About
the Role
This is a senior
leadership position at the heart of how SmartStart understands and acts on data
across its national network. You will lead the Sense Making, Data, and Insights
function, translating complex information into meaningful action, driving a culture
of learning, and ensuring SmartStart's data systems are fit for societal scale.
You will lead a team of
seven and work closely with senior leadership, government partners, and the
broader ECD ecosystem.
Key
Responsibilities
- Direct a network-wide performance monitoring and sense-making ecosystem to drive data-informed decision-making for senior stakeholders and strategic partners
- Drive the evolution of SmartStart's data
governance from a centralised service to a distributed, enabling
capability
- Align SmartStart's data systems with key
government partners including DBE, National Treasury, and eCares
- Lead rapid learning, iterative
experimentation, and collective intelligence synthesis across the network
- Contribute to SmartStart's senior leadership
community as a values-aligned, adaptive leader
Requirements
- Master's degree in a relevant discipline
(data science, statistics, MEL, social sciences, or public policy)
- 8+ years of relevant experience, with at
least 4 in a senior data leadership role
- Proven ability to lead data teams and
communicate complex insights to non-technical audiences
- Experience in social impact or complex
systemic contexts
- Systems thinker with a genuine learning
orientation and commitment to social justice
Advantageous
- PhD in a relevant field
- MEL/MERL certification or Power BI / Tableau
proficiency
- Experience with eCares or government data
systems
- Background in early childhood development,
education, or public health
- Fluency in one or more South African
languages
- Project management qualifications (eg. PMP, PRINCE2, Agile/Scrum)
Skills Required
- Master's degree in data science, statistics, MEL, social sciences, or public policy
- 8+ years of relevant experience
- At least 4 years in a senior data leadership role
- Ability to lead data teams and communicate complex insights
- Experience in social impact contexts
What We Do
Smart Start is a leading provider of alcohol monitoring technology, specializing in ignition interlock devices and portable breath-test devices. The company offers integrated services including manufacturing, installation, servicing, monitoring, and reporting to prevent intoxicated drivers from operating vehicles.
