Senior consultant, drc country program

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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.

1. Background

The Global Health Programs (GHP) Division is PATH's largest programmatic division and serves as a center of excellence for the design, implementation, and scale-up of health programs globally. GHP brings together multidisciplinary teams of technical experts, program managers, researchers, and policy specialists who collaborate with country offices and partners to strengthen health systems, improve service delivery, and accelerate access to life-saving health products and services. Through its portfolio of donor-funded programs and strategic partnerships, GHP supports countries in advancing sustainable, locally led solutions to address critical health challenges. PATH has maintained a longstanding presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since 2010 and has established itself as a trusted partner to the Ministry of Health, provincial health authorities, donors, and a broad range of public and private sector stakeholders. PATH DRC works closely with government and development partners to strengthen health systems and improve access to high-quality health services. Current areas of focus include digital transformation of the health sector, vaccine introduction and immunization systems strengthening, outbreak preparedness and response, malaria elimination, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH), universal health coverage (UHC), and strengthening the use of data for decision-making. PATH supports the Government of DRC in responding to emerging health threats, including malaria, HIV, COVID-19, Ebola, mpox, and other epidemic-prone diseases through surveillance strengthening, emergency operations support, workforce capacity building, and data-driven decision-making. Through these activities, PATH works to ensure equitable access to life-saving interventions for vulnerable populations throughout the country. To support the implementation of its growing portfolio of activities in the DRC and Central Africa region, PATH seeks to engage a consultant who will provide programmatic coordination and collaborate closely with country, regional, and global teams to advance project objectives and deliver high-quality results.

2. CONSULTANT ACTIVITIES

The Consultant will perform the following services:

• Serve as a senior coordination and portfolio oversight resource across GHP's DRC portfolio, supporting communication, stakeholder engagement, risk identification, issue escalation, and portfolio monitoring. Align objectives and identify common needs and efficiencies across projects and business development efforts; and inform donor- and government touchpoints to streamline engagement.
• Provide technical advisory support to the interim DRC Country Director and the DRC Ministry of Health on behalf of PATH, with a particular focus on strategic guidance to the Government for time-sensitive health funding applications and requests.
• Support the implementation and execution of project-specific engagements with the MOH, providing surge capacity and senior-level representation as needed to advance specific project objectives.

1. Coordination Across Divisional Projects and Programs

The Consultant will maintain visibility across DRC-based GHP activities and proactively identify emerging implementation, stakeholder, operational, donor, and government-related risks. The consultant will elevate concerns and bottlenecks to relevant project leadership and country leadership to support timely decision-making and mitigation planning. Responsibility for technical strategy, technical quality, donor deliverables, project management, budget oversight, and personnel management remains with individual project leadership and technical teams. The consultant's role is limited to coordination, risk identification, stakeholder engagement, troubleshooting, and escalation support.

2. Technical Advisory Support to the Ministry of Health

The Consultant will provide high-level technical advisory support to the DRC Ministry of Health (MOH), supporting PATH's institutional engagement and helping maintain continuity of relationships across government, donor, and partner stakeholders. The Consultant may participate in technical and stakeholder meetings, when requested, to maintain situational awareness, support coordination, facilitate follow-up actions, and provide continuity across projects.

Related work products and deliverables:

• Summary readouts following key MOH meetings or funding moments, shared with relevant PATH project and global leadership.
• Written briefs, positioning decks, and rapid analyses to support the development and adaptation of national policy, strategies, and guidelines.

3. Project-Specific Engagement Support with the Ministry of Health

The Consultant will support the implementation and execution of project-specific engagements with the MOH, providing surge capacity and senior-level representation as requested to advance specific project objectives. This includes monitoring progress against key milestones; identifying implementation barriers and dependencies; facilitating communication among stakeholders; escalating issues requiring leadership attention; and tracking mitigation efforts and follow-up actions. The Consultant will support projects such as FAST, SAFEStart+, MACEPA, CDC TAP, and other current or future GHP projects operating in the DRC. Level of engagement with project teams may vary over time based on project needs and priorities.

Desired Qualifications and Skills

• Advanced degree in Public Health, Health Policy, Health Economics, Medicine, International Development, Public Administration, or a related field; Master's degree required and doctoral-level training preferred.
• Minimum 10–15 years of progressively responsible experience supporting health systems strengthening, public health programs, donor-funded initiatives, or health sector reform efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and/or Central Africa.
• Demonstrated experience working closely with Ministries of Health, government institutions, development partners, and donor agencies in the DRC, including experience supporting national health strategies, funding applications, or policy processes.
• Strong understanding of the DRC health sector landscape, including key stakeholders, financing mechanisms, governance structures, and donor-funded programs.
• Familiarity with major global health financing mechanisms and donors, including the Global Fund, Gavi, Global Financing Facility (GFF), World Bank, bilateral donors, and philanthropic organizations.
• Proven ability to provide high-level strategic and technical advisory support to senior government officials, donors, and development partners.
• Experience coordinating complex, multi-stakeholder programs and facilitating collaboration across diverse technical teams and institutional partners.
• Demonstrated success in identifying strategic opportunities, managing stakeholder relationships, and contributing to business development, partnership development, or resource mobilization efforts.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information and develop actionable recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing briefing materials, technical reports, presentations, donor updates, and executive-level communications.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment, manage multiple priorities simultaneously, and respond effectively to evolving programmatic needs.
• Experience representing organizations in high-level meetings, technical working groups, donor engagements, and government consultations.
• Professional fluency in French required; proficiency in English strongly preferred.
• Existing professional network within the DRC Ministry of Health, donor community, and broader global health ecosystem strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated commitment to health equity, locally led development, and collaborative partnership approaches.

3. AGREEMENT DELIVERABLES

• Stakeholder & Touchpoint Database; Living document identifying the status of engagements/conversations with key donor, government, and HQ contacts across active GHP projects in DRC. Updated biweekly and shared with primary contact and other stakeholders as agreed upon.
• GHP Program Updates; Updates on programmatic and operational objectives: challenges, potential solutions, and business development efforts across projects. Includes summary readouts following key MOH meetings or funding moments with decisions reached and follow-up actions. Updated biweekly and shared with primary contact and other stakeholders as agreed upon.
• Technical Inputs & Briefing Notes; Written technical inputs, briefing notes, and position papers supporting MOH engagement in global health funding moments (GC8, Gavi, GFF, World Bank, and others), policy processes, or technical convenings (e.g. EVT TWGs), as requested.
• Participation in project coordination meetings; Status updates on project workstream progress, meetings, emerging issues, and decisions required from project leadership; tracking key follow-up actions and support needs across project teams.

4. PRIMARY PATH CONTACT (OR PRIMARY CONTACTS)

Lisa Smith, Program Leader, Market Dynamics

5. TRAVEL

If required, the consultant will be funded to travel to DRC and remain in country for the duration of the consulting contract (e.g., 3 months). Within country travel will be determined and approved on an individual basis by project teams.