Compliance Officer

An individual responsible for overseeing an organization's adherence to privacy laws, regulations, and internal policies. While not all organizations are required to designate a compliance officer, many do so to ensure focused accountability for privacy matters. The compliance officer (sometimes called a privacy officer or privacy lead) typically develops and implements privacy policies, conducts compliance assessments, provides guidance to staff, manages data subject requests, serves as point of contact with regulators, coordinates incident response, oversees vendor compliance, and reports to leadership on privacy matters. This role differs from a Data Protection Officer (DPO) under GDPR, which has specific independence requirements and protected status. Compliance officers may handle privacy alongside other compliance areas or focus exclusively on privacy. Effective compliance officers combine legal knowledge, technical understanding, business acumen, and communication skills.