從隱私軟件工程師、隱私官到隱私事務律師，現在只要和“隱私”沾邊的職位，在人才市場里都很受歡迎。

由于立法者和消費者越來越重視加強數據保護，數據隱私從業者已成商界的香餑餑。企業雇用越來越多在隱私某些領域精通的專業人士，至少在網上發布的招聘廣告中都格外強調“隱私”。

“毫無疑問，隱私保護現在就是非常熱門。”國際人類資源顧問公司Robert Half的法律顧問解決方案業務部董事總經理喬爾·伍斯特霍夫如是評論。

過去四年，招聘網站Indeed上頭銜包括“數據隱私”或者“數據保護”字樣的空缺職位增長了75%。期間需求增長最多的職位是隱私分析師，四年來空缺職位增長一倍多。

近年來爆出一系列丑聞，例如劍橋分析公司為施加政治影響收集Facebook的用戶數據，以及Google Plus向數百個第三方應用開放，導致用戶數據泄露。此后，消費者和立法者對隱私的了解增加。不過，職場對專注隱私的工作者——高管、中層管理者、律師和技術專家的需求之所以增多，背后推手主要是新出臺的監管法規。

去年5月生效的歐盟《通用數據保護條例》為新趨勢打響了發令槍。企業也在為2020年美國加州將實行的《加州消費者隱私保護法》以及未來美國聯邦政府可能通過的監管法規未雨綢繆。

新法律的主要目標是提高企業收集用戶數據及相關用途的透明度。監管法規給了用戶更多控制權，可以選擇對企業分享哪些數據。新規定也要求企業允許用戶刪除個人數據，還命令企業將冗長的使用協議條款解釋清楚，讓用戶更容易理解。

數據隱私監管法規不僅影響科技企業，還波及所有收集客戶或用戶數據的公司。伍斯特霍夫稱，銀行、制藥商、醫療服務商和科技企業都在向Robert Half的咨詢部門詢問數據隱私相關情況。

空缺職位反映出，企業對隱私的關注度上升。2018年，數據隱私和保護人員的招聘職位較2017年增長將近80%，而2014年到2017年崗位需求曾逐年下滑。四年間隱私顧問和隱私律師的空缺職位倒是翻了一倍多。

Facebook目前約有40個與“隱私”有關的空缺職位。其中包括為用戶提供刪除或隱匿個人數據功能的軟件開發員、研究數據合理使用的職位，以及為企業提供隱私事務指導的政策經理。

同時，亞馬遜約有20個與隱私保護相關的空缺職位，谷歌和推特分別約有10個和5個。

現在查不到從事以隱私為主的工作收入多少。由于隱私領域的工作多種多樣，很可能整理不出具體的薪資數據。

有時企業也會找顧問公司代為處理隱私相關的工作。

伍斯特霍夫說：“我幾乎每天都能接到與隱私相關的需求，有些來自美國公司，也有海外公司。兩年前工作量遠沒有這么多。”

專家預計，不管是招聘全職員工還是請顧問，企業對數據專業人士的需求將有增無減。

“這方面的意識越來越強，而且企業領導層普遍意識到了。”談到隱私，高管獵頭及管理咨詢公司光輝國際（Korn Ferry）的高級客戶合伙人艾琳·亞歷山德拉這樣說。

數據隱私對話的性質也在改變。亞歷山德拉指出，過去企業往往依賴于法律顧問來處理數據隱私事務。現在企業已經拓寬數據隱私的職責范圍。她舉例說，企業開始反省：“從企業的角度出發，我們在做什么？”

由于涉及到財務和名譽風險，企業董事會也更關注數據隱私。伍斯特霍夫說，很多公司認為數據隱私是三大關鍵之一，另外兩大關鍵是數據安全和新興技術帶來的挑戰。

未來企業跨國傳遞的用戶數據會更多，還將結合新的技術，也面臨更多可能影響營銷策略的監管措施。其中隱私保護的地位將相當重要。

“隱私保護不會更簡單，而是更復雜。”伍斯特霍夫表示。（財富中文網）

譯者：Pessy

審校：夏林

Wanted: privacy software engineers, privacy officers, and privacy attorneys. In fact, anything with “privacy” in the title will do.

Data privacy workers have become hot commodities in the business world as legislators and consumers increasingly call for stronger data protection. Companies are increasingly hiring people who are specialized in privacy in one way or another—or are at least emphasizing “privacy” in the job ads they post online.

“There’s no question,” said Joel Wuesthoff, managing director of Robert Half Legal Consulting Solutions. “It is definitely a very hot space.”

Over the past four years, the number of openings with the terms “data privacy” or “data protection” in their titles on employment site Indeed have increased 75%, according to Indeed. The biggest rise in demand during that period was for privacy analysts, for which openings more than doubled.

Consumers and legislators have become more aware of privacy following a string of recent scandals—like Cambridge Analytica harvesting Facebook user data for political influence and Google Plus leaving user data vulnerable to hundreds of third-party apps. But even so, the rising demand for privacy-focused workers—executives, middle managers, lawyers, and technical experts—is mostly being driven by new regulation.

The push kicked off with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, which took effect in May. Companies are also preparing for the California Consumer Protection Act, which will come into play in 2020, and any federal regulation that passes in the future.

The laws aim to improve transparency about the user data that companies collect and what they can do with it. The regulations also give users more control over what they share with companies, require that businesses let users delete their data, and mandate that typically voluminous terms of use agreements be easier to understand.

Data privacy regulation doesn’t just affect technology companies, it touches all businesses that collect data about their customers or users. Banks, pharmaceutical makers, health care providers, and technology firms are all calling Robert Half’s consulting arm about data privacy, Wuesthoff said.

Job openings reflect that rise in focus. In 2018, postings for data privacy and protection officers rose nearly 80% from the previous year after declining every year between 2014 and 2017. Meanwhile, openings for privacy consultants and privacy attorneys have more than doubled over the four-year span.

Facebook currently has about 40 job openings with “privacy” in the title. Those listings include software developers who would work on features for letting users delete or anonymize their data, research jobs that explore how data is used, and policy managers who provide guidance to companies about privacy matters.

Meanwhile, Amazon has about 20 privacy-focused job openings, Google has about 10, and Twitter lists about five.

No salary information is available that shows how much workers who focus privacy earn. In any case, it’s probably impossible to compile considering the variety of jobs that fall under the privacy rubric.

In some cases, companies are turning to consulting firms to handle their privacy-related work for them.

“I probably get almost a request a day from companies in the U.S. and overseas for a variety of needs that are being driven from a privacy perspective,” Wuesthoff said. “Two years ago, we didn’t have that level of traffic.”

Whether it’s hiring full-time staffers or using consultants, experts say the greater demand for data professionals will only continue to grow.

“There’s an increasing awareness, and it’s occurring among business leadership,” Aileen Alexander, senior client partner at Korn Ferry, an executive recruiting and management consulting firm, said about privacy.

The nature of data privacy conversations are changing, too. Previously, companies often relied on their legal counsel to handle data privacy matters, Alexander said. Now, the companies are broadening responsibility for data privacy across the organization. Companies are asking themselves, “What are we doing from a business perspective?” she said.

Corporate boards are paying closer attention to data privacy because of the financial and reputational risk involved. For many, it’s among the top three concerns—up there with data security and challenges related to emerging technologies, Wuesthoff said.

In the future, companies will send more user data across borders, integrate new technologies, and be subject to more regulation that affects their marketing strategies. Privacy considerations will play a role in all of them.

“This is not going to get more simple; it’s going to get more complex,” said Wuesthoff.