Group AI Privacy Engineer / Data Protection Coordinator

Group AI Privacy Engineer / Data Protection Coordinator - Everyday AI, Agentic AI, AI Hubs & Use Cases

About GLS

GLS Group is one of Europe’s largest parcel service providers, with a strong local presence across roughly 40 countries, more than 120 hubs and over 1,600 depots. Every day, our network connects customers and communities through millions of parcels.

Within GLS we are centrally driving our AI agenda across the Group. We operate a two-engine model: specialized AI Hubs delivering advanced use cases and an Agentic Platform that will progressively enable countries to build and run their own agents. Alongside this, Everyday AI tooling - general-purpose AI assistants and embedded AI features in workplace software - is being rolled out across the workforce, multiplying the data flows that need protection. As we embed AI across countries, we need a dedicated data protection function close to delivery to keep AI use lawful, trustworthy and aligned with GDPR and the EU AI Act by design.

Your role

As AI Privacy Engineer / Data Protection Coordinator, you are a hands-on expert embedded in the Central AI team / AI Hubs, responsible for building and operationalizing data protection controls in AI systems.

As the first line data protection role within AI delivery you translate legal and policy requirements into technical architectures and reusable components with a mission to ensure that AI use cases, agents, Everyday AI tooling and supporting platform components are designed and operated in line with EU data protection law, the EU AI Act and the GLS groupwide data protection framework.

You work closely with AI engineers, platform teams, and security to ensure that data protection is implemented, automated, and scalable across all AI use cases, while also ensuring that all relevant documentation requirements are met to support accountability.

You partner closely with the Corporate Data Protection function, which retains accountability for legal interpretation and approvals, while you ensure technical feasibility and correct implementation within AI systems.

You work hands-on with AI product, engineering and platform teams and collaborate closely with the Group AI & IT leadership team, the Agentic Platform team, Workplace IT, the AI Security Engineer, Group CISO, the Corporate Data Protection Office, and country DP and IT leads.

What you’ll do

• Own the AI data protection gate for AI use cases developed within Central AI, including preparation of decision-ready evidence and clear go/no-go recommendations
• Translate data protection and regulatory requirements (e.g. GDPR, EU AI Act, GLS Group Data Protection Framework, internal policies) into clear actionable technical guidance for AI engineers and platform teams;
• Ensure that data protection requirements are embedded into system design and implementation, enabling AI teams to build compliant solutions by design
• Establish and maintain comprehensive, structured, and up-to-date documentation (e.g. data flows, RoPAs, design decisions, controls, and safeguards) that allows for efficient review and oversight by Data Protection functions
• Carry out privacy risk assessments (e.g. DPIA and AI risk analysis) for AI use cases, identifying risks related to personal data processing, model behavior, and system architecture
• Define and drive the implementation of pragmatic mitigation measures, working hands-on with engineering teams to ensure risks are effectively addressed
• Act as a bridge between engineering and data protection functions, ensuring that technical implementations are transparent, reviewable, and aligned with compliance expectations
• Enable scalable governance by ensuring that technical implementations and documentation provide clear, auditable evidence of compliance and accountability
• Embed data protection by design and by default across AI use cases, agents and platform integrations, with strong attention to lawful basis, purpose limitation, data minimization, retention and transparency
• Coordinate handling of data subject rights requests involving AI systems and ensure readiness for AI-related personal data incidents in collaboration with AI Security and central DP teams

Positioning and scope clarity

• Acts as the first line data protection role within AI delivery (embedded in build and deployment, not a separate review function)

Who you are

You are a privacy-focused engineer who understands both modern AI systems and data protection principles and can translate requirements into working technical solutions. You’re comfortable being the data protection voice in the room with engineers, product owners, executives and country teams alike. You don’t see data protection as a brake on delivery; you see it as the condition that makes large-scale AI adoption possible.

We’re looking for:

• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or similar technical field (or equivalent experience) with additional legal qualification (eg. LL.B., LL.M., CIP/E) in an EU jurisdiction or fully qualified lawyer in an EU jurisdiction with additional technology experience (eg. CIP/T);
• 3+ years of experience, ideally in an international corporation;
• Strong working knowledge of the GDPR
• Solid technical grounding in how modern AI systems work - LLMs, RAG, vector stores, agents, tool use
• Experience with DPIAs, international data transfers and data subject rights at scale
• Strong stakeholder management and ability to challenge solution design
• Pragmatic, outcome-driven, comfortable operating under ambiguity
• Fluent English; additional European language is a plus

Nice to have

• Experience in federated, multi-country environments
• Hands-on exposure to LLM / agent platforms (Azure AI, OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)
• Familiarity with data protection topics around Microsoft 365 Copilot or comparable Everyday AI rollouts
• Certifications (eg. from IAPP, ISACA, EIPM, PECB, CNIL, AFNOR, BCS, DEKRA)
• Experience with AI governance or model risk frameworks

Why this role matters

AI is one of the most disruptive shifts GLS is undertaking, and data protection defines how far it can scale. Personal data sits at the core of most valuable AI use cases across the network - from specialized agents inside the AI Hubs to general-purpose AI tooling on every employee’s desk. This role ensures that AI capabilities are not only delivered fast, but are defensible, scalable and consistent across countries.