Cintra HR & Payroll Services Ltd

Head of Compliance & Group DPO Application Deadline: 5 July 2026 Department: Operations Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time Location: Newcastle upon Tyne Compensation: £55,000 - £58,000 / year Description Join our Operations team as a Head of Compliance & Group DPO! We are Cintra. Known for our award-winning software that delivers payroll solutions to over 1000 clients. If you're passionate about payroll and are eager to join a dynamic team of seasoned professionals, this is the opportunity for you. As the proud recipient of the Payroll Service Provider of the Year 2025 award at the CIPP Annual Excellence Awards, we offer exciting opportunities for professional development, competitive bonus structures, and a collaborative work environment. Our modern offices are located in Hoults Yard, nestled on the outskirts of the vibrant Ouseburn Valley. This area boasts a thriving creative community, rich local heritage, and a lively social scene. Why This Role Is Different As Head of Compliance & Group DPO, you will play a critical role in safeguarding the integrity, security and compliance standards of the organisation. Working closely with senior leadership teams, you will oversee compliance and information security frameworks, ensure adherence to evolving regulatory requirements and act as the organisation's lead authority on data protection matters. You will be responsible for maintaining and enhancing our Information Security Management System (ISMS), supporting ISAE3402, ISO27001, ISO9001, CIPP PAS, Cyber Essentials Plus and BACS Bureau accreditation. The role will ensure that appropriate frameworks, controls and evidence are in place to demonstrate ongoing compliance with these standards. You will also support risk management activities, GDPR governance and the successful maintenance of all relevant certifications and accreditations. This role requires someone who can combine analytical thinking and attention to detail with a calm, collaborative and commercially aware approach. What You'll Be Doing Leading and continuously improving the organisation's compliance, information security and privacy frameworks. Maintaining and enhancing the ISMS in line with ISO 27001 and other compliance standards. Acting as Group Data Protection Officer and primary contact for data protection matters. Advising senior stakeholders on regulatory, compliance and information security risks. Leading internal audits and compliance reviews across multiple business areas. Overseeing data breach and security incident management processes. Developing and maintaining risk management frameworks. Delivering training, guidance and awareness initiatives across the organisation. Building strong collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders and external bodies including the ICO. Supporting a culture of accountability, governance and continuous improvement. Assisting with complex client queries relating to our Data Processing Agreement (DPA), ensuring its provisions can be clearly communicated and effectively positioned to minimise the need for significant concessions. What We're Looking For We are looking for an experienced and highly professional individual who brings strong technical knowledge of compliance, information security and GDPR, has excellent organisational and analytical skills, communicates complex information clearly and confidently, builds credibility and trust with stakeholders at all levels, is calm, measured and solutions-focused under pressure, takes a collaborative and supportive approach to leadership, enjoys creating structure, consistency and continuous improvement, has strong attention to detail alongside strategic oversight capability, and is confident balancing operational delivery with long-term governance priorities. Essential CISA, CISM or equivalent qualification. Proven experience within compliance, data protection and information security leadership. Strong working knowledge of GDPR and information security frameworks. Desirable ISO 27001 Lead Auditor / Implementer. Certified GDPR Practitioner. Experience operating within complex, multi-disciplinary or regulated environments. Why Join Cintra? At Cintra we know our colleagues are our biggest asset and an investment in them is an investment into the company. We offer: Hybrid and flexible working arrangements supporting your work life balance. Employer matched pension contribution to 5%. Wellbeing support through our company funded health plan, health checks and employee assistance program. Onsite parking. And more! We go the extra mile to strategically invest in our employees by providing them with invaluable learning opportunities to propel their careers forward. Our commitment to continuous employee training ensures that knowledge remains up to date, skills stay sharp, and confidence continues to grow. We firmly believe in empowering our workforce with the tools they need to thrive and succeed.