Job Description

The Centre of Excellence (COE) is the driving force behind SmartPA, where strategy comes to life. As part of this dynamic department, you will act as an Operations & Compliance Coordinator, responsible for architecting and maintaining the operational framework, data integrity, and compliance pipelines that keep complex client accounts running flawlessly. This particular role is assigned to one of our dedicated client accounts, meaning you will represent our brand while working very closely with a global tech giant.
In this role, you will serve as the protective and operational backbone for critical business initiatives. By managing the end-to-end lifecycle of legal reviews, dataset approvals, and procurement workflows, you will ensure our processes meet rigorous compliance standards while preventing bottlenecks. You will leverage operational best practices and modern digital tools to scale administrative workflows, fostering a culture of precision and 'Right First-Time' operational performance.

Key Responsibilities and Skills

• Legal and compliance coordination: Act as the primary operational liaison for internal and external legal reviews. Track contract lifecycles through complex review stages, collate necessary documentation (such as vendor details, data descriptions, and use-case summaries), and proactively chase responses to ensure deadlines never fall through the cracks.
• Dataset lifecycle administration: Navigate and track the approval process for accessing internal and external datasets. Coordinate usage agreements and licences with external providers, maintain a comprehensive dataset inventory (tracking restrictions and owners), and shepherd proposals through privacy and ethics review processes.
• Procurement and PO management: Manage the end-to-end purchase order (PO) lifecycle for team expenses, software licences, and data access. Collect vendor quotes, draft and submit requests through internal workflow tools, monitor the approval chain, and coordinate financial receipting and invoice routing.
• Research and data support: Support technical and product teams with structured data entry, formatting tasks, and competitive landscape tracking to keep key data repositories and market intelligence trackers completely up to date.
• Stakeholder collaboration: Work closely alongside program managers, internal legal counsel, and dataset providers to bridge communication gaps, formalise operational responsibilities, and ensure seamless cross-functional alignment.

Skills

You possess an unwavering, "microscope" eye for detail—nothing escapes your notice when reviewing contracts, data tracking sheets, or compliance records. You are a systematic, analytical, and thorough thinker who is passionate about risk mitigation and maintaining data integrity. A natural and confident "chaser," you navigate the natural friction of tracking cross-functional approvals with a diplomatic, solution-focused, and professional approach when collaborating with diverse stakeholders, legal teams, and external vendors.

Experience

Your experience is key, but your forward-thinking attitude is what sets you apart.

• Essential:
  • Proven experience in an Operations, Compliance, Risk Administration, or advanced Technical Administration role within a structured corporate environment.
  • Practical experience managing complex administrative workflows that require cross-functional approvals (e.g., tracking legal contracts, procurement lifecycles, or data governance).
  • Exceptional, proven stakeholder management skills, with comfort communicating alongside legal counsel, finance teams, and technical program owners.
  • Experience building and maintaining tracking tools, compliance logs, or databases to monitor task dependencies and contract timelines.
  • Advanced proficiency in Google Workspace tools, specifically Docs, Slides, and Google Sheets for data interrogation and executive reporting.
  • An exceptional, proven eye for detail and a highly methodical approach to managing documentation and compliance guardrails.
• Desirable:
  • Experience working alongside technical, data science, or research engineering teams.
  • Familiarity with contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms or procurement software (e.g., Ironclad).
  • Practical experience or a high aptitude for leveraging AI platforms and LLMs (such as Gemini) to streamline routine tracking or data cleaning tasks.

Schedule

Monday - Friday
Aligned to UK working hours: 09:00 to 17:30 (UK Time)

• 10:00 to 18:30 (SAST) from 29 March – 25 October (UK British Summer Time)
• 11:00 to 19:30 (SAST) from 26 October – 28 March (UK Greenwich Mean Time)

Job Type

Full-time, Permanent
(37.5 hours per week)

What's in it for you?

At SmartPA, we believe in rewarding talent and supporting your growth:

• Competitive Salaries
• Department Incentives
• 33 Days Holiday Because rest fuels greatness
• Employee Assistance Programme