Operations Manager

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 and our work in Sierra Leone:

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.

In Sierra Leone, following the 3-year Education Innovation Challenge (EIC), Rising was selected as one of five education providers for the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education’s (MBSSE) new three-year Education Outcomes Fund program, an innovative outcomes-funded program focused on improving foundational literacy and numeracy. In collaboration with EducAid, Rising is also entering the third phase of a partnership in Freetown City schools, supporting over 500 schools across Freetown. We have supported remote learning efforts during COVID with radio education and recently partnered with Youth Impact to deliver a maths-focused remote learning program. In addition, Rising has teamed up with Imagine Worldwide to test and scale tech-enabled learning in a range of school settings to support foundational learning.

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 a dynamic, proactive, mission-driven and highly organized Operations Manager who can not only oversee but also elevate our systems and processes, touching every aspect of our diverse SL teams and programs.

This role is a unique opportunity to be at the heart of our organization, driving operational excellence and championing a culture of growth and success. As the Operations Manager, you will play a pivotal role in streamlining our operations, ensuring that our teams work seamlessly and efficiently, and creating an environment where our talent thrives.

The Operations Manager, Sierra Leone will:

• Manage and develop a high performing Operations Team to support high quality program delivery across Rising’s network of schools in Sierra Leone.
• Strengthen operational systems and execute on core operational functions, including office infrastructure, inventory management, procurement and distribution to schools.
• Unwaveringly adhere to Rising’s policies and procedures, and ensure full compliance across program delivery and SL teams.
• Lead strategic Ops-related initiatives, and support with HR initiatives, including recruitment support and the ongoing maintenance, review, and oversight of all personnel systems, records, and data.

Location and reporting:

The Operations Manager, Sierra Leone reports directly to the Director of Programs. The role will be based from Rising’s office in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Application deadline:

The expected start date for the role is 1st April 2024. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience:

• University level undergraduate degree.
• A minimum of 3-5 years of experience in Operations Management and HR.
• Management of employees, systems or teams.

About You:

• You are a strong verbal and written communicator.
• You are good at building relationships and building consensus.
• You are able to motivate, challenge and support your team members.
• You are good at training and building capacity among others.
• You are very well organised and have an eye for details.
• You are self-motivated and able to work equally well autonomously and collaboratively.
• You have a high comfort level with using technology to support this work.
• 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 understand the contexts in which we operate and the educational and operational challenges they pose.
• You have the highest levels of integrity and trustworthiness.

Prior professional experience in education is not a prerequisite, but a passion for it is.

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.

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.