Senior Counsel, Privacy & Cyber Security

Your primary responsibility as Senior Counsel, Cyber Security & Privacy, is to provide in-house privacy and cybersecurity expertise; including, support of the Cyber Security Program throughout VF and its brands, with a focus on the Americas region as well as global coordination with other VF regions. This also includes strategic direction of the Americas Privacy Operations and Compliance Program to ensure an enterprise-wide approach to consumer and employee privacy that reflects compliance with law, strong data ethics and a commitment to transparency and integrity.

You will work with a wide range of VF teams, including Global Cyber Security, Digital Technology, Data Insights & Analytics, Ethics & Compliance, Risk Management, and Legal Department colleagues, as well as all VF brands across the Americas region and the globe to help shape VF's global privacy initiatives and to accelerate their regional implementation. VF’s focus on innovation across the enterprise means this role will be closely involved in the management of privacy risks related to technology solutions and innovations created and adopted by VF. The Senior Counsel, Cyber Security & Privacy, provides legal research, analysis, advice, guidance, training, preparedness audits, program development and management, and other assistance as required.

This role reports to the Associate General Counsel, Commercial, and will have direct report(s). There is also an indirect reporting relationship to the VP and Division General Counsel, Corporate, for governance and disclosure reporting obligations.

Privacy Responsibilities: 

The Senior Counsel, Cyber Security & Privacy, will continue to develop and implement a Privacy Program across the Americas region which covers all business activities and engages key stakeholders responsible for or related to personal data--from acquisition through deletion. This role will ensure that the Americas region has a comprehensive framework of policies and procedures to safeguard consumer and employee privacy, demonstrate regulatory compliance, and respond to privacy rights requests. This role will develop and execute policies, workstreams, strategies and tactics for the Privacy Program to best align with rapidly changing legal requirements, best practices, policies, and VF's evolving business models and build strategic partnerships with clients, colleagues, vendors, and counterparts in multiple regions of the world, to ensure early engagement with the Privacy Program team to align business activities with VF policies, legal requirements, and best practices. More specifically, the successful candidate will identify and manage risks, develop and implement sustainable risk mitigation strategies, advise on regulatory and contractual compliance, and oversee operational matters including policy updates, Data Registry improvements, Data Subject Request escalations, and Privacy Impact Assessments. This role serves as an ambassador for the Privacy Program throughout VF and its brands, preparing and conducting training sessions and guiding teams on a wide variety of projects involving consumer or employee personal information. This role will identify requirements of applicable data protection laws and regulations and coordinate with privacy counsel in other VF regions to ensure proper data processing and transfer between jurisdictions. Additionally, this role includes supporting other attorneys on the Commercial team to facilitate the efficient negotiation of regional/national/global agreements to ensure that the selection of suppliers and services, and the legal terms of the engagement and transactions, meets all of VF's data protection requirements, policies, and practices. Finally, this role will periodically update VF senior leaders on privacy-related matters.

Cybersecurity Responsibilities:

The Senior Counsel, Cyber Security & Privacy, will be the initial primary point-of-contact for breach response, with a focus on the Americas region. This position will also have primary responsibility for global coordination of breach response with other VF regions. This role will assist the Chief Information Security Officer, the Global Cyber Security Team, other cross-functional teams and other regional VF cybersecurity lawyers in the development and implementation of security measures and in breach investigations and response. This will include guiding breach response activities, providing hands-on support and issue escalation, directing the efforts of internal and outside counsel in litigation and mediation proceedings, and responding to regulatory investigations as required. This individual will continuously develop skills and knowledge of the compliance landscape through research, due diligence, training, benchmarking and other means. This role will also work with the above-referenced functions and global VF counterparts on appropriate training and education for employees on cyber hygiene practices. Finally, this role will periodically update VF senior leaders on cybersecurity-related matters.

• 10-12 years of relevant legal experience with a strong preference for direct experience with both cybersecurity operations and activities and privacy compliance programs within a global consumer-facing commercial organization.
• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an ABA-accredited law school, with a preference for demonstrated academic excellence at a top-tier law school.
• Admitted to practice law and in good standing in at least one U.S. state bar/jurisdiction.
• Certified Information Privacy Professional - US (CIPP/US) certification from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) is strongly preferred.  Certified Information Privacy Professional - Canada (CIPP/C) certification from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) is preferred. Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) certification from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) is preferred.
• Experience working with multiple, diverse teams at a global, consumer-focused organization.
• Demonstrated knowledge of ecommerce, payment mechanisms, retail POS, social media, mobile apps, and digital marketing, software, cloud computing, and IT infrastructure is strongly preferred.

• Advanced knowledge of privacy and data security law and their relationship to business operations, with the ability to apply existing principles to guide development of new policies and ideas across departments and functions.
• Ability to lead in the development and implementation of new policies, practices and procedures across a variety of stakeholders and ensure compliance with said policies, practices and procedures across the region
• Capacity to solve problems that are less clearly defined and with limited information, using conceptual thinking to understand complex issues and their long-term, second- or third-order implications.
• Demonstrated experience translating vision into specific plans, guiding their execution and developing process and procedures to ensure their long-term success across multiple functional areas.
• Strong legal and business judgment to devise and apply new concepts and solutions to multifaceted issues.
• Ability to develop a network of critical relationships across a global organization at all levels serving in the roles of business partner, team member, facilitator and collaborator as needed.
• Strong orientation towards teamwork, collaboration and building trust.
• Ability to convey complex information and persuade diverse stakeholders/ audiences often across multiple cultures.
• Demonstrated record of resourcefulness and taking initiative.
• Highly organized and efficient with advancing multiple projects and competing priorities with often compressed timelines, while exhibiting grace and poise.
• A conscientious focus, with a very strong work ethic and diligent attention to details.
• Highly self-motivated, responsive to the needs of colleagues and stakeholders.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, capable of developing influence at all levels of the organization.
• Strong analytical skills and sound judgment.
• Demonstrate professional ethics, a positive demeanor, support of the client's goals, and enthusiasm for the success of VF at all times.
• Strong end-user technology skills are required (including specifically word processing, database, and presentation technologies), as well as the interest and willingness to adopt new technologies rapidly to improve productivity and efficiency.

Hiring Range:

Incentive Potential: This position is eligible for additional compensation awards that may include an annual incentive plan, sales incentive, or commission potential. Specific details of the additional compensation eligibility for this position will be provided during the recruiting and interview process.

Benefits at VF Corporation: You can review a general overview of each benefit program offered, including this year's medical plan rates on www.MyVFbenefits.com  and by clicking Looking to Join VF? Detailed information on your benefits will be provided during the hiring process.

Please note, our hiring ranges are determined and built from market pay data. In determining the specific compensation for this position, we comply with all local, state, and federal laws.

At VF, we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws.  If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at peopleservices@vfc.com. VF will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.

Pursuant to all applicable local Fair Chance Ordinance requirements, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, VF will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.