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Job Title:  

Cybersecurity & Privacy Attorney

Job Requisition ID:

JR0000000726

Number of Openings:

1

Shift:

Day (United States of America)

Compensation Details:

$100,000 - $120,000

Job Description:

Closing Date: July 24, 2026

Salary: Up to $120,000.00 (Commensurate with education and experience)                          

Job Code: LEP022

Location: 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA (Twin Towers)

(Headquarters based: A minimum of 2 days per week in the office.  Additional days may be required on occasion).

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is responsible for meeting the child care and early education needs of Georgia's children and their families.  It administers the nationally recognized Georgia's Pre-K Program, licenses child care centers and home-based child care, administers Georgia Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program, federal nutrition programs, and manages Quality Rated, Georgia's community powered child care rating system.

The department also houses the Head Start State Collaboration Office, distributes federal funding to enhance the quality and availability of child care, and works collaboratively with Georgia child care resource and referral agencies and organizations throughout the state to enhance early care and education.

Job Duties:

The attorney hired for this position will take on the responsibility of ensuring that the department is in full compliance with state and federal privacy cybersecurity, AI, and technology laws, regulations, guidance, and best practice.  The attorney in this role provides strategic legal advice on privacy, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), and risk management across agency systems, projects, and data.  The attorney will accomplish the requirement by drafting and reviewing all department-wide privacy and/or security policies and procedures, Memorandums of Understanding, and data sharing agreements, partnering with key personnel in DECAL programs to support and enable business functions while maintaining compliance, and proactively managing day-to-day legal and regulatory risk.  The attorney will also be responsible for reviewing all contracts that may involve privacy and/or data security.   The attorney will be responsible to attend all meetings internal and external that pertain in whole or in part to privacy and/or data security.   The attorney will be required to create and train all departmental staff on an annual basis for data security and/or integrity.  The attorney shall also server as the liaison and subject matter expert on all external audits and reviews of the department that relate to privacy and/or data security. The attorney will coordinate and manage all privacy and/or security incident responses and mitigation efforts on behalf of the department. This attorney shall also work with the IT Department to ensure operations are following state and federal laws relating to privacy and data security.
 

Job Responsibilities:

• Translate complex privacy and regulatory requirements into clear, actionable recommendations for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Lead and execute privacy-by-design initiatives throughout the agency
• Advise and assist in implementing governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) functions throughout the agency
• Partner with agency programs, staff, and leadership to ensure agency functions align with privacy and cybersecurity requirements
• Advise IT in implementation of emerging technologies
• Advise and assist IT Security in implementing privacy controls across agency systems
• Drafting and reviewing department wide policies, procedures, data governance, MOU's and data sharing agreements to ensure compliance with the federal privacy laws.
• Drafting and reviewing all contracts that contain any provisions relating to privacy and/or data security.  
• Attending all meetings internal and external that pertain in whole or in part to privacy and/or data security.
• Create and train all departmental staff on an annual and bi-weekly (new hire orientation) basis for privacy and data security.  
• Work with other Units in the department to ensure operations are in compliance with state and federal privacy and/or data security laws and regulations.
• Work with other state agencies to ensure compliance with state and federal laws pertaining to data sharing/transference.
• Represent the Department before any administrative court and assist the Attorney General's office pertaining to any matters of the department that might need representation.
• Assist with ensuring compliance with state and federal record retention laws.
• Collaborate with Chief Information Security Officer  as liaisons and subject matter experts on all external audits and reviews of the department that relate to privacy and/or data security.
• Partner with IT Security for all privacy and/or security incident responses and mitigation efforts on behalf of the department.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

Juris Doctorate from an accredited college or university and license to practice law in the State of Georgia or

eligibility to sit for the next Georgia Bar examination followed by Georgia Bar exam passage and licensure to

practice law in the State of Georgia within one (1) year of hiring or reciprocity and two (2) years of relevant legal -

experience; or two (2) years of experience required at the lower-level Attorney 2 (LEP021).

DECAL Preferred Qualifications: Preference will be given to applicants who, in addition to meeting the minimum qualifications, possess the following items below:  PLEASE CLEARLY INDICATE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THESE QUALIFICATIONS ON YOUR RESUME. 

• Member of the State bar of Georgia and two years legal experience pertaining to state and federal confidentiality compliance standards. 
• Experience drafting contracts and policies pertaining to privacy and cybersecurity matters.
• Experience training non-technical staff in privacy and cybersecurity matters.
• Experience in data classifications.
• Experience in drafting and executing data sharing agreements.
• Experience in implementing privacy-by-design in cross-functional projects and introducing privacy concepts to non-technical staff.

Technical Competencies:
Strong working competency in state and federal privacy and security laws (HIPAA, FERPA, FISMA, and NIST breach notification requirements).

Physical Position Requirements:

• Occasionally requires moving items or materials of moderate weight up to 30 pounds.
• Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication.
• The ability to speak clearly is required.
• Requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading and visual inspection.
• Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data.  Includes exercising discretion in determining data classification.
• Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.
• The worker must have a valid Georgia driver's license, insurance coverage and have the ability to drive for extensive periods as needed.
• Full range of hand and finger motion is required for data entry purposes.

Benefits working at Decal:

• Vacation: 15 days each year up to 5 years of service
• Sick Leave – 15 days each year
• Holidays – the state of Georgia recognizes 13 paid holidays
• Retirement
• 401(k) plan with a matching employer contribution
• Defined Benefit Pension Plan
• Available Insurance
• Health
• Dental
• Vision
• Legal
• Disability
• Healthcare & Childcare spending accounts
• Life & dependent life insurance

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is an equal opportunity employer and drug-free workplace. A background check will be completed upon hire, which may consist of any or all of the following: criminal and employment histories, credit history (as applicable to the position), education credentials, and motor vehicle driving records.

“If you are an individual with a disability who may require assistance or other reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the selection process for this position, you may contact our HR department at 678-879-2993. Due to the volume of submissions received by this office, information concerning application or interview status cannot be provided in writing, over the phone, or in person. All applicants who submit a complete application package will be considered but may not necessarily receive notification or an interview. The job posting may be subject to being closed at any time without notice. Only those qualified candidates who are selected for an interview shall receive notification upon the filling of this vacancy.

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is an equal opportunity employer.

Minimum Qualifications:

Juris Doctorate from an accredited college or university AND license to practice law in the State of Georgia OR eligibility to sit for the next Georgia Bar examination followed by Georgia Bar exam passage and licensure to practice law in the State of Georgia within one (1) year of hiring OR reciprocity AND Two years of relevant legal -experience OR Two years of experience required at the lower-level Attorney 2 (LEP021)

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

The State of Georgia does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or other protected categories in employment or the provision of services.
Qualified applicants may request reasonable accommodation when needed during the application and/or screening process by contacting the appropriate agency Human Resources department.