Privacy Officer Bestuursdepartement

The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) is looking for a dedicated Privacy Officer to join the Decentrale Regie Organisatie within the Directie I. The role sits in Den Haag and works onsite, fulltime, on a 1-year contract with a prospect of staying longer. This is a great fit for someone who loves turning privacy rules into practical action and enjoys collaborating with colleagues across governance, ICT, and security disciplines.

As Privacy Officer Bestuursdepartement, you’ll help colleagues decide how to protect people’s data when plans change, new technology launches, or data is shared with other organisations. The job blends advisory work with hands-on privacy practice, coordinating with senior leaders, project teams, and central privacy colleagues to ensure that privacy requirements are understood, documented, and actioned in real projects.

The bureau emphasises an inclusive, collaborative culture and a strong sense of public service. You’ll work with the CIO, information security, data, and digitalisation teams to ensure privacy is embedded in daily work and policy development. Wednesday is the team day on site, with opportunities to share knowledge, receive support, and address privacy questions together.

Inside the privacy office at OCW

In practice, you’ll start by reviewing incoming questions and privacy implications for new initiatives, such as data-sharing for international research or the privacy considerations of a digital tool. You’ll participate in discussions with project leads to determine which personal data are needed and what risks exist, asking the right questions to shape practical, careful solutions. You’ll help document privacy investigations, ensure processing agreements with suppliers meet standards, and assist with people’s data requests, while aligning these efforts with the broader privacy framework the OCW privacy office coordinates with the central privacy function and the CIO’s office.

Part of your week will be spent coordinating with privacy officers and colleagues in information security, data and digitalisation, ensuring that privacy requirements are translated into workable procedures. You’ll contribute to training or briefing sessions and help keep privacy registers up to date. When issues arise, such as a data breach or a request from the public about how personal data are handled, you’ll help steer the response and necessary follow-up. The job is varied: you may support a directie on a new bill’s data needs one moment, then advise on governance for a partner’s data exchange the next.

teamwork is central; the team meets weekly, shares knowledge, and supports one another to address privacy challenges. You’ll help others apply privacy rules in practical ways and ensure compliance is lived, not just documented. You’ll also engage with privacy partners across OCW to strengthen how privacy and information security underpin daily operations and major projects alike.

Must-have requirements

To be considered, you should meet the following baseline qualifications and capabilities.

• You have a master-level education from a university or an equivalent level of academic credential (universitair Master) or possess a comparable combination of education and experience
• You bring a relevant background or training in privacy, law, public administration, information management, or have a certification such as CIPP/e or CIPM
• You have hands-on experience with privacy, data protection, regulatory compliance, or related administrative processes
• You are able to translate privacy rules into clear, practical solutions that can be implemented in everyday work
• You work carefully, spot risks early, and are comfortable raising concerns when needed
• You enjoy collaborating and have interest in digitalisation and responsible data use; experience in government or large organisations is helpful but not required

Nice-to-haves

Added attributes that would help you succeed include the following.

• Prior exposure to the governmental sector or large public organisations

Pay, benefits and practical details

The role is paid on a scale 12, with a monthly salary in the range of €4,818.00 to €7,094.00. The position is a fixed-term contract for one year with the potential to become permanent, and it requires a 36-hour workweek onsite in Den Haag. An important extra is the Individueel keuzebudget (IKB): 16.5% of the gross annual salary, plus the option to convert part of income to leave or vice versa, along with other benefits such as study facilities, corporate fitness, full reimbursement of commuting costs, and partially paid parental leave. The department also offers flexibility around public holidays, allowing opt-in replacements for certain holidays after arranging with a supervisor.

OCW describes its workplace as inclusive and values growth and development, with a supportive culture that encourages teamwork and responsibility. The team day on Wednesdays is a regular feature, and there is a strong emphasis on learning and knowledge sharing across privacy, information security, data, and digitalisation functions.

Advice for applicants

Lead with your privacy governance experience on your resume. Put your university master’s degree or equivalent credential front and centre, and immediately connect it to privacy work or certifications you hold.

Show how you’ve translated complex privacy rules into practical steps. Include an example where you made a compliant, workable solution that colleagues could actually implement, and briefly note the outcome or impact.

Be ready to discuss how you handle risk and stakeholder engagement in a government or large-organisation context. Think of a moment when you identified a privacy risk and partnered with others to address it, noting what you learned.

Craft a thoughtful question to end your interview about how privacy and information security collaborate with the CIO and the Directie I in practical projects, or how training and knowledge-sharing are structured across the privacy network at OCW.

How to apply

Applicants are asked to respond to three questions in a brief letter as part of the application. You may use AI to reflect on your strengths or check whether your text aligns with the role, but do not include personal data and ensure the answers draw on your own experiences. If you don’t yet have direct experience in this function, OCW still welcomes your application and is ready to invest in your development. The selection process includes an initial letter screening, one or more interviews, and an employment terms discussion; the final stage will determine who progresses to the next step.

For more information about the vacancy, contact Peter van Leipsig (Hoofd DRO) at 0615038353. For details about the application procedure, reach out to Werving en Selectie at [email protected].