Overview of the National Transport Authority

The National Transport Authority (NTA) is a statutory body established by the Minister for Transport on 1 December 2009.

At national level, the Authority has responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger land transport services, including subsidised bus and rail and light rail services. The Authority also licenses public bus passenger services delivered by private operators and has responsibility for the regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry (taxis, hackneys and limousines). Other areas of responsibility include the State’s rural transport programme, integrated information systems for public transport customers, management of the Integrated Ticketing Scheme for Ireland (the Leap Card system), and regulation of vehicle clamping.

Within the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) the Authority carries additional responsibilities including:

· Strategic planning of transport;

· Development of an integrated, accessible public transport network;

· Promoting cycling and walking;

· Provision of public transport infrastructure generally including light rail, metro and heavy rail; and

· Effective management of traffic and transport demand.

The GDA includes the local authority areas of Dublin City, Fingal, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, South Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow.

The Authority’s Capital Investment Programme includes an exciting and challenging range of projects and programmes for development and delivery over the coming years. These include mega-projects such as MetroLink, BusConnects Dublin and the DART+ Programme, together with numerous other major projects/programmes in the heavy rail area, light rail area, bus infrastructure and public transport fleet, in addition to a large portfolio of projects in the active travel area. Along with other initiatives in the areas of micro-mobility, transport technology and climate adaption, there are stimulating and rewarding opportunities to make a real contribution to enhancing Ireland’s overall transport system.

Further information on the Authority is available on its website www.nationaltransport.ie

The National Transport Authority wishes to recruit a suitably experienced and qualified individual to the role of Data Protection Officer. Successful candidates may be placed on a panel from which future vacancies may be filled.

Duties and Responsibilities

To support the expanding role of the organisation, the Authority wishes to recruit a suitably experienced and qualified individual to the role of Data Protection Officer (DPO).

Reporting to the Head of Corporate Services, this senior role holder will be responsible for advising the Authority on its obligations and to monitor compliance with national and European data protection laws and practices including an in-depth understanding of the GDPR.

To enable the satisfactory discharge of this critical role, the successful candidate will be involved in all issues which relate to the protection of personal data within the business. In particular, the DPO will be responsible for establishing a network of trained Data Champions across the Authority. The DPO will also be the contact point for individuals within or outside the organisation with regard to all issues relating to the processing of their personal data and to the exercise of their rights under the GDPR.

Key responsibilities associated with this role include:

· Oversee the Data Protection Working Group, comprising Data Champions from all business units, ensuring monthly privacy operations updates to DPO and promoting cross-functional collaboration on data protection;

· Provide regular updates to senior management on data protection compliance levels and performance metrics;

· Act as the primary contact within and outside the organisation on all issues relating to the processing of personal data under relevant legislation;

· Develop, maintain, and improve the data protection policies and processes;

· Develop, maintain and enhance the organisation-wide Subject Access Request (SAR) Log and the Third-Party register for those processing personal data;

· Evaluate and provide guidance on data privacy provisions in contracts with external service providers (third parties);

· Provide guidance to business units in identifying processes, projects, and suppliers that require Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) and Technical and Organisational Measures (TOMs), and take responsibility for reviewing and providing final approval;

· Monitor compliance with the GDPR as well as undertaking systematic data protection audits in accordance with GDPR and Data Protection legislation;

· Implement an Information Governance Framework which both ensures and demonstrates compliance with Data Protection legislation and Authority policies;

· Manage, coordinate and respond to all data protection and privacy-related queries and requests from third parties (including members of the public and regulatory authorities, including the Data Protection Commission in Ireland);

· Manage the data protection risk register, data retention schedules, and all other data protection reference documents aligned to the technical and organisational requirements of the Authority;

· Ensure the Authority maintains compliant records of processing throughout the organisation;

· Advise re. the design and delivery of organisation wide data protection training programs to promote a data protection culture within the organisation;

· Support the AI Governance committee with the oversight of responsible and ethical use of AI in the organisation;

· Manage and mediate any complaints received from data subjects;

· Manage the record of data incidents and the data breach notification process; and

· Other related tasks as assigned by the Authority from time to time.

Note: The functions and responsibilities initially assigned to the position are based on the current organisational requirements and may be changed from time to time. The person appointed requires the flexibility to fulfil other roles and responsibilities at a similar level within the Authority.

Essential Criteria

Please note: In order to satisfy the shortlisting panel that you meet these criteria you must explicitly reference how you meet same in your application. Failure to demonstrate these may prevent your application progressing to future shortlisting stages.

Each candidate must meet the following requirements at the time of the competition closing:

a) Hold a minimum of a NFQ level 7 qualification in a relevant discipline, being legal, business, information systems or equivalent;

b) Have a minimum of 7 years’ satisfactory experience managing a Data Protection or Privacy Programme in a data protection environment, including 3 years’ managerial experience;

c) Have demonstrated expert knowledge and understanding of National and European data protection laws and practices including GDPR and the practicalities of implementation;

d) Demonstrate extensive experience of data protection from a business and information systems perspective;

e) Have excellent written and oral communication skills; and

f) Have a proven track record of strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills, particularly in relation to supporting the development of a network of trained data champions.

Desirable Criteria

Please note: Should further shortlisting be required after essential criteria above, a selection of the following may be assessed.

The ideal candidate will also:

g) Have a good awareness of public service policies, services and activities including familiarity with public sector data processing and data sharing;

h) Have experience of delivering continuous improvements to work practices and systems;

i) Demonstrate excellent attention to detail combined with a solution orientated approach; and

j) Have a methodical approach to completing tasks with the ability to multi-task and prioritise effectively, working under pressure to meet tight deadlines.

Remuneration

Salary Grade: Assistant Principal

Salary Scale: €79,086, €81,999, €84,952, €87,914, €90,873, €92,579, €95,563(LSI 1), €98,559(LSI 2)

Personal Pension Contribution (PPC) rate. This salary is payable to an individual who is required to make a personal pension contribution (PPC) to their main pension (in general those persons whose initial appointment to the Public Service is on or after 6th April 1995).

€76,393, €79,174, €80,707, €83,519, €86,330, €87,955, €90,786 (LSI 1) €93,629 (LSI 2)

Non-Personal Pension Contribution (non-PPC) rate. This salary is payable to an individual who is not required to make a personal pension contribution (PPC) to their main pension scheme.

Annual Leave: 30 days per annum. This leave is based on a five day week and is exclusive of the usual public holidays.

Note:

· entry will be at point 1 of the scale and will not be subject to negotiation;

· different pay and conditions may apply if, immediately prior to appointment the appointee is already a serving Civil Servant or Public Servant;

· the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.

Contract: Permanent Contract

Probation: There is a 6 month probationary period which may at the discretion of the CEO be extended to 10 months.

Selection Process

Prior to completing your application please read the Important Candidate Information Booklet on our careers page here: www.nationaltransport.ie/about-us/careers

How to Apply

Please submit your application in one single word document or PDF referencing the title of the role you wish to apply for in the subject of the email to careers@nationaltransport.ie with the following:

1. A comprehensive cover letter outlining why you wish to be considered for the post and where you believe your skills and experience meet the requirements for the role of Data Protection Officer;

2. A comprehensive CV (not to exceed 3 pages); and

3. A fully completed Key Achievements Form (attached).

Please note that omission of any or part of the 3 requested documents, as set out above, will render the application incomplete. Incomplete applications will not be considered for the next stage of the selection process.

Closing Date

The closing date and time for applications is strictly 12pm (noon) on Friday, 29th November 2024. Applications received after the specified deadline cannot be accepted.

If you do not receive an acknowledgement of receipt of your application within 2 working days of applying, please email careers@nationaltransport.ie.