Interim Senior Counsel (Privacy, Regulatory & Governance)

Interim Senior Counsel – Privacy, Regulatory & Governance

London | Hybrid

Our client is a globally recognised technology platform that connects hundreds of millions of users through content, creativity, and digital innovation. Operating at the forefront of the digital economy, the business continues to shape how people engage online while navigating one of the most complex and rapidly evolving regulatory landscapes in Europe.

As digital regulation expands across privacy, platform governance, artificial intelligence, online safety, competition, and consumer protection, the legal and regulatory function plays a critical role in enabling sustainable growth and innovation. This is a unique opportunity to join a high-profile legal team operating at the centre of these developments.

The Privacy, Regulatory & Governance team forms part of the wider European Digital Regulation function and works closely with stakeholders across legal, policy, public affairs, product, compliance, and business teams. The group is responsible for advising on regulatory obligations, managing regulator engagement, responding to investigations, and helping shape governance frameworks across Europe.

An experienced lawyer is sought on an interim basis to provide senior-level support during a period of team absences. The successful candidate will take ownership of complex regulatory matters while also acting as a trusted adviser and mentor to more junior members of the legal team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy and execution of regulatory engagements, investigations, and enquiries relating to privacy and data protection matters.
• Manage interactions with regulators and external stakeholders, including the preparation of legal submissions and regulatory responses.
• Advise on the impact of emerging European and UK digital regulation, including the Digital Services Act (DSA), Digital Markets Act (DMA), AI Act, and related legislative developments, with particular focus on their interaction with GDPR requirements.
• Partner with internal stakeholders across legal, compliance, policy, product, and business functions on complex regulatory and governance issues.
• Support and enhance privacy governance frameworks, policies, procedures, and compliance initiatives across Europe.
• Provide practical, commercially focused legal advice on privacy, regulatory risk, and enforcement matters.
• Lead and contribute to cross-functional projects designed to strengthen GDPR compliance and broader governance objectives.
• Mentor and support junior legal team members, contributing to capability development within the function.

About You

You will be a qualified lawyer in the UK or Europe with significant experience advising on privacy, data protection, governance, and regulatory matters. You will have a track record of engaging with regulators and managing complex, high-profile matters in fast-paced environments.

Key requirements include:

• UK or European qualified lawyer.
• Demonstrable expertise in privacy, data protection, regulatory governance, and enforcement matters.
• Experience engaging directly with regulatory authorities, ideally including data protection regulators.
• Strong drafting skills, including the preparation of legal analyses, submissions, regulatory responses, and stakeholder communications.
• Ability to operate effectively under pressure, balancing multiple priorities and tight deadlines.
• Strong organisational skills and a proactive, solutions-focused approach.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence across a broad range of internal and external audiences.
• Experience working in-house or closely supporting technology, digital, or highly regulated businesses would be advantageous.

Preferred Experience

• Deep subject matter expertise in privacy and data protection law.
• Experience handling regulatory investigations, enforcement actions, disputes, or litigation.
• Understanding of wider digital regulatory frameworks, including online safety, content governance, AI regulation, and competition-related issues.
• Experience leading large-scale cross-functional compliance or governance programmes.
• Familiarity with the evolving European digital regulatory environment and its implications for global technology businesses.