Pod Leader
TypeFull-time job
LocationAlgeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, British Indian Ocean Territory
Posted3 hours ago
job description
This role sits within our Centre of Excellence - the engine room where SmartPA's strategy comes to life - and is dedicated to one of our key client accounts, a global tech leader.
As a Pod Leader, you'll lead a small, dedicated team of up to 7 people, known internally as a “pod.” You'll be responsible for the day-to-day running of your team's work, making sure it's delivered to a consistently high standard, on time and in line with our client's expectations.
You won't be doing this in isolation - your pod is part of a wider group dedicated to this client, so you'll work closely with other team leads, quality assurance, and automation colleagues, as well as management above you and your team below you.
You'll also be one of the friendly, familiar faces the client sees regularly. Alongside managing your team, you'll build genuine relationships with client contacts, keep them updated, and be the person they know they can rely on.
This role suits someone who enjoys leading and coaching a small team, thrives in a fast-paced environment, is comfortable with technology, curious about how AI can make work better, and takes real ownership of getting things done well.
key responsibilities and skills
This is a hands-on leadership role where people, delivery and continuous improvement all matter equally.
Leading Your Team
Leading and motivating your team to consistently deliver high-quality work, on time
Overseeing your team's day-to-day work from start to finish - balancing workloads and setting clear priorities
Keeping an eye on team capacity and making sure agreed service levels are consistently met
Working closely with your peer team leads, QA and automation colleagues to solve problems and keep improving how the account runs
Developing Your People
Directly managing, coaching and supporting your team members so they can do their best work and grow professionally
Encouraging good ways of working and consistent standards across the team
Innovation & Smarter Ways of Working
Spotting where automation or AI could save your team time or make their work more accurate
Clearly briefing our technical automation and AI colleagues on what your team actually needs
Helping your team adopt new tools and changes smoothly when they're rolled out
Tracking Performance
Keeping track of service levels, team capacity and delivery using our internal tools
Working with the Service Delivery Lead to review performance, celebrate what's going well and flag any risks early
Being the first point of contact when something needs fixing, and taking quick action to sort it
Working With the Client
Being an approachable, trusted contact for the client - running check-ins, onboarding new users and answering day-to-day questions
Working smoothly across SmartPA teams so communication stays joined-up and everyone's working toward the same goals
skills
An experienced people manager who's just as comfortable coaching a team as they are keeping daily workflows organised and running smoothly. You take pride in the quality of your team's work, build trust easily, and genuinely enjoy finding better ways of doing things.
You'll thrive in this role if you:
Lead calmly and confidently, even when things get busy
Are a natural people manager who builds trust and gets the best out of your team
Are highly organised and confident managing several workstreams at once
Have a data-driven mindset and a good eye for detail
Are a strong problem-solver who takes quick, sensible action when issues come up
Enjoy spotting smarter ways of working and can explain what you need clearly to technical teams
experience
We hire for mindset as much as background - a strong sense of ownership and a willingness to learn go a long way.
Essential
Experience leading, managing and developing a small team in a busy, fast-paced environment.
Confident building relationships with external clients as well as internal teams
A track record of managing workloads, hitting service targets and reporting on how your team is performing
Experience coaching team members and managing performance
Comfortable using digital tools and workflow platforms - our client works exclusively within Google Workspace
Strong organisational skills, including experience overseeing quality standards and handling escalations
A good grasp of how to prioritise and track team workloads
Able to spot opportunities for automation and work with technical teams to bring them to life
Desirable
While not essential, the following would be advantageous:
Experience leading a team as part of a larger, multi-layered client account
Experience in, or alongside, high-growth tech accounts or fast-paced service delivery environments
Hands-on experience using AI tools to make team workflows easier
We value transferable skills and diverse career paths, so if your experience doesn't align perfectly but you can demonstrate strong leadership and organisational capability, we still encourage you to apply.
work remotely
Yes
schedule
Monday-Friday, 9am - 5.30pm
job type
Full-time, permanent
what's in it for you?
We're ambitious about where we're going and we're looking for people who want to grow with us. We believe in rewarding talent and supporting your growth, so as part of your package you can expect:
Competitive salary
33 days holiday
Flexitime (core hours: 10:00–16:30)
Remote: full time remote work
Ongoing development and career opportunities
Department incentives
Employee Assistance Programme (including access to counselling services, finance support, legal support, etc.)
A genuinely positive, people-first culture
how to apply
Our recruitment process typically includes:
CV and cover letter review
Online skills assessment
Two-stage interview process
Please ensure your cover letter clearly demonstrates how your experience aligns with the role.
We are human-centred, tech and AI-enabled, and we welcome the appropriate use of AI throughout the recruitment process. Where assessments, scenarios or presentations form part of the process, AI can be used to support your work; however, the ideas, thinking and approach behind your submission must be your own. We want to understand how you think, and you should be prepared to discuss and expand on your work during interview.
If you're looking to join a forward-thinking organisation where you can develop your career and make a meaningful impact within a global client environment, we'd love to hear from you.
Please note: we receive a high volume of applications, so sometimes it can take us a little longer to get in touch. We welcome enquiries to our inbox.
Originally posted on Himalayas
This role sits within our Centre of Excellence - the engine room where SmartPA's strategy comes to life - and is dedicated to one of our key client accounts, a global tech leader.
As a Pod Leader, you'll lead a small, dedicated team of up to 7 people, known internally as a “pod.” You'll be responsible for the day-to-day running of your team's work, making sure it's delivered to a consistently high standard, on time and in line with our client's expectations.
You won't be doing this in isolation - your pod is part of a wider group dedicated to this client, so you'll work closely with other team leads, quality assurance, and automation colleagues, as well as management above you and your team below you.
You'll also be one of the friendly, familiar faces the client sees regularly. Alongside managing your team, you'll build genuine relationships with client contacts, keep them updated, and be the person they know they can rely on.
This role suits someone who enjoys leading and coaching a small team, thrives in a fast-paced environment, is comfortable with technology, curious about how AI can make work better, and takes real ownership of getting things done well.
key responsibilities and skills
This is a hands-on leadership role where people, delivery and continuous improvement all matter equally.
Leading Your Team
Leading and motivating your team to consistently deliver high-quality work, on time
Overseeing your team's day-to-day work from start to finish - balancing workloads and setting clear priorities
Keeping an eye on team capacity and making sure agreed service levels are consistently met
Working closely with your peer team leads, QA and automation colleagues to solve problems and keep improving how the account runs
Developing Your People
Directly managing, coaching and supporting your team members so they can do their best work and grow professionally
Encouraging good ways of working and consistent standards across the team
Innovation & Smarter Ways of Working
Spotting where automation or AI could save your team time or make their work more accurate
Clearly briefing our technical automation and AI colleagues on what your team actually needs
Helping your team adopt new tools and changes smoothly when they're rolled out
Tracking Performance
Keeping track of service levels, team capacity and delivery using our internal tools
Working with the Service Delivery Lead to review performance, celebrate what's going well and flag any risks early
Being the first point of contact when something needs fixing, and taking quick action to sort it
Working With the Client
Being an approachable, trusted contact for the client - running check-ins, onboarding new users and answering day-to-day questions
Working smoothly across SmartPA teams so communication stays joined-up and everyone's working toward the same goals
skills
An experienced people manager who's just as comfortable coaching a team as they are keeping daily workflows organised and running smoothly. You take pride in the quality of your team's work, build trust easily, and genuinely enjoy finding better ways of doing things.
You'll thrive in this role if you:
Lead calmly and confidently, even when things get busy
Are a natural people manager who builds trust and gets the best out of your team
Are highly organised and confident managing several workstreams at once
Have a data-driven mindset and a good eye for detail
Are a strong problem-solver who takes quick, sensible action when issues come up
Enjoy spotting smarter ways of working and can explain what you need clearly to technical teams
experience
We hire for mindset as much as background - a strong sense of ownership and a willingness to learn go a long way.
Essential
Experience leading, managing and developing a small team in a busy, fast-paced environment.
Confident building relationships with external clients as well as internal teams
A track record of managing workloads, hitting service targets and reporting on how your team is performing
Experience coaching team members and managing performance
Comfortable using digital tools and workflow platforms - our client works exclusively within Google Workspace
Strong organisational skills, including experience overseeing quality standards and handling escalations
A good grasp of how to prioritise and track team workloads
Able to spot opportunities for automation and work with technical teams to bring them to life
Desirable
While not essential, the following would be advantageous:
Experience leading a team as part of a larger, multi-layered client account
Experience in, or alongside, high-growth tech accounts or fast-paced service delivery environments
Hands-on experience using AI tools to make team workflows easier
We value transferable skills and diverse career paths, so if your experience doesn't align perfectly but you can demonstrate strong leadership and organisational capability, we still encourage you to apply.
work remotely
Yes
schedule
Monday-Friday, 9am - 5.30pm
job type
Full-time, permanent
what's in it for you?
We're ambitious about where we're going and we're looking for people who want to grow with us. We believe in rewarding talent and supporting your growth, so as part of your package you can expect:
Competitive salary
33 days holiday
Flexitime (core hours: 10:00–16:30)
Remote: full time remote work
Ongoing development and career opportunities
Department incentives
Employee Assistance Programme (including access to counselling services, finance support, legal support, etc.)
A genuinely positive, people-first culture
how to apply
Our recruitment process typically includes:
CV and cover letter review
Online skills assessment
Two-stage interview process
Please ensure your cover letter clearly demonstrates how your experience aligns with the role.
We are human-centred, tech and AI-enabled, and we welcome the appropriate use of AI throughout the recruitment process. Where assessments, scenarios or presentations form part of the process, AI can be used to support your work; however, the ideas, thinking and approach behind your submission must be your own. We want to understand how you think, and you should be prepared to discuss and expand on your work during interview.
If you're looking to join a forward-thinking organisation where you can develop your career and make a meaningful impact within a global client environment, we'd love to hear from you.
Please note: we receive a high volume of applications, so sometimes it can take us a little longer to get in touch. We welcome enquiries to our inbox.
Originally posted on Himalayas
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