Privacy Officer and Project Manager

Summary

The Privacy Officer and Project Manager provides leadership and coordination for institutional projects involving privacy, data governance, compliance, and operational improvement. This position manages projects from initiation through implementation, coordinating stakeholders, timelines, resources, deliverables, and risk mitigation. As Privacy Officer, the position serves as a central resource for privacy-related policies, procedures, regulatory requirements, and organizational practices, helping ensure that the institution appropriately protects confidential, sensitive, and personally identifiable information.

The position works collaboratively with academic, clinical, research, administrative, information technology, legal, compliance, and other institutional stakeholders to identify privacy risks, develop and implement appropriate processes, and support compliance with applicable federal and state privacy requirements and institutional policies.

Principal Functional Responsibilities

Privacy and Compliance

• Serve as a primary institutional resource and point of contact for privacy-related questions, concerns, and initiatives.
• Monitor applicable privacy laws, regulations, standards, and industry practices and assess their potential impact on institutional operations.
• Assist in developing, reviewing, and maintaining privacy policies, procedures, standards, and guidelines.
• Coordinate privacy assessments and reviews for new or existing programs, processes, technologies, systems, and data uses.
• Identify potential privacy risks and work with appropriate stakeholders to develop and implement mitigation strategies.
• Provide guidance regarding the appropriate collection, access, use, disclosure, retention, storage, and disposal of confidential and sensitive information.
• Collaborate with Information Technology, Information Security, Legal, Compliance, Human Resources, Research, Clinical Operations, and other departments on privacy-related matters.
• Assist with the investigation, documentation, escalation, and resolution of potential privacy incidents and concerns.
• Support institutional responses to privacy inquiries, complaints, audits, assessments, and regulatory requests, as appropriate.
• Participate in the development and delivery of privacy education and awareness programs.
• Develop training materials and communications to promote understanding of privacy requirements and institutional expectations.
• Maintain appropriate documentation related to privacy assessments, policies, training, incidents, and corrective actions.
• Assist with periodic privacy audits, reviews, and risk assessments and track corrective actions through completion.

Data Governance and Institutional Support

• Collaborate with data owners, system administrators, and institutional leaders to establish appropriate data access and handling practices.
• Assist in defining roles, responsibilities, and accountability for the protection and appropriate use of institutional data.
• Support the development and maintenance of data inventories, data classifications, privacy documentation, and related governance resources.
• Evaluate proposed uses or disclosures of institutional data and coordinate appropriate reviews when necessary.
• Promote consistent privacy practices across academic, clinical, research, and administrative environments.
• Serve as a liaison between operational departments and institutional privacy, compliance, legal, and information security functions.

Project Management

• Lead and manage cross-functional projects from planning and initiation through implementation, evaluation, and closeout.
• Develop project plans, timelines, milestones, deliverables, budgets, and resource requirements.
• Coordinate project activities across multiple departments and stakeholder groups.
• Monitor project progress, identify barriers and risks, and develop strategies to address issues and maintain project timelines.
• Facilitate project meetings, establish agendas, document decisions and action items, and communicate project status to leadership and stakeholders.
• Develop project documentation, reports, presentations, procedures, and other materials necessary to support successful implementation.
• Coordinate the implementation of new processes, systems, policies, and initiatives resulting from institutional projects.
• Establish measures and metrics to evaluate project outcomes and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously while prioritizing competing deadlines and institutional needs.

Communication and Leadership

• Establish effective working relationships with faculty, staff, administrators, researchers, and other institutional stakeholders.
• Communicate complex privacy, compliance, and project information in a clear and practical manner to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Prepare reports, presentations, recommendations, and executive-level briefings.
• Facilitate consensus among stakeholders with differing priorities and perspectives.
• Exercise sound judgment when handling confidential, sensitive, or potentially high-risk information.
• Maintain current knowledge of privacy, data governance, project management, and compliance practices.

Other Duties

• Perform other duties as assigned.