Part-time Data Protection Officer

Need a DPO but not the overhead?

Our flexible service helps you meet legal obligations, reduce risk, and build trust, without the cost of a full-time hire.

  • Fulfill GDPR Article 37 with strategic, on-demand expertise

  • Proactively manage legal risk, incidents, and regulatory change

  • Ensure secure, scalable GDPR compliance, on-site or fully remote

Experienced DPO Support Without Expanding Your Headcount

This service is particularly relevant for startups, AI-driven companies, scale-ups, and mid-sized organisations that require structured data protection and AI governance support, but do not need the overhead of a full-time Data Protection Officer.

It is designed to be flexible and scalable. Engagement can begin with a few hours per month, providing immediate access to experienced DPO and AI governance expertise, and can expand over time as your organisation grows, your systems evolve, or regulatory expectations increase.

This ensures that governance is in place from an early stage, while remaining aligned with your operational needs and budget.

Our Approach

1

Assess

Policies, processing activities, governance maturity, risks, and legal obligations are reviewed to establish a compliance baseline.

2

Advise

Expert input is provided on compliance strategy, data protection principles, DPIAs, vendor risk, data transfers, and internal practices.

3

Monitor

Audits are conducted, DSR handling is supported, breach response is coordinated, and the framework is kept aligned with evolving law.

4

Report

Regular briefings are delivered, records are maintained, and an independent point of contact is ensured with regulators.

The Result: Confidence Through Clarity and Readiness

Certified Strategic Guidance

Expert privacy advice aligned with GDPR, global standards, and your business objectives

Operational Privacy Execution

Direct support for DSR handling, process and vendor reviews, records of processing activities, regulator communications, contract reviews, trainings and more

Scalable Compliance Architecture

Flexible, defensible governance that adapts to growth, offered at competitive value

Two people discussing data analysis and charts in an office setting, with graphs and documents on a large screen behind them.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • egulators look at evidence, not titles.

    They assess:

    • Whether the DPO is properly designated and accessible

    • Whether they are involved in relevant decisions

    • Whether they have sufficient resources

    • Whether they perform their tasks (training, audits, DPIAs, advice)

    A “paper DPO” without real involvement is easy to identify.

  • Yes. The GDPR explicitly allows a DPO to operate under a service contract and does not require the role to be full-time.

    What matters is:

    • Sufficient time and availability

    • Access to systems and decision-making

    • Ability to perform tasks under Article 39

    Regulators assess effectiveness, not employment structure.

  • A part-time DPO is particularly effective for:

    • Startups and scale-ups using AI or data-driven models

    • SMEs with specialised or sensitive data processing

    • SaaS and technology companies

    • Organisations with periodic high-risk projects (e.g. product launches, DPIAs)

    • Groups sharing a DPO across multiple entities

    Where processing becomes continuous, complex, and high-risk, a full-time function may become more appropriate.

  • The GDPR requires the DPO to be involved in all relevant data protection matters and to have access to information and resources.

    In practice, this is achieved through:

    • Defined governance structures (e.g. regular privacy reviews)

    • Mandatory involvement in key decisions (projects, procurement, AI use)

    • Ongoing monitoring, audits, and training

    • Clear escalation channels for risks and incidents

    Effective oversight is about structure, not presence.

  • Availability is tailored to your needs, with flexible part-time arrangements that ensure timely response to incidents, consultations, and strategic reviews.

  • Failure to appoint a required DPO is a direct breach of GDPR.

    Under Article 83, this can lead to:

    • Administrative fines (up to €10 million or 2% of global turnover)

    • Increased regulatory scrutiny

    • Weaknesses in DPIAs, governance, and incident handling

    More importantly, it often reflects broader gaps in accountability and control.

  • The GDPR requires a risk-based approach.

    As organisations grow:

    • More processing → more oversight required

    • More systems → more monitoring and audits

    • More markets → more regulatory complexity

    Scaling may involve:

    • Increasing DPO time allocation

    • Adding supporting roles or local contacts

    • Embedding governance deeper into operations

    A static DPO model rarely works in a dynamic organisation.