09 April 2018

The imminent overhaul of data protection rules has created a jobs boom for data protection officers (DPOs), according to online recruitment agency Indeed.

With just weeks to go until the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) goes live, Indeed says it has tracked a 709 per cent surge in the number of vacancies for data protection officers since the rules were ratified nearly two years ago.

According to the company – which claims to run the world’s largest job site – thousands of companies and public sector organisations are still racing to get compliant in time for when the GDPR comes into force on 25 May.

It says the nationwide recruitment drive has piqued the interest of jobseekers, with figures also revealing that since April 2016, the number of candidates looking for data protection officer jobs has increased by 297 per cent.

DPOs typically train staff who are involved in data processing and carry out security audits to make sure personal data is being dealt with legally. The job requires knowledge of data protection law and practices, and because such professionals are in high demand, Indeed says the average salary is currently £47,483 – that’s nearly double the average UK wage of £27,600.

GDPR gives individuals more say over what companies can do with their data. It also introduces tough fines for organisations that fail to comply with the new rules (also see GDPR feature, Dec 2017).