Privacy Manager

At Verto, we’re passionate about helping businesses in Emerging markets reach the world. What first started life as a FX solution for trading Nigerian Naira has now become a market-leading platform, changing the way thousands of businesses transfer money in and out of Emerging Markets.

We believe that where you do business shouldn’t determine how successful you are, or your ability to scale. Millions of companies a day have to juggle long settlement periods, high transaction fees and issues accessing liquidity in order to trade with African businesses. We’re on a mission to change this by creating equal access to easy payment and liquidity solutions that are already a given in developed markets.

We’re not alone in realising the opportunity and need to solve for emerging markets. We’re backed by world-class investors including Y-Combinator, Quona and MEVP, power payments for some of the most disruptive start-ups in the world and have a list of accolades from leading publications including being voted ‘Fintech Start Up of the Year’ at Fintech Awards London 2022.

Each year we process billions of dollars of payments and provide companies with solutions which help them to save money, automate processes and grow, but we’re only just getting started.

We’re seeking a Data Protection Officer/ Privacy Specialist to join our team as the first dedicated privacy professional. This senior role will take ownership of all privacy-related matters within the company, driving compliance with global data protection regulations and embedding privacy best practices across our operations.

The ideal candidate will have experience managing privacy in a global context, demonstrate a strong ability to learn and adapt quickly, and excel in executing privacy strategies. This is a unique opportunity to shape and lead privacy initiatives in a dynamic environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Privacy Program Development: Establish and maintain the company’s privacy framework, policies, and processes to ensure compliance with global data protection laws (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, POPIA).

• Compliance Monitoring: Track regulatory changes in privacy laws across jurisdictions and implement necessary updates to company policies and practices.

• Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs): Conduct DPIAs and advise teams on mitigating privacy risks for new products, services, or processes.

• Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner with legal, compliance, product, and engineering teams to embed privacy-by-design principles and address privacy considerations in company projects.

• Training & Awareness: Develop and deliver privacy training programs for employees to ensure understanding of data protection obligations.

• Incident Response: Support the identification and management of data breaches or incidents, including regulatory reporting and remediation efforts.

• Vendor Management: Assess third-party vendors for privacy compliance and manage data processing agreements.

• Documentation & Reporting: Maintain accurate records of processing activities, including data inventories and consent mechanisms, and prepare reports for internal and external stakeholders as needed.

• Audit and Certifications: Managing internal and external privacy audits and application for certifications ISO/27001 and PCIDSS, as well as other information security and data accreditations. 

Qualifications

• Experience:

  • 5+ years of experience in privacy, data protection, or related compliance roles (managing data mapping and related documentation)

  • Proven track record of handling privacy matters in a global context.

  • Experience in the financial services industry is an advantage. 

• Knowledge:

  • Solid understanding of global privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, POPIA).

  • Familiarity with privacy frameworks is a plus.

• Skills:

  • Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify and mitigate risks.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

  • Ability to learn quickly, work independently, and execute effectively in a fast-paced environment.

• Education & Certifications:

  • A degree in a relevant field (e.g., IT, Law) is required. A legal background is a strong advantage.

  • Privacy certifications (e.g., CIPP/E, CIPM, CDPSE) are a strong advantage.