The unexpected gutting of the U.S. aid budget in early 2025 set off a domino effect that left few in the development sector unaffected. Needless to say, it was one of, if not the most disruptive years in history for the development jobs market. So, what’s next?
In this edition of Career Hub, I’m sharing key trends that resulted from the U.S. aid crisis and how 2026 will be affected as a result. Plus, the best new job opportunities from Devex’s job board, from leading organizations such as The Pacific Community, Caribbean Development Bank, and many others.
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Top full-time staff jobs this week
1. Director of Strategic Partnerships
Simprints
Ghana (remote)
2. Project Implementation Officer
The Pacific Community
Fiji
3. Finance Director
DT Global
Papua New Guinea
4. Brussels Correspondent
Devex
Belgium (remote)
5. Operations Officer, Regional Cooperation and Integration
Caribbean Development Bank
Barbados
6. Senior/Lead Risk Management Officer
FinDev Canada
Canada
Devex Talent Solutions, our boutique recruitment agency, is supporting CARE USA in recruiting a senior director for humanitarian advocacy. Successful candidates can be based in any country where CARE has an established office. Applications are open until Jan. 15, 2026.
+ See more roles DTS is helping to fill.
A job market through the looking glass
“A big trend I see happening is the shift from full-time employment … to what is traditionally called a portfolio career where people have a number of different projects and contracts that they cobble together.”
— Nick Martin, CEO, TechChangeIn response to budget cuts, many organizations implemented hiring freezes early in the year and continue to recruit cautiously. Where there is hiring, employer priorities and approaches have changed. Here are three ways the global development hiring landscape changed in 2025, and what it means for the year ahead.
A shift toward the gig economy. A greater percentage of roles in 2025 were for short-term contracts, accounting for more than 41% of all opportunities, according to Devex’s job board data. At the same time, many affected by the USAID layoffs turned to consulting as a means of staying in — and earning within — the sector.
New development hubs. Washington, D.C. was hit hard by the closure of USAID and layoffs at implementing organizations, while U.N. staffers departed Manhattan’s urban canyons for Kenya's leafy capital. New talent hubs have emerged in Nigeria, Rwanda, and Morocco, according to Janaina Tavares, global head of people and culture at ActionAid International.
Revenue-focused roles in demand. From United Nations agencies to INGOs, funding diversification was a priority in 2025, and this drove hiring in areas such as fundraising, donor engagement, strategic partnerships, and high-impact philanthropy. The pivot away from the sector’s traditional institutional donors also changed how business development roles looked in 2025.
Read more: 10 ways the global development job market shifted in 2025 (Career)
Explore more: How to navigate the global development job market in 2026 (Career)
+ The Trump effect: Explore our dedicated page to catch up on all the latest news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive insights on how the Trump administration’s policies are reshaping U.S. aid and global development.
Top consulting and short-term jobs
1. Supply Chain Management Senior Assistant
UNOPS
Denmark
2. Senior Hub Manager
Speak Up Africa
Kenya | Benin | Côte d’Ivoire | Senegal (remote)
3. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer
Alinea International Ltd.
Fiji
4. Operations and Administration Manager
International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement
Worldwide (remote)
5. Information Management Specialist
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Syria
6. Senior Manager, Development and Digital Strategy
Partners In Health Canada
Canada
+ For more opportunities, check out the weekly Devex Jobs Alert newsletter on LinkedIn and Devex’s Job board.
Resource rundown: Post-USAID support
As development job seekers figure out their next move following sector-wide layoffs, here are some of the sources of support that remain available and are helping them through these challenging times.
LinkedIn. Many in the sector have relied on this platform to mobilize, connect, and stay informed as the cuts evolved from USAID itself to NGOs and nonprofits globally. In the immediate aftermath of the layoffs, it was here that various accounts became the go-to sources for job openings and career advice. All these months on, it is still a hub of activity.
Planning tools. The USAID to Corporate Roadmap by Mariela Vazquez offers practical advice for pivoting public sector experience into the private sector; the Public Value Lab offers workshops to federal workers, public servants, and others on building social entrepreneurial skills; and FedsForward offers tangible tools for translating skills, rewriting résumés, and financial planning during the job search.
Community forums. Many platforms have emerged, offering opportunities to connect and discuss on an emotional level. Sites include the health-focused network Fired But Fighting and 27 UNIHTED, which provides a space to discuss the future of biomedical research. Meanwhile, Career Pivot, created by Wayan Vota and now run by Joe O’Connor, offers holistic resources through its newsletter and events.
Read more: Impacted by the USAID job cuts in 2025? Check out these resources (Career)
Download: Your toolkit for navigating job loss and the US aid crisis (Career)
Around the watercooler
News and views from around global development worth knowing about.
• Is MrBeast a force for good in development? The strategic collaboration between MrBeast and The Rockefeller Foundation has raised hundreds of millions for good causes. But his flashy methods remain controversial, and he risks skewing how a generation perceives aid. [Devex Pro]
• UNAIDS takes next steps in transition. A new working group will issue an interim report in June 2026, with final recommendations due by late October — a compromise between calls for a June decision and concerns about moving too quickly.
• Take the big global development news quiz. The global development rulebook was rewritten this year. How much of that transformation do you actually remember? Take Devex’s SDG-nostic test to find out.
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About the author
Justin Sablich
Justin is a contributing writer and editor who previously led Devex’s careers content strategy. Before joining Devex, Justin served as the managing editor of Springwise, covering sustainable and climate-tech innovation across all business sectors. He also spent over 13 years as an editor and writer for the New York Times, specializing in digital content production and strategy while producing written and multimedia content on a range of topics, including travel, sports, and technology.
