While most are well aware by now that the development job market has taken a big hit in the wake of draconian U.S. foreign aid funding cuts, a closer look at Devex job board data shows just how hard-hit some of the sector’s most prestigious institutions have been.
Among the United Nations agencies that have seen the steepest decline in job postings since Jan. 24, when the U.S. aid freeze was first announced, is UNICEF. The U.N. Children’s Agency has seen more than a 50% decrease in available opportunities, and plans for steep budget cuts have yet to be implemented.
In this edition of Career Hub, I’m sharing further insights from our latest downloadable guide on what’s happened to UNICEF since Trump took office. I’m also highlighting some of the top employers hiring in Central and southern Africa, a region that has weathered the Trump effect better than many other parts of the world. Plus, the best new opportunities from the Devex job board, from leading organizations such as the Nature Conservancy (Africa), the Gates Foundation, and many others.
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Top full-time staff jobs this week
1. Associate Director of Finance, Africa Region
The Nature Conservancy (Africa)
Kenya
2. Smart Solutions Specialist
Islamic Development Bank
Saudi Arabia
3. Senior Program Officer, Numeracy (Global Education)
Gates Foundation
United States
4. OBNE and Member Engagement Specialist, Santiago network
UNOPS
Switzerland
5. Vice President, Chief Strategy & Engagement Officer
FinDev Canada
Canada
6. Senior Country Program Manager
The Beginnings Fund
Tanzania | Ethiopia | Malawi (remote)
Devex Talent Solutions, our boutique recruitment agency, is supporting Feed the Children in its search for a director of international foundations, organizations, and institutions. The position can be based in Brussels, London, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, or Uganda. Applications must be submitted by Aug. 25.
+ See more roles DTS is helping to fill.
The Trump effect: UNICEF fallout
What’s happened: In late May, UNICEF leadership outlined its budget reduction plans, which would involve consolidating programming in its seven regional offices, based in Amman, Jordan; Bangkok, Thailand; Nairobi, Kenya; and Panama City, Panama, into four so-called Centers of Excellence.
On Devex’s job board, over 50% fewer opportunities have appeared since Jan. 24 compared to 2024, when the children’s agency posted the second most opportunities of any U.N. entity.
What’s ahead: Despite intense backlash from staff, which includes criticism that the cuts are being imposed too hastily and without conducting a fact-based review to align the cost-cutting with UNICEF’s broader mission, the agency appears to be moving forward with the reductions.
UNICEF states that it will face a 20% reduction in donor funding in 2026 compared to 2024 and has instructed managers in its headquarters and regional offices to reduce their core funding by 25%. Its staff in European regional offices are likely to take the biggest hit, according to a May 22 memo from the executive director, which calls for “phasing out UNICEF programming in high income countries in Europe.”
Download: Assessing the Trump effect on UN agencies (Career)
ICYMI: Funding cuts at UN children's agency fuel intense staff pushback
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Top consulting and short-term jobs
1. Strategy and Implementation Consultancy, DRF Labs
DAI Global UK Ltd.
United Kingdom
2. Finance Specialist
UNOPS
Kenya
3. Nigerian Gender Technical Specialist
Alinea International Ltd.
Nigeria
4. Senior Officer for Institutional Giving & Partnerships
Women’s Refugee Commission
United States
5. Head of Secretariat
International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics
Worldwide (remote)
6. Research Funding Officer
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
United Kingdom
+ For more opportunities, check out the weekly Devex Jobs Alert newsletter on LinkedIn and the Devex job board.
Data download: Who is hiring in Central and southern Africa?
As we continue to assess the state of development job opportunities across the globe, our latest job board data analysis has delved into opportunities in Central and southern Africa. Here’s a look at the top three global development organizations that have been actively recruiting, and who they’re currently looking to hire.
1. United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic
Headquarters: Bangui, Central African Republic
Total jobs posted since Jan. 24: 35
MINUSCA is the U.N. peacekeeping mission established to protect civilians and support the peace process and transitional government in the Central African Republic. Since Jan. 24, MINUSCA has advertised mostly mid-level opportunities and full-time positions, including a current opening for a transport assistant based in Bangui.
View all current job openings from MINUSCA on Devex.
2. Educate!
Headquarters: Kampala, Uganda
Total jobs posted since Jan. 24: 22
Educate! is an NGO that focuses on equipping African youth with the necessary skills to drive development in their communities. The NGO is currently looking to hire on a full-time basis a business studies mentor, a hybrid, entry-level role based in Tanzania.
View all current job openings from Educate! on Devex.
3. Nile Basin Initiative
Headquarters: Entebbe, Uganda
Total jobs posted since Jan. 24: 20
The Nile Basin Initiative is an intergovernmental partnership of Nile basin countries working for sustainable socioeconomic development through the equitable utilization of the Nile’s water resources. The most common roles advertised have been for individual consultants to work on the initiative’s various projects and partnerships.
Find out who the rest are: The top employers based in Central and southern Africa (Career)
Explore more: The top local employers in East Africa (Career)
Around the watercooler
News and views from around global development worth knowing about.
• EU seeks boost to development budget. It’s rare to see budget news that doesn’t involve cuts. However, while the EU’s draft budget proposes a 75% increase to its Global Europe fund, flexibility and strategic autonomy may come at the expense of development priorities.
• PEPFAR gets a lifeline. The U.S. Congress has passed a $9 billion rescissions package that significantly slashed foreign aid, but removed a provision to strip $400 million from PEPFAR, the country’s flagship HIV/AIDS program.
• U.S. State Department fires thousands. The agency is losing nearly 3,000 members of its workforce, an estimated 15% loss of its nearly 24,000 American staffers. “This is us taking another step away from the world. And will be looked upon as a historic mistake,” says Rob Jenkins, a former assistant to the administrator at USAID.
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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.
