Data Rights Team Leader

Data Rights Team Leader

Norwich, Leeds, York and Glasgow

Permanent

DLG is evolving. Across every part of our business, teams are embracing new opportunities and putting customers at the heart of everything they do. Whether you're already part of DLG or thinking about joining us, you'll have the chance not only to be recognised for your skills, but also to build on them and be empowered to do your very best.

What you'll be doing:

To lead the Data Subject Rights (DSR) team in delivering Direct Line’s statutory obligations under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. The role ensures all data rights requests are fulfilled accurately, lawfully, and within strict regulatory timelines, while providing specialist expertise, risk management, operational resilience, and leadership.

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Ensure all DSR requests (SARs, Erasure, Restriction, Rectification, Object, Portability, and ADM/profiling rights) are fulfilled lawfully and within statutory deadlines, providing legal and regulatory accuracy.

• Lead triage, prioritisation, and allocation of work to maintain throughput and compliance during periods of high volume.

• Act as escalation point for complex, sensitive, or high-risk DSR cases involving exemptions, redactions, or litigation risk.

• Own the Quality Assurance framework, ensuring accuracy, completeness, consistency, and robust audit trails for accountability obligations.

• Identify, assess, escalate, and manage operational and data protection risks, ensuring timely escalation to Privacy, the DPO, and other control functions.

• Build strong cross-business relationships to coordinate data retrieval, unblock operational challenges, and support timely fulfilment.

• Provide specialist coaching, monthly 1:1s, performance reviews, capability assessments, and skills development for the DSR team.

• Monitor inflow, backlog, KPIs, and capacity to maintain operational performance. Produce reporting, insights, and risk indicators.

• Champion continuous improvement to templates, processes, tooling, and demand reduction activities.

• Act as subject matter expert for DSR across Direct Line, promoting regulatory awareness and embedding data rights considerations in business change.

What you'll need:

• Deep knowledge of UK GDPR, the DPA 2018, and ICO guidance, including statutory rights, exemptions, redactions, lawful bases, and accountability requirements.

• Advanced understanding of Subject Access Request processes, multi-system data retrieval, and handling sensitive or high-risk personal data.

• Experience working with Data Protection, Legal, and Privacy functions, particularly around risk escalation and breach management.

• Strong workflow management and delegation depending on risk and experience.

• Experience in supporting and providing guidance to members of the team.

• Strong stakeholder management skills.

• High levels of integrity, discretion, and judgement, particularly when handling sensitive personal data.

• Calm under pressure; able to manage competing deadlines without compromising quality.

Hybrid working

Our hybrid model offers a "best of both worlds" approach. When you'll be in the office depends on your role and team, but colleagues spend at least 50% of their time in the office across the month.

Benefits

We recognise we wouldn't be where we are today without our colleagues; that's why we offer excellent benefits designed to suit your lifestyle:

• 9% employer-contributed pension

• 50% off home, motor, and pet insurance, plus free Green Flag breakdown cover

• Additional optional Health and Dental insurance

• EV car scheme

• Generous holidays

• Buy As You Earn share scheme

• Employee discounts and cashback

• Plus, many more

We want everyone to get the most out of their time at DLG. Which is why we've looked beyond the financial rewards and created an offer that takes your whole life into account. Supporting our people to work at their best—whatever that looks like—and offering real choice, flexibility, and a greater work-life balance that means our people have time to focus on the things that matter most to them. Our benefits are about more than just the money you earn. They're about recognising who you are and the life you live.

Be yourself

Direct Line Group is an equal opportunity employer, and we think diversity of background and thinking is a big strength in our people. We're delighted to feature as one of the UK's Top 50 Inclusive Employers and are committed to making our business an inclusive place to work, where everyone can be themselves and succeed in their careers.

We know you're more than a CV, and the things that make you, you, are what bring potential to our business. We recognise and embrace people who work in different ways, so if you need any adjustments to our recruitment process, please speak to the recruitment team, who will be happy to support you.