While there are currently fewer jobs in development, there appears to be no regression in the use of artificial intelligence by sector professionals. According to a recent survey conducted by the Humanitarian Leadership Academy and Data Friendly Space, 70% of humanitarian workers are regularly using AI tools.
“There’s widespread individual adoption of AI, or at least a strong interest in it,” AI expert Joel Levesque recently told me, adding that in his assessment of the sector since the U.S. aid cuts, “business development is where the shift [to AI] is most visible, [but] AI is quietly transforming workflows across every role where it's allowed.”
In this edition of Career Hub, I’m sharing insights from our recently published AI guide on how business development roles are being shaped. Plus, the best new job opportunities from Devex’s board, from leading organizations such as Tetra Tech, Project HOPE, and many others.
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Top full-time staff jobs this week
1. MEL Coordinator – Transnational Crime
Tetra Tech
Thailand
2. Finance and Administrative Director
Project HOPE
Venezuela
3. Country Director
Save the Children International
Lebanon
4. Senior Manager, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Grassroot Soccer
Worldwide (remote)
5. Project Management Support Specialist
UNOPS
United States
6. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer, Innovation
Results for Development
United Kingdom (remote)
Devex Talent Solutions, our boutique recruitment agency, is supporting CARE in its search for a country director to be based in Kenya. This is a full-time, senior-level position. Applications must be submitted by Sept. 12.
+ See more roles DTS is helping to fill.
How AI is shaping business development roles
“I think AI, and particularly generative AI, is beginning to change the landscape of grant writing and business development in both NGOs and development consultancies.”
— Jack Jarrett, international development HR adviser
AI is enabling the rapid and efficient creation of compelling and compliant requests for proposals, or RFPs. Writers are already utilizing generative AI tools, including the Grant Assistant platform, to draft early bids, draw on previous submissions, and synthesize technical language.
Jack Jarrett, an international development HR adviser, says AI’s ability to rephrase proposal sections to align with different donor tones, which should differ between humanitarian donors and private foundation donors, is one of the most useful ways for proposal writers to use AI.
According to Levesque, who is the author of the Job Search with AI newsletter on Substack, the fallout from the U.S. aid crisis has led to proposal teams utilizing AI even more.
“Organizations are under intense pressure to bring in new work, which means they’re submitting more proposals than ever, and many of these proposals are for unfamiliar sectors, making existing boilerplate language less useful,” Levesque says. “As a result, teams are scrambling to create more customized content on tight timelines.”
Beyond writing, AI can play a strong role in supporting proposal writers and bid teams in developing theories of change, identifying assumptions, designing log frames, and crafting indicators, according to Maria Ghazzaoui, an independent consultant in proposal development.
She also believes the humanitarian and development organizations that take steps to use AI wisely will be better prepared to deal with increasing pressure as crises worsen and funding becomes tighter.
Download: A global development pro’s guide to AI (Career)
Watch: 3 tips for adapting to an AI-integrated development workplace (Career)
Explore more: How will the next generation get into the global development industry? (Career)
Top consulting and short-term jobs
1. Individual Consultant: Partnership Specialist
UNDP Philippines
Philippines
2. Military Behavioral Health Consultant
Bixal
United States
3. KIX EMAP Knowledge Lead for Europe and Central Asia
GPE KIX EMAP Hub
Worldwide (remote)
4. Individual Consultant: Disseminate Climate Vulnerability Mapping and Climate Change Risk Analysis
AGRA
Uganda
5. E&S Senior Project Manager, Climate, Resilience and Sustainability
Oxford Policy Management
Indonesia
6. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Associate
Global Whole Being Fund
Worldwide (remote)
+ For more opportunities, check out the weekly Devex Jobs Alert newsletter on LinkedIn and Devex’s Job board.
Data download: Who is hiring in LAC?
As we continue assessing the state of development job opportunities across the globe, our latest job board data analysis digs into opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Here’s a look at the top three local employers that have been actively recruiting.
1. Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research centers
Headquarters: Texcoco, Mexico; and Lima, Peru
Total jobs posted since Jan. 24: 98
The CGIAR research centers in Latin America and the Caribbean aim to be hubs for collaboration and co-creation of solutions to respond to regional challenges, including the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, or CIMMYT, which is currently seeking an
administrative facilities coordinator based in Mexico City.
View all current CIMMYT job openings on Devex.
2. U.N. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
Headquarters: Santiago, Chile
Total jobs posted since Jan. 24: 86
The U.N. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, or ECLAC, commonly advertised mid-level opportunities, internships, and short-term contract positions. It has an opening for a social affairs officer position on a short-term contract basis, located in Mexico City.
View all current ECLAC job openings on Devex.
3. Central American Bank for Economic Integration
Headquarters: Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Total jobs posted since Jan. 24: 29
The Central American Bank for Economic Integration, or CABEI, has mostly advertised entry-level opportunities and full-time contract positions. It is currently seeking consulting candidates for a financial specialist role on a short-term basis and based in Honduras.
View all current CABEI job openings on Devex.
Read: The top local employers in Latin America and the Caribbean (Career)
Around the watercooler
News and views from around global development worth knowing about.
• Trump’s UNGA plans. Devex obtained an email that lays out the administration’s priorities for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, calling for a “fundamental rethink” of the international humanitarian system and a decreased reliance on the country that was once the world’s largest donor.
• Is the UK done with aid? The clearest signal that Labour has turned its back on the sector remains the drastic cut to the country’s aid budget from 0.5% of GNI to 0.3% by 2027, announced in February. But there are others. (Pro)
• GAFSP rethinks food security role. With its next replenishment expected in 2026, the World Bank-housed fund is shifting from lofty ambitions to a leaner, more catalytic role.
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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.
