Group Finance Systems Intern

The context: 

Across the developing world, more children than ever are in school – but they are not learning. A recent study estimated that less than 1% of school children in Sub-Saharan Africa attend a school where the teaching meets basic standards of quality. At Rising Academies, we’re changing that, and we want your help. Our mission is to create the best schools and the most powerful teaching and learning tools for the people that need it most. We’re one of the fastest-growing quality-focused education companies in Africa, and a Certified B Corp®. 

About us:

We own and operate our own great value private schools, partner with governments to improve the quality of public school systems, and use our content and technology to help other education providers. Founded in Sierra Leone in 2014, we provided emergency education to children kept out of school by the Ebola Epidemic before opening our first school in April 2015. Today, we serve more than 250,000 students across more than 900 schools in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana and now Rwanda.

Through great curriculum, intensive teacher coaching and actionable data, we help teachers and school leaders bring quality to every classroom. And we get results: independent studies show Rising students make more than twice the progress of their peers in comparable schools. In June 2024, one of our private schools in Sierra Leone - Rising Academy Waterloo - was shortlisted in the Top 10 for the World's Best School Prizes in the Overcoming Adversity category. Sierra Leone's Minister for Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Hon. Mr. Conrad Sackey, helped announce this honor.

About the role:

We are looking for an exceptional intern to join our Central Finance team at Rising. The Group Finance Systems Intern will focus on organizational operations and infrastructure, supporting to improve our internal financial systems and processes.

The Group Finance Systems Intern will:

• Evaluate current financial tools, workflows, and structures to identify areas for improvement for effectiveness.
• Support in designing or refining Rising’s financial systems and templates to improve efficiency.
• Support in providing finance literacy and training (excel, google sheets, etc) to help enhance finance understanding amongst our budget holders.

Location and reporting

This is a full-time summer internship, based in Ghana, or potentially remote. Intern will work closely and report to the central finance team at Rising.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The target start-date will be June 2025 or earlier.

Requirements

Experience and Qualifications:

• Currently pursuing a masters degree in Education Management, Public Policy, Program Management, Finance or a related field.
• Previous work experience or internship in project/program finance is a plus.
• You have a knack for building and improving financial systems, ensuring processes run smoothly and stakeholders adhere to best practices.
• Passionate about leveraging financial systems to support data-driven decision-making and improve organizational performance.
• You are a strong communicator, able to collaborate effectively with teams and cross-functional stakeholders while also working independently on tasks and projects.
• You are highly organized, detail-oriented, and committed to accuracy in reporting.
• You set high standards for yourself and others, and go the extra mile to get things done.
• You have high levels of integrity and are passionate about improving the quality of education.
• Experience working in a developing country is a plus.

Benefits

Compensation and Benefits

This position is unpaid, but we can provide in-country work-related transport, and other arrangements.

Rising is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to providing a work environment that is inclusive and free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, national origin, family or parental status, veteran or disability status.

Rising is committed to creating a culture within the organisation, and its schools, that recognises the importance of safeguarding children and prioritising their rights and needs. We strive to uphold international safeguarding standards, and keep the safety and well-being of our students at the heart of what we do. All Rising employees are expected to abide by the Child Protection Policy, and to have the same level of commitment to protect children from harm. Safeguarding questions are part of every interview process and all Rising employees undergo reference checks before joining the organisation.