Privacy Specialist

The University of Southern California's Office of Compliance is seeking to hire a Privacy Specialist.

The Privacy Specialist supports the design, development, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of a comprehensive privacy compliance program for the University of Southern California and its medical enterprise. This role helps ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and international privacy laws and regulations, including those governing higher education and healthcare environments.

Working collaboratively with stakeholders across academic, administrative, and clinical units, the Privacy Specialist identifies and analyzes privacy risks, supports the development of mitigation strategies, and contributes to a culture of privacy, confidentiality, and ethical data stewardship aligned with USC's mission and values.

Responsibilities:

• Assists in the design, development, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of a comprehensive privacy compliance program for the university and medical enterprise, ensuring alignment with applicable federal, state, and international laws and regulations. Identifies and analyzes privacy risks and issues, supporting the development and execution of risk management strategies and frameworks. Prepares reports and presentations as needed to support compliance activities and leadership visibility. Maintains current knowledge of evolving privacy laws and regulations and serves as a subject matter resource on privacy compliance matters.

• Assists in the development and implementation of a university-wide privacy compliance monitoring framework, including proactive strategies to ensure ongoing adherence to policies and regulatory requirements. Supports the evaluation and continuous improvement of existing privacy policies and procedures to strengthen overall compliance effectiveness.

• Responds to inquiries related to university and medical enterprise privacy compliance, providing consultative guidance to stakeholders on privacy and confidentiality matters. Collaborates with cross-functional partners to ensure privacy considerations are integrated into the design of new technologies, initiatives, and services. Participates as a member of the compliance committee and contributes to internal and external communications in support of ongoing privacy efforts.

• Supports the communication, dissemination, and implementation of university privacy compliance policies and procedures across the institution, ensuring clear understanding and consistent application. Develops and delivers privacy training and awareness programs to promote compliance and reinforce best practices among stakeholders.

• Supports the response, investigation, and mitigation of privacy incidents, complaints, and breaches. Collaborates with relevant stakeholders to ensure timely documentation, reporting, and resolution in accordance with applicable privacy laws, regulations, and university requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 7 years of experience

• Master's degree or Juris Doctor (JD); Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5 years of experience

• Privacy consulting experience.

• Demonstrated ability to implement and manage compliance programs in complex organizations.

• Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems in creative, efficient, and cost effective ways.

• An ability to develop professional presentations, reports, and business correspondence.

• Thorough knowledge of state, federal, and international laws and regulations pertaining to privacy compliance, as well as their impact on the administration of an effective data privacy compliance program.

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to deal effectively with a variety of personalities and skill sets.

• Demonstrated proficiency with the Microsoft suite of software, electronic mail, internet research, and presentation software.

• Able to effectively and discreetly interact with stakeholders in resolving privacy complaints.

• Excellent oral, written, and presentation skills.

The annual base salary range for this position is $118,375- $141,126. When determining an offer, the University of Southern California considers factors such as the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate's experience, education, training, key skills, internal peer alignment, applicable laws, contractual requirements, grant funding, and market conditions.

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