British Council wants accountants Interns

November 6, 2018

3 minutes read

Finance Intern – Botswana
British Council
Gaborone, South-East District
Training
Terms of Reference
British Council – Finance Internship Programme
Programme Overview
Would you like to be part of a forward moving team charged with embedding financial control, risk assurance and integrity of the financial function across the great work we do at the British Council?
Through a hands-on learning programme, we offer you the opportunity to obtain practical insights into the financial function of a global organisation that creates people impact across 110 countries. The Finance function offers a unique and independent outlook used in driving decision making and strategy across our operations. We pride ourselves on delivering excellence, being trusted business partners and driving continuous improvement and innovation.
You will work within the Financial Control function and your role will see you supporting the end-to-end accounting process – including month and year end close, ensuring consistent, accurate and robust financial accounting processes and being a part of our “three lines of defense”. What are the three lines of defense? The three lines of defense are Commercial Finance, Risk & Compliance and Financial Planning & Analysis. During this programme, you may be required to support the finance change programme, process improvement initiatives and engage with stakeholders. This will give you a broader understanding of our work and how it supports the delivery of our corporate vision and strategy. The experience and exposure gained at the British Council will give you a solid foundation for your career in Finance.
What are we looking for?
Recent graduate (within the last 2 years) with a minimum of a 2:1 degree in a finance-related field
Interest in finance
Self-motivated, proactive and a good team player
Drive to succeed, with the ability to think both creatively and strategically
Questioning, analytical mind
Good interpersonal & communication skills: verbal and written
Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Packages, especially Excel and adaptable to learning ERP software
Ability to work with tight deadlines and maintain quality of output
Ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders
Work experience in a Finance capacity would be beneficial (but not essential)
What is the duration of the internship?
12 months in Botswana
What is the stipend for the internship?
Stipend:
£100 from month 1 to month 6
£150 from month 7 to month 12
£60 per month meal and transport allowance
Above is paid in local currency using prevalent British Council book keeping rate.
What will you do?
Support the income recognition process by extracting relevant reports and working with customer service and exams departments
Provide support as required with manual journals, accounting adjustments and off-system payment requests ensuring accuracy and compliance with relevant policies
Support reconciliation of all relevant accounts and ensure that this is completed to corporate standards
Support review of open purchase orders to ensure they are cleared on time
Parking of accounting journals
Maintain and file financial records as per corporate policy
Complete Travel & Expense audits as per policy
Complete monthly cash journal reconciliations
Submit relevant documents to local bank as requested
Support the preparation of local Tax submissions and other statutory returns
Assist with provision of information to internal / external auditors
Review and scan invoices for payment post due diligence by Accountants/Senior Accountants
What Learning & Development opportunities are there for you?
You will get a holistic understanding of the British Council and the work that we do impacting lives across the globe. Your experience will expose you to the intricacies and learning opportunities of working in an international and multi-cultural environment.
Throughout your internship, you will gain insight and hands-on experience of day-to-day accounting systems and procedures. You will build your specialist knowledge and experience of finance based on our business needs. This opportunity will help improve your technical skills. You will gain invaluable experience in our commercial business, risk management and learn how we interpret numbers, trends, and strategies into financial plans, forecasts and business decisions.
Your line manager will support and nurture your development and ensure you are given the chance to learn and practice the skills you will require as a leader in future roles.
What teams will I work with? Key interfaces include:
Financial Control team
Country Operations teams
Shared Service Centre
What locations is the Finance Internship Programme available?
West Africa Cluster: Senegal and Sierra Leone
East Africa Cluster: Uganda
Southern Africa Cluster: Zambia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique and Botswana
By applying for the internship you confirm that you have the right to live and work in the country of your application & the location is listed above.
www.britishcouncil.org