Finance and Operations Consultant, STRIDES Ebola Outbreak Response, Global Health Programs (GHP)

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PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 40 years of experience forging multisector partnerships and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges.

PATH seeks a Finance and Operations Consultant to provide financial, procurement, and logistical management support to the Strengthening Infectious Disease Detection Systems (STRIDES) project’s Ebola outbreak response activities primarily based in Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The global STRIDES project supports and strengthens surveillance, detection, and analytical capacity for infectious diseases across both human and animal health. In Bunia, this role underpins the field-level operations of the outbreak response, ensuring that finance, procurement, and logistics functions run smoothly so that technical teams can respond quickly and effectively to Ebola virus disease (EVD) events.

Responsibilities include:

Finance and Budget Management

• Support field-level financial monitoring for Ebola outbreak response activities, tracking expenditures against approved budgets and flagging variances in real time.

• Develop, monitor, and maintain field office and outbreak response workplan budgets in coordination with STRIDES finance and program leadership.

• Prepare financial analyses, burn-rate reports, and budget updates for project leadership and donors as requested.

• Process and reconcile expenditure requests, wire transfer requests, cash advances, and petty cash for Bunia field operations, in line with PATH policy and donor requirements.

• Support development of cost estimates and budgets for rapid response and surge activities tied to evolving outbreak needs.

• Generate reports from financial reporting systems and organizational databases and provide routine financial updates to the Bunia field team and STRIDES leadership.

Procurement Management

• Lead field-level procurement of goods and services required for Ebola outbreak response activities in Bunia, including personal protective equipment (PPE), and office supplies.

• Prepare and process purchase requests, request competitive quotations, and draft purchase orders in accordance with PATH procurement policy and donor regulations.

• Maintain vendor relationships and a qualified local vendor roster for Bunia and surrounding health zones, ensuring timely delivery of critical outbreak response supplies.

• Liaise with local and international vendors, consultants, and partners on procurement, financial, and contractual matters, escalating risks or delays that could affect outbreak response timelines.

• Maintain complete and audit ready procurement files and documentation for all Bunia-based purchases and agreements.

Compliance, Reporting, and Coordination

• Ensure that all financial, procurement, and logistics activities comply with PATH policies and procedures and applicable donor regulations, including US Government funding requirements where relevant.

• Coordinate all local and regional travel requests within DRC; including booking of UNHAS flights to Health Zones experiencing active Ebola case transmission

• Support timely submission of financial and operational reports to the STRIDES project team and as needed, to donors.

• Collaborate with the Kinshasa country office and STRIDES headquarters staff on all administrative, financial, procurement, and logistical matters affecting Bunia operations.

• Support emergency preparedness and contingency planning for finance, procurement, and logistics functions, given the dynamic nature of outbreak response.

• Perform other duties as appropriate to support the Ebola outbreak response.

Required qualifications and experience

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, accounting, supply chain/logistics, or a related field, and a minimum of 3-5 years of relevant experience in finance, procurement, and/or logistics, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Prior experience supporting public health emergency, humanitarian, or outbreak response operations strongly preferred; familiarity with Ebola or other high-consequence infectious disease response is a plus.

• Demonstrated experience managing budgets, procurement processes, and vendor/contract relationships in a field or country-office setting.

• Knowledge of donor regulations and reporting requirements (US Government funding experience preferred).

• Experience coordinating field logistics, including vehicle fleet management, supply chain/inventory tracking, and travel coordination in remote or access-constrained locations.

• Ability to work independently in a multi-site project team with minimal supervision, including a demonstrated history of being a proactive problem solver who can work effectively under deadlines and in a fast-changing emergency response environment.

• Excellent attention to detail, results focus, and quantitative skills, including budgeting and spreadsheet skills.

• Strong command of MS Office suite, especially Outlook, Word, and Excel; working knowledge of SharePoint and financial reporting systems preferred.

• Excellent organization, communication, interpersonal, and writing skills, with strong ability to work in a multi-cultural team environment with program and technical staff.

• Ability to manage multiple activities, competing priorities, and deadlines with good follow-through and minimal errors.

• Willingness and ability to travel to and work from Bunia and, as needed, to other outbreak-affected health zones.

• French required; English proficiency strongly preferred.

• Must have legal authorization to work in Democratic Republic of Congo.