Head of Global Compliance, Data Protection, and Corporate Responsibility

***This role is based at our corporate office in McLean, VA***

This is your chance to be a leader in an in-house Legal team at a top-tier global hospitality company.

What will I be doing?

This role will lead Hilton's global ethics and compliance program and help determine enterprise strategy for data protection and corporate responsibility, including AI governance and human rights. Reporting to the EVP & General Counsel, you will partner with senior leaders across the company to enable innovative, data‑driven guest experiences and sustain growth while safeguarding Hilton's reputation, mitigating risk, and ensuring compliance with constantly evolving global laws and regulations.

Your responsibilities will also include:

Ethics & Compliance Leadership

• Provide strategic legal counsel across a complex global portfolio including anti-corruption and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) compliance, fraud prevention, global sanctions, export controls, data privacy, mergers and acquisitions, and emerging regulatory areas governing corporate responsibility, including environmental sustainability, human rights and governance of artificial intelligence.
• Lead the global compliance strategy and governance framework, including risk assessments, due diligence, KPIs, program testing, and reporting to senior leadership and the Board. Report quarterly in person to the Audit Committee.
• Advise on potential conflicts of interest.
• Continue to evolve enterprise compliance training and communications to address new business practices, technology innovation, and geopolitical and sanctions-related risks.

Investigations & Regulatory Engagement

• Direct and oversee the company's responses to investigations, audits, and inquiries from global regulators and enforcement authorities, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as criminal and civil authorities across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
• Manage an employee hotline and ensure concerns are promptly reviewed, addressed, and escalated in accordance with company policies and ethical standards.
• Lead all high-risk internal investigations involving alleged ethical or legal violations, ensuring timely, thorough, and defensible outcomes.
• Implement corrective and remedial actions that strengthen enterprise-wide compliance culture, governance, and accountability.

Data Protection & Technology Governance

• Own and evolve the enterprise data protection program, including global privacy policies, consent management frameworks, certifications and attestations, Data Protection Impact Assessments, transfer impact assessments, and responding to data subject requests.
• Enable compliant use of guest and partner data across jurisdictions while maintaining global privacy and consent standards.
• Partner with Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to ensure a strong cyber security program, including incident response playbooks and cybersecurity exercises. Advise on global cybersecurity laws and regulations.

Corporate Responsibility, including Human Rights

• Advise on and contribute to Hilton's enterprise human rights and environmental sustainability strategies, including human rights due diligence in global supply chains.
• Integrate human rights and responsible business practices into owner, operator, and partner engagements.
• Support adoption of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, by establishing governance frameworks and model risk controls that ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and policies.

How you will collaborate with others:

Strategic Advice & Collaboration

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and the Board on complex, cross-border compliance, data protection, and regulatory matters.
• Collaborate closely with Corporate Affairs, Communications, Human Resources, Technology, Commercial Services, Operations, Development, and regional leadership teams.
• Chair or co-lead cross-functional governance forums, including Data Governance Councils and Sanctions or Human Rights Working Groups.
• Provide strategic legal counsel across a complex global portfolio including anti-corruption and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) compliance, fraud prevention, global sanctions, export controls, data privacy, mergers and acquisitions, and emerging regulatory areas governing corporate responsibility, including environmental sustainability, human rights and governance of artificial intelligence.
• Coordinate with external counsel and specialized advisors.
• Lead, mentor, and manage a diverse team of attorneys and non-attorneys, fostering collaboration, professional growth, and a high-performance culture.

What projects or deliverables you will take ownership of:

• Ethics & Compliance Leadership; Global Compliance Framework & Annual Plan (KPIs, risk assessments, program testing, and reporting to senior leadership/Board).
• Investigations & Regulatory Engagement
• Enterprise Data Privacy Program (policies, consent architecture, certifications/attestations, DPIAs, transfer impact assessments, incident/IR playbooks).
• Data Protection, Technology & AI Governance (legal guardrails for data localization, cross‑border transfers, cybersecurity, and responsible AI adoption).
• Corporate Responsibility, including Human Rights Due Diligence Program (supply‑chain mapping, salient risk assessments, remediation and stakeholder engagement).
• Strategic Advice & Collaboration

What are we looking for?
To fulfill this role successfully, you must possess the following minimum qualifications and experience:

• Juris Doctorate (JD) from ABA-Accredited law school.
• Twelve plus (12+) years of progressive legal experience.
• Demonstrated experience in leading compliance and data protection in a global role.
• Knowledge of US and European Union sanctions, anti-corruption, and data protection laws affecting global U.S. companies (e.g., US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, GDPR, NIST cybersecurity framework).
• Experience in hospitality, travel, technology, or consumer-facing sectors.
• Experience interacting with executive leadership.
• Willingness to travel up to 5 weeks per year.

It would be useful in this position for you to demonstrate the following capabilities and distinctions:

• Experience with corporate responsibility including AI governance, human rights protections, and environmental sustainability.
• Experience leading internal investigations.
• Demonstrated management experience leading a team.
• Experience interacting with government regulators and company Board members.

What is it like working for Hilton?

Hilton is proud to support the mental and physical wellbeing of all Team Members so they can Thrive personally and professionally in a diverse and inclusive environment, thanks to our benefits such as the Go Hilton travel program, employee stock purchase program, and paid time off including parental leave.

Hilton, the #1 World's Best Workplace, is a leading global hospitality company with a diverse portfolio of world-class brands . Dedicated to filling the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, we have welcomed more than 3 billion guests in our more than 100-year history. Hilton is proud to have an award-winning workplace culture and we are consistently named among one of the World’s Best Workplaces. Check out the Hilton Careers blog and Instagram to learn more about what it’s like to be on Team Hilton!

We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position and provide other benefits and privileges of employment in accordance with applicable law. Please contact us if you require an accommodation during the application process.