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Are you a proactive, solutions‑driven lawyer with a passion for data protection, emerging tech, and building best‑in‑class compliance frameworks? Do you bring positive energy, high ownership, and the ambition to shape the future of legal governance in a complex, consumer‑focused organisation? If you’re ready to take the lead on data privacy and wider compliance at one of the UK’s most recognisable hospitality groups, this is a rare and exciting opportunity to make a significant impact from day one.
Job Responsibility:
Lead on UK data protection compliance, advising across Whitbread’s end‑to‑end consumer and employee data lifecycle
Develop, maintain and embed group‑wide policies, procedures and data governance frameworks
Manage and optimise our relationship with the UK’s outsourced DPO
Provide best‑practice guidance to operations in Ireland, Germany and China
Deliver DPIAs, ROPAs, DSAR handling, and data‑related litigation management
Advise on CRM, digital marketing, cookies, and marketing consent
Draft and negotiate data processing/sharing agreements
Guide IT teams to ensure privacy is embedded from the very beginning of any change or initiative
Own and evolve a broad compliance portfolio, including: Code of Conduct governance and communication
Competition law risk and training
Anti‑bribery & corruption framework and controls
AI governance, supporting policy development and advising stakeholders on emerging regulation
Supporting the Legal Director with compliance reports for the Audit & Risk Committee and ongoing risk reviews
Requirements:
Qualified lawyer, 5+ PQE
Deep expertise in UK data protection law (EU desirable)
Experience handling large volumes of consumer and/or employee data (B2C essential)
Strong policy‑writing skills — capable of building frameworks from scratch and owning them
Experience in drafting and implementing procedures, controls and compliance programmes
Comfortable engaging with senior stakeholders and influencing across the business
Ability to operate with a high level of autonomy and enthusiasm
Private‑practice background welcome
in‑house experience is a bonus, not a requirement
Positive, energetic and proactive
Pragmatic, commercially minded and solutions‑focused
Ready to “pick things up”, create structure, and drive change
Excited by the challenge of being the go‑to person for data protection and compliance in a major consumer brand