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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.

About us:

At Rising Academies, our mission is to create the best schools and the most powerful teaching and learning tools for the people that need it most. The goal is to unleash the full potential of every student, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and character to succeed in further study, work, and day-to-day life. We’re one of the fastest-growing quality-focused education companies in Africa, and a Certified B Corp®.

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 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 a dynamic and exceptional Finance Manager to join our team in Sierra Leone. The Finance Manager will play a pivotal role in overseeing the financial health of Rising Sierra Leone, ensuring compliance with financial regulations, and providing strategic financial guidance to senior leadership, department and programs leads. The Finance Manager will collaborate closely with Rising’s central finance team to continue to build a best-in-class finance function and processes in Sierra Leone. The Finance Manager will oversee all finance related activities for the associated office and business operations in Sierra Leone.

The Finance Manager will:

• Develop, implement, and manage comprehensive financial plans, budgets, and forecasts for Rising Sierra Leone.
• Provide insightful financial analysis that identifies trends, opportunities, and potential risks to support decision-making at the country level.
• Prepare accurate and timely financial statements, reports, and presentations for key stakeholders such as senior management, department and programs leads.
• Ensure compliance with local financial reporting standards and regulatory requirements.
• Monitor and manage cash flow and implement effective cash management initiatives to ensure operational needs are met in Sierra Leone.
• Collaborate with the central finance team to identify and mitigate financial risks through proactive measures and strategic planning for Sierra Leone.
• Lead, mentor and conduct regular training sessions for the finance team in Sierra Leone, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, including auditors, tax authorities, and financial institutions in all aspects of the role.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising quality and implement cost control measures to optimise operational efficiency.

Location and reporting:

The Finance Manager, Sierra Leone will report to the Managing Director, Sierra Leone and will be based out of our country office in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Application deadline:

The target start-date for this role will be December 2024.