Senior Legal Counsel, Privacy and Data Protection

Company Description

At Nielsen, we are passionate about our work to power a better media future for all people by providing powerful insights that drive client decisions and deliver extraordinary results. Our talented, global workforce is dedicated to capturing audience engagement with content - wherever and whenever it’s consumed. Together, we are proudly rooted in our deep legacy as we stand at the forefront of the media revolution. When you join Nielsen, you will join a dynamic team committed to excellence, perseverance, and the ambition to make an impact together. We champion you, because when you succeed, we do too. We enable your best to power our future.

Job Description

This position can be done remotely within the UK. A central-London office is also available for hybrid work if preferred. You will be part of a friendly, international team. 

Job Summary

The Senior Legal Counsel, Privacy and Data Protection will provide sophisticated, practical, and business-oriented legal advice on EU/EEA privacy and data protection matters across Nielsen’s products, services, commercial relationships, and internal operations. This role will independently manage complex privacy workstreams, support Nielsen’s European privacy program, and serve as a trusted advisor to local sales and business teams. The role will work closely with Product, Engineering, Data Science, Information Security, Procurement, Sales, Marketing, and Legal colleagues across jurisdictions.

• Provide senior legal guidance on EU/EEA privacy compliance, data governance, and risk mitigation for business operations, products, partnerships, and commercial transactions.

• Apply in-depth knowledge and experience to solve complex privacy and commercial legal problems, using best practices and a practical understanding of Nielsen’s business.

• Work independently with minimal guidance, lead smaller projects and complex workstreams, and act as a resource for colleagues with less experience.

• Draft, review and negotiate complex data protection exhibits on both the buy-side and sell-side.

• Build consensus among stakeholders by explaining complex, difficult, or sensitive privacy and data protection issues in clear, actionable terms.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day legal advice on the EU/EEA General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), applicable national implementing laws, European Data Protection Board (EDPB) guidance, supervisory-authority decisions, ePrivacy requirements, marketing and consumer protection rules, and other relevant European data protection and digital regulations.

• Maintain deep practical knowledge of EU/EEA privacy and data protection requirements and translate legal developments into clear, actionable guidance, contract language, policies, notices, processes, and implementation requirements for local and global stakeholders.

• Draft, review, and negotiate data processing agreements, data protection exhibits, data sharing and data use agreements, data transfer arrangements, and related privacy provisions in commercial contracts, representing Nielsen on both the buy-side and sell-side.

• Support local sales and business teams on privacy aspects of customer agreements, proposals, product offerings, data services, partnerships, and other commercial opportunities, providing timely and commercially practical advice.

• Conduct and oversee privacy impact assessments (PIAs/DPIAs), transfer impact assessments, legitimate interest assessments, and other privacy risk assessments for products, features, data uses, partnerships, and operational initiatives.

• Conduct privacy due diligence on third parties, vendors, customers, and strategic partners, including reviewing questionnaires and security materials, assessing processing activities and data flows, identifying gaps, negotiating remediation, and supporting ongoing oversight.

• Advise on advertising technology, audience measurement, analytics, identity, cookies, pixels, SDKs, targeted advertising, consent and preference management, data monetization, and related media and marketing data practices. Experience in adtech or media technology is strongly preferred.

• Partner with Product, Engineering, Data Science, Information Security, Procurement, Sales, Marketing, and other stakeholders to assess proposed data collection, use, disclosure, retention, and deletion activities and to support compliant product launches and operational changes.

• Communicate with, or support communications with, local data protection authorities and other supervisory authorities as required, including in connection with regulatory inquiries, consultations, complaints, audits, filings, investigations, and data incidents.

• Support privacy incident and data breach response, data subject rights escalations, regulatory inquiries, audits, and other privacy compliance matters in coordination with local business teams, security, legal, and outside counsel.

• Contribute to and improve privacy program materials, including policies, procedures, playbooks, templates, training, records of processing, data inventories, data retention requirements, and compliance reporting.

• Monitor developments in EU/EEA and national privacy law, enforcement trends, and related digital regulation; assess their impact on Nielsen’s business and communicate recommendations to stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience practicing privacy, data protection, technology, commercial, or related legal work in-house, with a track record of producing high-quality independent work.

• Law degree or equivalent legal qualification; qualification or admission in the UK is required, consistent with the requirements for the role.

• Deep, practical knowledge of the GDPR and applicable national privacy and data protection laws in at least one relevant European jurisdiction, with the ability to apply requirements across products, contracts, and business processes.

• Demonstrated experience conducting or overseeing DPIAs/PIAs, transfer impact assessments, legitimate interest assessments, and privacy risk assessments, including documenting risks and tracking mitigations.

• Demonstrated experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating DPAs, data protection exhibits, and other privacy-related contract terms, including experience advising both buyers/customers and sellers/providers of data or services.

• Experience advising business, sales, product, technology, or commercial teams on complex privacy issues and translating legal requirements into practical, commercially workable solutions.

• Experience engaging with or supporting communications to supervisory authorities, regulators, or other public-sector stakeholders is preferred and may be required for certain matters.

• Strong legal research, writing, negotiation, analytical, and issue-spotting skills, with the ability to exercise sound judgment and build consensus among diverse stakeholders.

• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills; fluency in an additional European language is a plus.

Preferred Qualifications

• CIPP/E certification is greatly preferred, but it is not a hard requirement. CIPM, CIPT, or an equivalent privacy credential is also a plus.

• Adtech, martech, media measurement, audience analytics, data licensing, or digital advertising experience is strongly preferred.

• Knowledge of U.S. privacy and data protection requirements, including U.S. state privacy laws and the CCPA/CPRA, is an advantage.

• Knowledge of APAC privacy and data protection regulations—particularly India’s Digital Personal Data Protection framework, Australia’s Privacy Act and Australian Privacy Principles, or South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Act—is an advantage.

• Familiarity with international data transfers, standard contractual clauses, cross-border data sharing, consent and preference management, privacy management tools, data mapping, and records of processing activities.

Additional Information

What can we offer you as an employee of Nielsen Media

In addition to a competitive salary and benefits we offer a varied area of responsibility as well as an open corporate culture with numerous development opportunities. Above all, our employees appreciate the ability to work independently in a motivated and very friendly team. Social responsibility, open communication and living our values can be found not only on our homepage, but also in everyday work. An informal atmosphere in a dynamic media company with opportunities for ownership and personal development.

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