Finance Internship Programme

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 Zambia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Botswana, Uganda & Sierra Leone
6 months in Senegal

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

The above is paid in local curency using prevalent British Council bookkeeping 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.