Senior Specialist, Data Protection

Role Overview

Senior Specialist, Data Protection at ADNOC, responsible for developing, delivering, and maintaining an enterprise-level data strategy and governance program across the ADNOC Group.

Role Purpose

Establish and ensure adherence to a corporate governance framework for data and technology policies, standards, and practices at all levels of ADNOC Group. Execute corporate-wide enterprise digital governance activities to achieve consistency, quality, and protection meeting overall business digital needs. Work closely with business, operational, and technology teams to improve data and digital asset quality, resolve governance issues, and respond to regulatory protection requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Data Governance

• Design and roll out an enterprise-wide data governance framework and program, with focus on improvement of data quality, security, and privacy.
• Establish all policy and procedural frameworks for group-level enterprise data governance and management practices.
• Serve as liaison between business and operational areas and technology to ensure data-related business requirements for protecting sensitive data are clearly defined, communicated, understood, and considered in operational prioritization and planning.
• Analyze and manage resources from business and operations areas to achieve their objectives and resolve issues escalated from data governance representatives.
• Develop and maintain inventory of enterprise information assets, including authoritative systems and owners.
• Assist in facilitation of ADNOC's existing data quality standards, data protection standards, and adoption requirements across the enterprise.
• Define roles and responsibilities related to data governance and ensure clear accountability of stewardship of ADNOC Group's information assets.
• Define Enterprise Architecture Information Principles and establish required standards for their rollout, including them in the annual assurance program.

Risk Management

• Establish the required enterprise Risk Management Framework, assessment methodologies, and practices.
• Support risk champions and practice owners in identification, assessment, and reporting of digital risks.
• Maintain risk registers and conduct periodic risk reviews as required by the ERM framework.

Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain effective business relationships with all relevant internal functions, departments, and external entities including shareholders, key government authorities, service providers, vendors, and other key stakeholders with highest standards of business ethics.
• Promptly attend to all critical issues to ensure services required by the organization are delivered in the most effective manner.

Vendor Management

• Provide technical expertise and guidance to conduct market analysis on new technological developments and adaptability of relevant developments in Data Protection within the organization.
• Identify relevant vendors to support technology advancement at ADNOC.
• Lead provision of technical expertise in developing RFPs and RFQs relevant to Data Protection.
• Guide and advise preparation of tendering and contractual documentation to ensure cost-effective and quality services are obtained for ADNOC.
• Guide and participate in negotiation of contractual terms and Service Level Agreements (SLA) ensuring protection of ADNOC's interests and receipt of optimum level of services to facilitate IT operations.

Supervision

• Plan, supervise, and coordinate all activities in the assigned area to meet functional objectives.
• Train and develop assigned staff on relevant skills to enable proficiency and deliver respective business objectives.

Budgets

• Provide input for preparation of Function/Division/Department/Section budgets.
• Assist in implementation of approved budgets and work plans to deliver business objectives.
• Investigate and highlight significant variances to support effective performance and cost control.

Policies, Systems, Processes and Procedures

• Implement approved Function/Division/Department/Section policies, processes, systems, standards, and procedures to support execution of work programs in line with Company and International standards.

Performance Management

• Contribute to achievement of approved Performance Objectives for the Function/Division/Department/Section in line with Company Performance framework.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement

• Design and implement new tools and techniques to improve quality and efficiency of operational processes.
• Identify improvements in internal processes against best practices in pursuit of greater efficiency in line with best industry standards to define intelligent solutions for issues confronting the function.

Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainability

• Comply with relevant HSE policies, procedures, controls, applicable legislation, and sustainability guidelines in line with international standards, best practices, and ADNOC Code of Practices.

Reporting

• Provide inputs to prepare MIS and progress reports for Company Management.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Security, or equivalent. Master's degree is preferable.
• 10 years of experience in a major organization, preferably in consulting with exposure in international markets.
• Large-scale data governance audit, governance management system, and oversight experience, including supervisory role or transformation leadership experience, preferably within the consulting industry.
• Knowledge of industry-leading Digital Governance and Management Framework and practices.
• Practical track record in data governance practices, business and technology issues related to management of enterprise information assets, and approaches related to data protection.
• Knowledge of digital and data-related governance regulatory requirements and emerging trends and issues.
• Consulting skills with change management concepts and strategies, including communication, cultural change, and performance measurement system design.
• Knowledge of risk management, Business Continuity, technology architecture, and technology solutions.
• Widely recognized as subject matter expert in digital governance and data governance domain.

Communications and Working Relationships

Internal

• Frequent contact with Senior Management of all Directorates on key issues relating to Enterprise Architecture and adoption of state-of-the-art technology in line with ADNOC's vision.
• Regular contact with counterparts in ADNOC Group Companies on intra-group coordination on Enterprise Architecture-related issues.

External

• Frequent contact with Contractors, Consultants, and Suppliers at managerial level on matters relating to acquisition of IT services for Data Protection.
• Technical meetings for Enterprise Architecture aspects with contractors and all other teams across ADNOC and other stakeholders.
• Occasional contacts with senior management of international oil companies for exchange of information, benchmarking, study visits, and training programmes.
• Regular contacts with international IT service providers and telecommunication providers on matters related to IT services and strategic directions.