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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. 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.

We have recently closed our Series A funding round and won a multi-year, multi-million dollar grant to accelerate the development of our digital ed-tech solutions for low-income students across the globe. Our ‘Bambai’ suite of digital tools already includes a school information system, school observation tool, chatbot tutor, accelerated learning program and teacher coaching app. This is just the start. We want to expand our range of digital products to help improve the quality of education for millions of students around the world. If you want to make a difference to the lives of teachers, students and parents, then we are the right place for you.

About the role:

We are seeking a highly motivated and strategic Senior IT Coordinator to join our team at Rising Academies. The Senior IT Coordinator will lead our IT administration, operations, security, and team development. This role is critical in ensuring Rising has world-class IT security policies, seamless IT support for all employees, The ideal candidate will drive the development and implementation of IT policies, optimize IT onboarding and support systems, and foster a culture of excellence in IT service delivery.

The Senior IT Coordinator will:

• Establish, maintain, and update IT security policies to align with global standards, ensuring compliance without hindering operational efficiency.
• Oversee IT onboarding, continuous support, and offboarding processes to ensure seamless experiences for all Rising employees.
• Ensure Rising’s IT infrastructure is secure, reliable, and compliant with industry best practices, including regular audits and security enhancements.
• Implement efficient IT support systems, ensuring quick response times and effective resolution of technical issues.
• Manage hardware procurement, distribution, and retrieval, while maintaining accurate records of software licenses and device compliance.
• Work closely with internal teams to support funding applications and product security requirements.
• Educate employees on IT policies, security best practices, and processes through regular training and communication.
• Mentor and empower IT staff, fostering their professional growth and technical expertise in IT administration and security.
• Regularly update IT policies, track security incidents, and review staff access to ensure continuous improvement and compliance.

Location and reporting

This is a full-time hybrid position. The role would ideally be based from Ghana, but we are open to strong candidates from other African countries. The role will report directly to Rising’s Senior Engineering Manager.

Application deadline:

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The target start date for this role is April 2025.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or other related fields
• 5+ years in IT management, IT security, or IT operations, ideally in an international or multi-location organization.
• Strong understanding of IT security policies, compliance frameworks, and cloud-based IT solutions.
• Ability to design and optimize IT workflows for onboarding, security, and support.

About You:

• You have a working knowledge of IT management, IT security, or IT operations.
• You have a strong track record of professionalism and trustworthiness
• You possess effective communication, relationship building, and teamwork skills
• You can take initiative and problem-solve when challenges arise
• You are comfortable working with senior leadership, reporting on data and outcomes
• You are willing to take risks, fail, learn, give and receive feedback, and try new approaches
• You are good at quickly building rapport and building relationships.
• You are passionate about improving the quality of education across Africa

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 organisation 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 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.