Data Protection Officer

With almost 7 000 employees, the European Patent Office (EPO) is the second-largest public service institution in Europe. It supports innovation, competitiveness and economic growth across Europe through a commitment to high-quality and efficient services delivered under the European Patent Convention, its founding treaty. It has a yearly budget of EUR 2.3 billion, entirely financed by the fees paid by its users.

As set out in its Strategic Plan 2023, the EPO is proud to deliver high-quality patents and efficient services that foster innovation, competitiveness and economic growth. All its relationships ‒ both internally and with its partners around the world ‒ prosper through trust, fairness, mutual respect, adaptability, collaboration and a commitment to excellence.

For the EPO, as an organisation dealing with intellectual property rights, data protection plays a central role in ensuring high standards in all its internal and external relationships and communications. It is set to become even more important in view of a major digital transformation the EPO will undergo over the coming years.

Reporting directly to the EPO President, you will head the Data Protection Office and manage its EPO-wide remit.

Your main responsibilities
• Monitoring the observance of the data protection guidelines in all processing operations performed by the EPO
• Making recommendations for the practical improvement of data protection at the EPO, including any appropriate changes to its data protection guidelines, and advising its President and organisational units on questions concerning the application of data protection
• Examining any matters and incidents directly relating to data protection that come to your notice
• Providing expert advice and opinions on request and drawing up reports
• Submitting an activities report to the President each year
• Performing the other duties assigned to you in the EPO data protection guidelines

What we offer
• intellectual challenges and empowerment through professional development
• the chance to work with inspiring people from various different cultures
• an excellent social package
• contributory medical-insurance and pension schemes
• relocation benefits and various allowances (e.g. household, dependants', childcare, education, expatriation, installation and rent allowance), depending on their personal circumstances

Process and timeline
The successful candidate will be selected on the basis of qualifications and relevant experience, supplemented as appropriate by interviews, tests and/or a personality questionnaire. The interviews are expected to take place in calendar week 49/50.

* after deduction of EPO internal tax and before deduction of staff contributions to the social-security and pension schemes.

To foster gender diversity, EPO encourages applications from female candidates.

The EPO is an equal opportunities employer and supports workforce diversity as a signatory to the Diversity Charter (Charta der Vielfalt) since 2010.
All applications for vacant positions will be welcomed and considered on the professional merits of the applicant against the role profile for the position regardless of nationality, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, parental responsibilities, age, religion or belief.

Application procedure
Please apply via the 'Apply' button.
Agency calls not appreciated.