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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.

About the role:

Historically at Rising, Business Development has been a shared responsibility across Rising’s management team, limiting the amount of time we have been able to dedicate to it. We are now looking to change that, establishing a dedicated business development team that can more pro-actively conceive and secure new programs and initiatives that ensures our proven-model reaches more students and schools. This role is at the centre of this new team, and combines a range of important business development capabilities, from strengthening our internal processes to winning new business and securing new partnerships.

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Business Development Manager to join our dynamic team. As a Business Development Manager, you will play a crucial role in driving the growth and success of our organisation. Your primary responsibility will be to identify new business opportunities, build strategic partnerships, fundraise and develop innovative strategies to expand our customer base and increase revenue.

The Business Development Manager will:

• Support Rising’s Management Team to hit major fundraising milestones for our government partnership work.
• Oversee and contribute to the creation of compelling, high-quality fundraising proposals.
• Coordinate reports and updates for funders, ensuring that we continue to steward and develop our relationships with existing donors.
• Integrate Rising’s newly established Business Development Team with other key departments across Rising’s business.

Location and reporting:

This role can either be a full-time or long term consultancy position. The role can be done as a fully remote role, or from one of Rising’s operating countries (Ghana, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Liberia). The role will report directly to Rising’s Chief Strategy Officer.

Application deadline: 30th June 2023. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Qualifications and Experience:

• University level undergraduate degree.
• A Masters degree is preferable, but not required.
• Proven track record of success in business development, fundraising, sales or related roles, preferably within the international education space (or related sector).
• Outstanding networks in the international education space (or related sector).

About You:

• Passionate about Rising’s mission.
• The ability to coordinate and influence, so that Rising is effectively managing and growing it’s portfolio of funders and partners.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey Rising’s mission and goals to potential donors or clients.
• Strategic thinking skills to identify opportunities and create plans to achieve fundraising or business development goals, including identifying target audiences, developing fundraising strategies, and evaluating the success of campaigns.
• Strong financial management skills, including budgeting, forecasting, and tracking financial performance, as well as developing financial proposals and reports to present to donors or clients.
• Networking skills to build relationships with potential donors or clients, as well as collaborate with other organisations in the sector.
• Creativity in developing new ways to generate revenue and support for the organisation, such as through innovative fundraising events, campaigns, or partnerships.
• Strong organisational skills to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously, including setting priorities, managing deadlines, and keeping track of project progress.
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing circumstances, including adjusting fundraising strategies or business development plans based on feedback or market changes.

Compensation and Benefits:

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package. We regularly benchmark our compensation against comparable businesses, social ventures and non-profits.

Rising’s goal is to be transparent about salaries at all levels of the organization and have a standard, global pay scale for all positions that is non-negotiable.

The benefits we offer are built to have a strong added value on our staff’s well-being and we are excited to discuss this further with you in the process.

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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 organization, and its schools, that recognises the importance of safeguarding children and prioritizing 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 organization.