Data Protection Officer (DPO) - PayLink

Role Overview

Data Protection Officer (DPO) at PayLink, Salla. This role leads and oversees PayLink's data privacy and protection framework, ensuring compliance with Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), its Implementing Regulations, and applicable regulatory requirements.

Company Overview

PayLink is part of Salla, operating within a regulated financial services environment subject to Saudi Arabia's data protection and SAMA regulatory requirements.

Role Purpose

To establish, implement, and maintain a comprehensive data protection and privacy compliance framework that protects personal data processing across all business operations, ensures adherence to Saudi PDPL and SAMA requirements, and mitigates privacy risks across products, systems, and third-party partnerships.

Key Responsibilities

Data Protection & Regulatory Compliance

• Develop, implement, and maintain the organization's data protection and privacy compliance framework in accordance with Saudi PDPL, its Implementing Regulations, and applicable SAMA requirements.
• Monitor regulatory developments and ensure ongoing compliance with applicable data protection laws and standards.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for relevant regulatory authorities on data protection matters.
• Advise senior management on privacy risks, regulatory obligations, and compliance improvements.

Privacy Governance & Risk Management

• Develop, review, and maintain privacy policies, procedures, data retention schedules, and internal guidelines.
• Conduct and oversee Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs/DPIAs) for new products, systems, and business processes.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate privacy risks associated with personal data processing, third-party vendors, and cross-border data transfers.
• Embed Privacy by Design and Privacy by Default principles into business operations.

Data Subject Rights & Incident Management

• Establish and manage processes for handling Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs) and other data subject rights under Saudi PDPL.
• Coordinate with Information Security, Legal, and IT teams to ensure timely and compliant responses to data subject rights requests.
• Monitor compliance with data protection requirements and maintain appropriate documentation and audit evidence.
• Manage personal data breaches and privacy incident response.

Training & Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop and deliver employee privacy awareness and data protection training programs.
• Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, Cybersecurity, IT, Product, and business teams to ensure effective privacy controls.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Law, Information Security, Cybersecurity, Compliance, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience in Data Protection, Data Privacy, Privacy Compliance, or Regulatory Compliance.
• Strong knowledge of Saudi Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and its Implementing Regulations.
• Understanding of SAMA regulatory requirements and their application to financial institutions, payment service providers, or FinTech companies.
• Proven experience developing and implementing privacy policies, data protection frameworks, and compliance procedures.
• Practical experience conducting Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs/DPIAs), privacy risk assessments, and maintaining Records of Processing Activities (RoPA).
• Experience managing Data Subject Rights Requests (DSARs), personal data breaches, and privacy incident response.

Skills & Competencies

• Professional privacy certifications such as CIPP/E, CIPM, or CIPP/A (preferred).
• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and communicate regulatory requirements to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, documentation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Professional proficiency in English; Arabic proficiency is highly preferred.