Everything in life begins with a belief — the belief that you are capable of achieving something. In many ways, it’s the most crucial step in starting any journey, including your career path. That was the message from a recent Devex conversation with Abir Aldhalimi, Ph.D. — a refugee who became a senior inclusive development adviser.
In this edition of Career Hub, we look at Aldhalimi’s career journey and some of the top skills needed to succeed as a program manager. Plus, featured job postings from the likes of USAID, DT Global, and more.
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Top jobs this week
1. Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser – Tuvalu
Commonwealth Secretariat
Tuvalu
2. Universal Design Consultant
DT Global
Timor-Leste
3. Human Resources Assistant
USAID
Moldova
4. Global Security Advisor
Helen Keller Intl.
Worldwide
Featured opportunity: Devex Talent Solutions, our very own boutique recruitment agency, is assisting the African Wildlife Foundation in their search for a Landscape Director, to be based in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Those interested should apply by Nov. 8.
+ DTS is also seeking candidates for a Nairobi-based Country Director at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, a Kuala Lumpur-based Senior Halal Development Specialist at the Islamic Development Bank, and a Director of People & Culture at Global Health Corps with hybrid and remote working options depending on the location, among many others. See more roles DTS is helping to fill.
In conversation with a refugee who became a senior development adviser
“My experience as a refugee and living in a refugee camp is critical in the way I solve development challenges.”
— Abir Aldhalimi, Ph.D., senior development adviser and licensed clinical psychologistHere’s an excerpt from our recent conversation with Abir Aldhalimi, Ph.D., a contractor at USAID, about how her academic background in psychology, along with her experience as a refugee and living in a refugee camp, has been critical in how she solves development challenges:
How do your background and experiences influence the work you do now?
“My career trajectory into international development has been anything but conventional. As a licensed clinical psychologist in Washington, D.C., and New York, I hold a Ph.D. that focuses on stress, anxiety, and trauma, including the psychological and social repercussions of community trauma.”
“When I transitioned into international development, I realized how much my clinical and research experience enhanced my ability to address the needs of marginalized populations in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in the context of human rights violations.”
“Beyond my career choices, my personal history as a refugee following the Gulf War in 1991 has profoundly influenced my path. After fleeing Iraq, I spent part of my childhood in a refugee camp in the Middle East, where I attended makeshift classrooms taught by fellow refugees. It was there that I learned to read and write, experiencing firsthand the challenges of displacement and the realities of receiving humanitarian aid.”
What would you like to add to the conversation?
“This work is particularly important to me because I’ve learned that addressing international development challenges from various perspectives is crucial for success. Diversity is important and having greater representation will make the team stronger. I know that my experience as a refugee and living in a refugee camp is critical in the way I solve development challenges. Bringing together people with diverse perspectives is essential for finding creative solutions to persistent international development problems.”
Read the full article: The career journey of a refugee who became a senior development adviser (Career)
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Members-only jobs this week
1. Management Control Manager
Humanitarian medical care charity
France
2. Head of Advice
Clean energy nonprofit
United Kingdom
3. Country Director
International intergovernmental nonprofit
Malaysia
4. Economic Recovery Manager
Private humanitarian nonprofit
Myanmar
In focus: Succeeding as a program manager
Interested in becoming a program manager? The skills required are varied — with responsibilities spanning administration, finance, people management, and monitoring and evaluation — and the pathways toward this role are also varied. This week we have some useful tips from various seasoned professionals about what is needed to do the job and how to make a difference.
Wearing multiple hats. Unlike project managers, who focus on specific initiatives with clear deliverables, program managers oversee a portfolio of projects aimed at achieving strategic goals. They also engage with high-level stakeholders and influence policy and organizational direction.
Multidisciplinary skills for a multidisciplinary role. “Skills learnt in other roles helped me tremendously in my program manager career,” says Eugénie Galbas, who has spent 20 years working as a program manager — explaining how her background in communication, training, and even as an activist have all brought valuable skills to her role.
Strategic team development. Pragya Pradhan, a program manager at UN-Habitat, emphasizes the importance of assigning roles based on skills and pushing team members to achieve challenging but attainable goals to maintain motivation.
Engaging stakeholders. Ejaz Ahmad Hassan, a program manager at Mercy Corps, highlights the importance of working with stakeholders to clearly understand their needs, values, and concerns — ultimately communities are engaged in every step of the process.
Read the full article: How to succeed as a program manager (Career)
Around the watercooler
News and views from around global development worth knowing about.
Why youth are key to safeguarding the future. At Devex’s The future can’t wait summit, leaders reflected on how to make sure young people are heard.
Fixing nutrition security, not just food security. At the same Devex event on the sidelines of UNGA 79, food systems leaders Cary Fowler and Afshan Khan explored how this moment of worsening climate change is pivotal for addressing malnutrition.
Do climate negotiations have a gender inequality problem? Women are key to solving the climate crisis, but they’re still underrepresented in decision-making.
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About the author
Katrina J. Lane
Katrina Lane is an Editorial Strategist and Reporter at Devex. She writes on ecologies and social inclusion, and also supports the creation of partnership content at Devex. She holds a degree in Psychology from Warwick University, offering a unique perspective on the cognitive frameworks and social factors that influence responses to global issues.
