Director of Growth

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 strategic and results-driven Director of Growth to lead our efforts in expanding Bambai’s reach and impact in the education sector across Africa. The ideal candidate will be an innovative, analytical, and mission-driven leader who can develop and execute growth strategies that propel Bambai’s market presence, product adoption, and business model refinement. As a key member of the leadership team, you will leverage market insights, customer feedback, and cross-functional collaboration to scale Bambai’s growth efforts and build meaningful partnerships.

The Director of Growth will be responsible for identifying new market opportunities, refining our go-to-market strategy, building high-performing teams, and ensuring alignment between growth goals and Bambai's broader mission. This role requires a balance of strategic thinking, leadership, and hands-on execution in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

The Director of Growth will:

• Identify and engage with potential partner schools, gathering insights and building relationships across diverse markets.
• Develop and maintain a competitor database to track market positioning, competitor strategies, and key industry trends.
• Launch monthly industry trends report to share key findings from market research, competitor analysis, and customer feedback across the organization.
• Collaborate with the CTO to test and refine various business model options based on lead generation and customer feedback, including open-source, freemium, and tiered pricing models.
• Establish a feedback loop with pilot schools, working with the Delivery, Academics, and Product teams to implement product improvements.
• Build and lead a foundational sales team with clear performance metrics aligned with Bambai’s growth objectives.
• Create and maintain a pitch deck to showcase Bambai’s commercial vision, integrating different business model scenarios for investors.
• Launch cross-functional innovation challenges, driving actionable product ideas and ensuring alignment across product, sales, and market strategies.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align on product development, market strategies, delivery needs, and commercial objectives.

Location and reporting:

This is a full-time role. The Director of Growth will report to Rising’s Chief Technology Officer. The role is open to strong candidates globally; the role will primarily be remote, and candidates should be comfortable travelling within the West African region when necessary.

Application deadline: 

Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis hence we encourage interested candidates to apply as early as possible.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field (Master’s degree a plus).
• 7+ years of experience in growth, business development, or marketing roles, with a strong track record of success in scaling products or businesses.
• Proven experience in the EdTech space is highly desirable but not mandatory.
• Demonstrated ability to work with senior leadership, driving company-wide growth initiatives and strategic decision-making.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams, including product, sales, delivery, and marketing.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data to drive decision-making and measure the success of growth initiatives.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate growth strategies clearly to internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a strong commitment to our mission to improve the quality of education across Africa.

About You:

• You are an entrepreneurial leader with a passion for scaling mission-driven organizations and a deep understanding of growth tactics.
• You excel in building relationships, whether with schools, influencers, or team members and know how to leverage partnerships to drive mutual success.
• You have a data-driven mindset and are skilled at tracking performance metrics to inform decision-making.
• You are comfortable working in a cross-functional, fast-paced environment, balancing multiple projects and stakeholders while focusing on strategic goals.
• You bring a strong growth and sales mindset, with the ability to lead teams, execute on plans, and pivot when necessary.
• Above all, you are passionate about transforming education in Africa and see Bambai’s mission as your own.
• 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.