oversight and challenge, you'll support trust with our members and regulators while contributing to Nationwide's purpose as a member-owned mutual.

This is a specialist second-line role requiring current, practical Data Protection expertise and the confidence to provide credible, independent challenge.

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected.

For this role, you'll be based at your nearest regional office or hub. We value time spent together to connect with colleagues for collaboration so there will be a regular requirement to attend our London or Swindon site approximately once per quarter. If you are based at an office location, you'll be expected to meet our hybrid working requirement of at least two days a week, or 40% of your working time if part-time, in the office. If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works.

If we receive a high volume of relevant applications, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so please apply as soon as you can.

What you’ll be doing

You'll provide independent oversight and challenge across a broad range of Data Protection risks and processing activities. You'll review high-risk impact assessments and assess whether Data Protection risks are being identified, managed and mitigated appropriately, providing constructive challenge where weaknesses, non-compliance or opportunities for improvement are identified.

You'll undertake thematic oversight and assurance reviews, assess the effectiveness of Data Protection controls and frameworks, and form clear, evidence-based opinions on complex Data Protection matters. You'll also monitor incidents, regulatory developments and wider risk information to identify emerging themes and areas requiring further oversight.

Working with stakeholders across the organisation, you'll produce concise reports and opinions for senior leaders and governance committees, helping to support effective decision making and risk management. You'll also contribute to incident oversight activities and the ongoing development of Nationwide's Data Protection oversight framework.

About you

This role requires an experienced Data Protection professional with current and demonstrable subject matter expertise.

As a minimum, you’ll have:

• Strong, up-to-date knowledge of UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, PECR and relevant regulatory expectations

• Broad practical experience across a range of Data Protection areas, including experience beyond the operation of individual Data Protection processes

• Experience providing independent oversight, challenge, assurance or compliance monitoring within a second-line, DPO, risk or regulatory environment

• Experience of independently overseeing and challenging the effectiveness of Data Protection processes, frameworks and controls

• Experience assessing complex or high-risk processing activities and forming clear, reasoned conclusions on residual risk

• Experience assessing Data Protection frameworks and controls, identifying weaknesses and producing evidence-based opinions

• Experience engaging with and constructively challenging senior stakeholders, including where further action or escalation was required

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience producing concise reports and governance updates for senior audiences

• Experience managing work independently and prioritising activity according to risk and business impact

• Experience working within financial services or another highly regulated environment

• A recognised Data Protection qualification (for example, CIPP/E, CIPM or equivalent) or equivalent demonstrable professional Data Protection expertise

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind

• Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand

• Push for better - We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development

• Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes

You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.

The extras you’ll get

There are all sorts of employee benefits available at Nationwide, including:

• 25 days holiday, pro rata

• Private medical insurance

• A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for retirement

• Access to an annual performance-related bonus

• Training and development to help you progress your career

• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme

• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones in the event of your death

• Wellhub – access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness

• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year

Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society

We forge our own path at Nationwide.

As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives.

If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us.

At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community, we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society.

We are purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.

What to do next

If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button. You’ll need to attach your up-to-date CV and answer a few quick questions for us. 

We respond to everyone, so we will be in contact shortly after the closing date to let you know the outcome of your application.

Keeping your data and personal information confidential is important to us. To find out more about how we use and process your data, please read our Privacy policy. 

If you want to find out more about using AI in our recruitment process, please read more here. 

Disability Confident  

We’re not just guided by data, we’re driven by the real experiences of our people. We’re a Disability Confident Level 3 Leader, the highest level.  

That’s why we’re constantly evolving our policies and practices to make sure everyone feels genuinely supported, valued, and empowered to champion inclusion. Whatever your needs, we’re here to support you. If you need any additional support throughout your application journey, email our team at Recruitment Support.  

Apply safely with Nationwide 

Recruitment scams can look convincing, so take a moment to check the role is listed on our official careers site and read our guidance on Don’t be conned by a job scam. 

Please note that should you be successful in securing this role, the job title on our internal systems will be Risk Manager Oversight.