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Strategic Data & Operations Lead

South Africa - REMOTE
Full-time
Permanent employee

Job Description

What You'll Do
 
At SmartPA, we are the engine of our clients' success. This particular role is assigned to one of our ‘dedicated’ clients, meaning you will be representing our brand whilst working very closely with a global tech giant.  

We are looking for a Data & Systems Lead who possesses a bias for action and a relentless drive to build something great. You are a resourceful and creative problem-solver who thrives on ambiguity and the challenge of turning complex data into a competitive advantage. You will be the bridge between technical execution and business impact, ensuring that every piece of data - from a single spreadsheet cell to a complex dashboard build - is accurate, ethical, and strategically aligned with both SmartPA’s and the tech giant's mission. 

What Your Day Will Look Like 
  • Stakeholder Partnership: Act as a collaborative partner to cross-functional teams. You will present recommendations clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences, including executive leadership, ensuring your insights are acted upon.
  • Forensic Data Stewardship: Manage content and data entry with a methodical approach. You identify and correct inaccuracies at the source, maintaining a "perfectionist’s eye" for detail to ensure the source of truth is beyond reproach.
  • Systems Architecture: Design and maintain low-code applications (AppSheet) and automated Google Sheets ecosystems. You ensure data flows through functions and validation rules with zero friction.
  • Information Design & Visual Storytelling: Build intuitive dashboards and "data imagery" in Looker Studio. You have a meticulous eye for the finer details of data presentation - ensuring titles are punchy, axes are correctly labelled, and legends are clear - so the end-user understands the "story" of the data at a glance.
  • AI Acceleration: Spend a percentage of your time identifying how Generative AI tools (e.g., Gemini) can transform data roles, research complex problems, and automate administrative heavy lifting.
  • Culture & Trust: Champion a data-driven culture by feeding user engagement insights back into models, while maintaining a commitment to user trust and granular privacy controls.

Key Responsibilities and Skills

About You
 
You are a strategic problem solver and a skilled communicator. You are intellectually curious, self-aware, and constantly seeking excellence through opportunities to learn and improve. You are responsive and resilient to challenging, ambiguous, and sometimes changing objectives; you thrive in a fast-paced environment and have a relentless drive to build something great. 

You possess a "Privacy by Design" mindset, understanding the ethical implications of data usage and the importance of providing users with granular controls over their information. Most importantly, you are a proactive self-starter who can work independently while remaining a highly collaborative partner to engineering and product management teams.

Experience

What You'll Need
 
Your experience is key, but your attitude is what sets you apart. 

Essential: 
  • Platform Expertise: Expert-level Google Sheets (advanced functions, pivot tables, data validation) and Looker Studio for creating executive-level dashboards.
  • Data Visualisation & Precision: A high level of "chart literacy." You take pride in the meticulous details of data presentation, ensuring every chart is legible, accurately labelled, and accessible to non-technical users.
  • Execution at Pace: A proven ability to prioritise and work on multiple projects simultaneously to meet competing deadlines.
  • Data Foundational Skills: Proficiency in SQL to extract and manipulate complex datasets from various sources.
  • Meticulous Detail: Proven experience in content management, data entry, or administrative roles where you were responsible for absolute data integrity.
  • Strategic Mindset: Strong business acumen and the ability to connect data-driven insights to business impact, effectively translating business needs into data problems.
Desirable: 
  • AI Fluency: Hands-on experience using Generative AI or Large Language Models (LLMs) to research, write code, or accelerate your workflow.
  • Technical Foundations: Experience with a programming language to support and automate data cleaning or perform statistical modelling.
  • Low-Code Automation: Experience building custom business apps via AppSheet or using Google Apps Script to interconnect G-Suite products.

Work Remotely

Yes

Schedule

Monday - Friday
Your working hours will be 2:00pm to 10:30pm (UK time), aligned to cover the 9:00am to 5:30pm (EST) business day.

Job Type

Full-time, Permanent

What's in it for you?

At SmartPA we believe in rewarding talent and supporting your growth .

  • Competitive Salaries

  • Department based incentives

  • Remote Work

  • 33 Days Holiday: Because rest fuels greatness

  • Growth Opportunities: Develop your skills, advance your career and grow with a company reshaping the industry

  • Employee Assistance Programme 

About us

At SmartPA, we don’t just provide support – we transform it. Our vision is to deliver a world-class, human-centred, tech-enabled PA and admin service that delivers measurable results, today and into the future.

Trusted by global leaders in industries like tech, automotive, retail and legal, we’re the engine behind smarter, more efficient operations. With a vibrant, client-focused culture and a team driven by creativity, no two days at SmartPA are ever the same! 

As we continue to grow rapidly, this is your opportunity to join us on the journey to becoming the most optimised administrative organisation in the world. If you’re ready to challenge the status quo and create meaningful impact, we want to hear from you!