Chief Operating Officer (Operations, Data & Digital)

Edge Growth Solutions is a leading South African impact business. We partner with large companies to design and deliver Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) programmes that help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) grow, create jobs and build stronger businesses. We work across banking, insurance, mining and energy.

Edge is entering its next phase of growth. We need to scale without adding cost and complexity at the same rate, and use data and technology more effectively. The Chief Operating Officer will lead this shift across Operations, Data and Digital.

This is a build-and-run role. Working with the CEO and leadership team, you will improve how the business runs today while building what Edge needs for scale. Your mission is to turn strategy into action, raise productivity and margin, and make growth easier to deliver.

Purpose

Build and run a simple, scalable operating model that helps Edge deliver strong outcomes for clients and SMEs, improve productivity and margin, and grow sustainably. Lead the Operations, Data and Digital capabilities that make this possible.

Operations

• Operating model and ways of working: design and embed a simple, scalable and technology-enabled operating model with clear roles and efficient workflows.

• Delivery enablement: give delivery teams the tools, processes, systems and support they need to work consistently and efficiently.

• Risk, governance and performance reporting: own operational risk and controls. Set a clear management rhythm that flags performance and issues early.

• Supplier and vendor management: select and manage partners and vendors for quality, performance, cost and value.

• Knowledge and intellectual property: capture what Edge learns in reusable methods, tools and intellectual property so teams do not keep starting from scratch.

Data

• Data strategy: set and deliver a data strategy that supports client delivery, business performance and growth.

• Data infrastructure: build and maintain reliable, scalable data systems and tools.

• Measurement and reporting: give clients and teams accurate, timely reports they can trust and use.

• Data governance and quality: set clear definitions, ownership and standards so data is accurate, consistent and trusted.

• Data privacy and protection: make sure Edge handles data responsibly and complies with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and other relevant requirements.

• Analytics and insight: turn data into insights that improve programme performance, business decisions and client conversations.

Digital

• Digital platforms and assets: own the strategy, roadmap and performance of Edge's digital tools and platforms. Make sure they are reliable, used and ready to scale.

• Automation and artificial intelligence (AI): use automation and AI to cut manual work, improve speed and quality, and lower the cost of delivery where technology can do the work better.

Leadership

• Team leadership: build and lead strong Operations, Data and Digital teams with clear accountability and high standards.

• Business leadership: as a ManCo member, help shape business strategy, commercial performance and the choices Edge must make to scale.

• CEO partnership: work closely with the CEO to turn priorities into action across the business.

• Client and partner credibility: represent Edge's Operations, Data and Digital capabilities confidently with senior clients, partners and vendors.

• Change leadership and culture: lead change with clarity and pace while keeping teams engaged and accountable.

Requirements

What success looks like in the first year

• Edge has a clear, simpler operating model with well-defined roles, standard ways of working and a strong management rhythm.

• Productivity is improving, and the business can handle more work without adding cost and complexity at the same rate.

• Reliable data, measurement and reporting are in place and trusted by leaders, delivery teams and clients.

• Edge's digital tools have a clear roadmap, are stable and well managed, and automation is reducing manual work.

• The Operations, Data and Digital teams are strong, accountable and set up to support growth.

Experience and track record

• A builder: you have designed or rebuilt an operating model, data capability or digital platform and made it work in practice.

• A strong operator: you can run a complex, multi-client business to a high standard while improving it. You know change cannot come at the cost of today's delivery.

• Data and digital fluency: you have led data or technology work directly. You do not need to be an engineer, but you can set direction, make trade-offs and hold teams and vendors to account.

• Commercial leadership: you understand how operating choices affect revenue, margin, productivity and growth. Experience in professional services or another people-intensive business is useful.

• Senior stakeholder credibility: you can influence executives, work across teams and represent Edge confidently with major corporate clients.

How you work

• You see the whole system and also get into the detail needed to make change happen.

• You are comfortable with ambiguity and change. You create clarity, make hard choices and keep the business moving.

• You are rigorous with numbers. You use data to spot problems early, make trade-offs and stay focused on outcomes.

• You have low ego and high ownership. You care about Edge's impact and are disciplined about building a business that can sustain it.