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:

We are seeking an ambitious, motivated and highly organized Finance Associate to join our team in Ghana. They will provide key support on financial reporting and management of Rising’s operations across Ghana, timely and accurate reporting, compliance with laws and regulations, adherence to Rising policies and procedures and implement adequate internal controls over financial reporting and management.

The Finance Associate will:

• Produce timely and accurate monthly financial reports
• Reconcile all balance sheet accounts on daily, weekly and monthly basis for sign off
• Review budget against actual spend and provide variance analysis
• Prepare weekly and monthly cash forecasts for management use
• Ensure accurate and timely revenue reconciliation
• Assist in the mid-year and year end financial reporting and audit processes and ensure Rising scores a positive audit feedback
• Maintain proper and accurate general ledger for Rising Academy Network
• Ensure adequate documentation for all transactions and ensure all requisitions are adequately authorised
• Ensure all supporting documents are uploaded into the accounting software
• Assist the finance manager and the HR team in the payroll preparation and filing of related PAYE and pension returns
• Maintain good relationships with banks, external auditors and regulatory bodies
• Maintain a fixed asset register and provide timely reports on assets
• Adherence to RAN’s policies and procedures and contribute to improving existing policies and procedures
• Apply key learnings across Rising’s international school network
• Assist other departments on finance related transactions
• Any other duties assigned by the line manager

Location and reporting:

This is a full-time on-site position. The Finance Associate will report to the Finance Manager, Ghana and will primarily be based in our Ghana HQ Office – Accra.

Application deadline:

The target start-date for this role will be mid April 2024 or earlier.

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience:

• Degree in Business Administration (Accounting) or relevant field; partly qualified in ICA/ACCA/CIMA would be a plus
• A minimum of 3 years of experience in Accounting and well trained
• Strong numeracy and advanced understanding of accounting principles

About You:

• You are a strong communicator, able to motivate, challenge and support your team members
• You are very well organized and have an eye for details
• You have familiarity with labour law, income tax, etc. and understand how such policies impact the work, along with how to remain in compliance with them
• You are good at systems building and holding different stakeholders accountable to clear expectations
• You set high standards for yourself and others, and go the extra mile to get things done
• You are passionate about improving the quality of education
• You have the highest levels of integrity and trustworthiness

Benefits

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 recognizes 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 organisation.