Manager of Operations DR Congo

Job location:                     Bukavu, DRC

Starting date:                   January 2026

Vacancy closing date:    02 November 2025

Duration position:           2 years

Working hours/week:    40

We are here from relief to recovery.

ZOA, as an international NGO, supports people who have lost everything due to armed conflict or natural disaster. Together, we can come to their aid in emergencies and remain faithful to communities as they recover – providing new opportunities for them to help themselves again. The work of ZOA is coordinated from the Netherlands. We are active in multiple countries in Africa, the Middle East Region, and Asia. We work with approximately 900 employees worldwide and with (local) partners.

Are you an experienced operations professional and are you looking for an opportunity to join our mission? We are recruiting an experienced

Manager of Operations

(Bukavu, DRC)

Our work in DRC

For ZOA DRC, the peace nexus approach is at the core of the projects. Throughout our 16 years in DRC, we have built a strong track record. Next to short term relief projects we focus on more sustainable interventions (resilience), addressing root causes of some of the major problems in DRC. An example is the facilitation of access to land for smallholder farmers, food security and livelihoods interventions (PIP, VSLA etc.) and IWRM. In addition, we help communities to become resilient in the face of the shocks of conflict through the so-called community-based socio-therapy (CBS) approach. Restoring trust in each other and creating hope for a peaceful future are prerequisites for rebuilding flourishing and stable communities. We have a strong presence and acceptance in communities due to our way of working as we share in our vision: putting people at the centre. In the past year, DRC has faced some upheaval; at the moment, different parts of the country (including the cities of Bukavu and Goma) are under different control. However, the situation is currently stable and operations are possible in the current context.

Your challenge

As Manager of Operations you are responsible for managing all our operational processes in the area of administration, finance, IT and logistics. You manage a team of 18 of which 5 are working in finance and admin, 1 in IT, 1 in logistics and 11 as support staff. Together with our country director, 2 programme managers, and manager of programme quality you form the country management team (of which two are expat). 

Your responsibilities include:

• Contributing to the country strategy and annual plan, including preparing the annual budget and financial sections.
• Managing and leading your team and providing spiritual oversight; we promote Biblical principles in our leadership and aim to ensure a gender and conflict sensitive approach to team management and project activities.
• Advising and supporting the country director and programme managers with developing budgets of funding proposals.
• Preparing monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports and management information at country and programme level.
• Maintaining an up-to-date country financial administration, in accordance with relevant legislation and regulations.
• Developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating country specific financial, logistical, IT, and procurement policies and procedures.
• Contributing to partner capacity enhancement in areas of finance, IT and logistics.
• Maintaining the country administrative manual (finance, procurement) and ensuring compliance.
• Monitoring finance compliance to internal and external (donor and government) rules and regulations.
• Managing financial audits and responding to audit reports. You are aware of financial risks and with integrity assess each situation and take appropriate steps to negate these risks.
• Managing availability, continuity and security of IT facilities.

Working with ZOA

Working with ZOA first and foremost means answering the call to bring peace, reconciliation, and hope to a broken world. As Manager of Operations with ZOA DRC you are offered:

• A challenging senior management role in a dynamic and fragile humanitarian context.
• The opportunity to make a real difference in DRC and grow your expertise in operational humanitarian assistance.
• Motivated colleagues from DRC and abroad, and dedicated support from our international office.
• Opportunities for professional development.
• A two-year expat contract for international candidates, with possible extension.
• A good salary and benefits that fit the NGO sector and specific context.
• In the current circumstances, international staff are granted 5 working days R&R leave every 10 weeks.

Your profile

Are you ready to join a growing faith-based INGO and are you looking for an opportunity to support the people of DRC? Becoming successful in this position means you:

• Fully support the vision, mission and Christian values of ZOA.
• Are an experienced team leader, able to motivate, challenge and provide opportunities for growth.
• Are a strategic thinker, able to connect context and challenges to solutions.
• Frequently travel to project locations and focus on building connections inside and outside of the office.
• Have a people first approach and at the same time focus on improving performance and processes.
• Have strong analytical skills and are results-oriented.
• Have experience in DRC or a similar fluid and insecure environment.
• Preferably have at least 3 years of recent experience in the Eastern part of DRC.
• Have good command of English and French; speaking Swahili would be an advantage.
• Have a bachelor’s degree in business administration, audit, finance or another relevant field.

Special conditions/circumstances

• This is a non-family duty-station.

Interested and ready to apply?

Please submit your application in English at the latest on Sunday 02 November via the button “Apply now” on this page. If you have any questions, please contact Arno van Turennout, at zoa.vacancies@zoa.ngo. CVs of no more than 5 pages are appreciated.

For more information about ZOA, please visit our website www.zoa-international.com. Would you like to know what it’s like to work for ZOA? Visit our career page and read the stories of possible future colleagues!

ZOA operates with an equal opportunities policy and is committed to diversity in the workplace. Qualified women and men, people of all nationalities and cultural backgrounds, and candidates with disabilities are welcome to apply. We especially encourage local candidates to apply.

Notes on proceedings:

Only selected candidates will be contacted and invited to participate in the process of recruitment. It is our aim to inform all other candidates of their status in the recruitment process within 4 weeks after the vacancy has closed. An assessment may be part of the recruitment procedure. Documents that do not match the profile above will not be considered. Internal candidates will have priority, in case of similar results.

Please note that, as part of its recruitment process, ZOA carries out background and reference checks for all candidates. As ZOA participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, all reference checks include a written questionnaire, the ‘Statement of Conduct’, which will be sent to past employers regarding misconduct (such as sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment).