Finance and Support Services Intern

Overview

Sightsavers implements projects in over 30 countries in Africa and South Asia working to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote the rights of people with disabilities. Title : Finance and Support Services Intern Location : Dakar, Senegal Contract : 12-month fixed-term contract, with the possibility of extension Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week Salary : Local Terms and Conditions apply About the role Sightsavers is looking for a Finance and Support Services Intern to join the Senegal country office and support the day-to-day delivery of its finance, administrative and logistical activities.

Working under the guidance of the Finance and Support Services Officer, the successful candidate will gain practical experience in financial administration, record keeping, procurement support, office operations and travel coordination.

Responsibilities

Prepare payment requisitions and bank deposit slips, process expense payments and maintain accurate accounting records. Track outstanding advances and support their timely reconciliation. Update and maintain the fixed asset register. Assist with the organisation and filing of financial and administrative documents. Support the coordination of travel, meetings, seminars, workshops and other programme activities.

Assist with hotel bookings, transport and other travel arrangements for staff and visitors. Support periodic checks of assets and physical inventory. Help obtain and organise quotations for programme and office procurement requirements. Support the accurate entry, checking and organisation of financial and administrative information.

Help maintain an effective, safe and positive office environment. Provide general administrative support to the Finance and Support Services team. This is a highly varied and involved role and the above is not an exhaustive list of duties or required professional skills. Please see the Job Description for full details.

Skills and Experience The ideal candidate will be at the beginning of their career in finance and keen to develop their knowledge and practical experience in a professional working environment. They will be organised, numerate and detail-focused, with a positive approach to learning and the confidence to work with colleagues across the organisation.

Essential A recent degree in Finance, Accounting or a related subject, or current enrolment in the final year of a relevant degree. Good numerical skills and a basic understanding of finance and accounting. Basic budget and data analysis skills. Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word and Outlook.

Good organisational skills, with the ability to manage priorities and maintain accurate records. Good attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy. Good written and spoken English. Fluency is not required, but the successful candidate must be able to communicate effectively in English in a professional working environment.

Good written and verbal communication skills. The ability to work collaboratively and build positive working relationships with colleagues. The ability to work with a reasonable degree of independence while knowing when to ask for guidance. A willingness to learn, respond positively to feedback and develop new skills.

The ability to handle financial and organisational information responsibly and confidentially. Desirable A professional accounting qualification, or current progress towards one. Some experience of financial administration, record keeping or general office support, which may have been gained through an internship, voluntary work or academic study.

An interest in international development, disability inclusion or the work of Sightsavers. Previous experience of working for an international non-governmental organisation is not required. This internship is intended for someone at the beginning of their career and is not suitable for candidates who already have extensive professional experience in a finance role.

Next Steps The closing date for applications is 22 November 2026. We may close this vacancy earlier if we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. English is the working language of Sightsavers. To enable applications to be assessed consistently and fairly against the requirements of the role, the application form and CV must be submitted in English.

Applications that are not submitted in English may not be considered. To apply for this exciting new opportunity, please complete an application via our recruitment portal. We are particularly interested in learning of your motivations for applying. We anticipate that remote interviews will take place from 7 th of December 2026 onwards and the evaluation process may include an online task.

Safeguarding Sightsavers is committed to safeguarding and takes the protection of everyone we work with seriously. Appointment to this role will be subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, which include references, verification of relevant qualifications or certifications and, where appropriate, we may also ask for police or criminal record checks.

Candidates will be asked to confirm their willingness to undertake these checks as part of the recruitment process. Why join Sightsavers This is an opportunity to gain valuable experience with an international organisation working to prevent avoidable blindness, fight neglected tropical diseases and promote equality of opportunity for people with disabilities.

Senegal has recently achieved a major public health milestone by eliminating trachoma as a public health problem. This success was made possible through the combined efforts of the Senegalese government, health workers, communities and partners including Sightsavers. Senegal is now one of eight countries where Sightsavers and its partners have supported the elimination of this painful and potentially blinding disease.

The successful candidate will join a team contributing to meaningful and lasting change while gaining practical experience across finance, administration and support services. Due to project deadlines, we are keen to fill this role as quickly as possible so applications will be considered as soon as they are received.

As an equal opportunity employer, we actively encourage applications from all sections of the community. Sightsavers is a Disability Confident Leader and qualified people living with a disability are particularly encouraged to apply. The Finance and Support Services Intern will: Prepare payment requisitions and bank deposit slips, process expense payments and maintain accurate accounting records.

Track outstanding advances and support their timely reconciliation. Update and maintain the fixed asset register. Assist with the organisation and filing of financial and administrative documents. Support the coordination of travel, meetings, seminars, workshops and other programme activities. Assist with hotel bookings, transport and other travel arrangements for staff and visitors.

Support periodic checks of assets and physical inventory. Help obtain and organise quotations for programme and office procurement requirements. Support the accurate entry, checking and organisation of financial and administrative information. Help maintain an effective, safe and positive office environment. Provide general administrative support to the Finance and Support Services team.

This is a highly varied and involved role and the above is not an exhaustive list of duties or required professional skills. Please see the Job Description for full details. The ideal candidate will be at the beginning of their career in finance and keen to develop their knowledge and practical experience in a professional working environment.

They will be organised, numerate and detail-focused, with a positive approach to learning and the confidence to work with colleagues across the organisation. Essential A recent degree in Finance, Accounting or a related subject, or current enrolment in the final year of a relevant degree. Good numerical skills and a basic understanding of finance and accounting.

Basic budget and data analysis skills. Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word and Outlook. Good organisational skills, with the ability to manage priorities and maintain accurate records. Good attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy. Good written and spoken English. Fluency is not required, but the successful candidate must be able to communicate effectively in English in a professional working environment.

Good written and verbal communication skills. The ability to work collaboratively and build positive working relationships with colleagues. The ability to work with a reasonable degree of independence while knowing when to ask for guidance. A willingness to learn, respond positively to feedback and develop new skills.

The ability to handle financial and organisational information responsibly and confidentially. Desirable A professional accounting qualification, or current progress towards one. Some experience of financial administration, record keeping or general office support, which may have been gained through an internship, voluntary work or academic study.

An interest in international development, disability inclusion or the work of Sightsavers. Previous experience of working for an international non-governmental organisation is not required. This internship is intended for someone at the beginning of their career and is not suitable for candidates who already have extensive professional experience in a finance role.