SmartStart, Data Systems, Quality & Governance Fellow

This is a job in the Sense-Making, Data and Insights (SDI) department within the wider Innovation & Learning portfolio. The Data Systems, Quality & Governance Fellow will play a central role in strengthening the organisation’s data systems and processes for effective and efficient operations, and ongoing innovating and learning, which are integral to SmartStart’s new five-year strategy 2026-31.  

SmartStart has grown beyond start-up, but its data systems have not yet evolved correspondingly — and are not fit for the future emerging in SmartStart’s new strategy. SmartStart needs to transition, culturally and technically, from a way of working in which the data team have been treated as the single source of data to a future in which data is used and managed as a distributed asset and responsibility (like people and finances). SmartStart has recently taken steps in this direction, including drafting a data use, management and governance framework; and collaboratively identifying and designating data owners and stewards in key areas. These initiatives are early-stage and have not yet shaped business as usual. Ahead, and soon, we need to make data a distributed enabler and leverage is centrally as a strategic asset. 

The Sense-Making, Data & Insights Team comprises a Head; a monitoring & learning function; a data analysis & science function; and a limited data system, quality & governance function — which this fellow would catalyse and may lead for the duration of the fellowship. The fellow would work closely with SmartStart’s technology team, which is responsible for systems architecture.

Key responsibilities

Data Systems, Quality & Governance 

Governance 

• Design, operationalise and oversee the data governance function within the organisation 
• Coordinate and lead data governance efforts, including defining data ownership, steward roles, and accountability structures across operational teams 
• Enable and support data governance processes, including data availability, accessibility, integrity, quality (including accuracy, consistency, and reliability), usability, security, and compliance (in collaboration with IT and legal teams) 
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to improve data practices, including onboarding sessions, governance workshops, and learning events 
• Support product stewardship for key data platforms, ensuring alignment between data processes, user needs, and platform functionality 
• Develop and maintain documentation, SOPs, and metadata to support consistent and high-quality data management 

Quality, Use & Management 

• Design & manage data quality dashboards and set up regular monitoring and review alerts 
• Conduct assessments of key data assets and identify potential risks or gaps, including data process mapping 
• Work across teams to roll out data quality improvement plans, design processes to collect missing data or improve data accuracy 
• Work within the organisation to enhance data literacy, improve existing data processes and workflows and support future data process design and development 
• Support teams to improve data capturing, quality assurance and related processes  
• Lead or support change management processes for data tools and structures, ensuring stakeholder alignment and minimising disruption 
• Respond to data-related requests

Hygiene, cleaning, & checking 

• Monitor data hygiene and escalate discrepancies to the relevant team members 
• Conduct and guide regular data cleaning and quality checks to ensure high data integrity 

Preferably also 

Data Analysis and Insights Generation 

• Create, enhance and support the use of interactive dashboards and analytics tools to improve data-driven decision-making across the organisation and network 
• Conduct data analysis to support sense-making, decision-making, innovating and learning 
• Identify patterns and trends in data and provide clear summaries for different audiences 
• Support the preparation of data insights briefs and reports 

Research and Evaluation Support 

• Support Senior Data Analyst and Research & Evaluating team with research design, data analysis, and interpretation 
• Assist in co-conceptualising and co-creating research and evaluation questions, studies, and terms of reference 
• Provide input into research reports and recommendations