Devex Career Hub: Is it still possible to break into development?

It’s been an unsettling few months for most people in and around the development sector. But what about those who are just getting ready to embark on their careers in the sector?

In this edition of Career Hub, I’m sharing key insights from our recent event that could help those wondering if it’s still possible to break into global development. Plus, some of the best new job opportunities from Devex’s board, from leading organizations such as UNOPS, BRAC, and many others.

Top full-time staff jobs this week

1. Philanthropic Partnerships Officer
EARTH University
United States

2. Social Development Advisor
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
United Kingdom

3. Partnerships Specialist
UNOPS
Madagascar

4. Sr. Manager, Communications, AIM
BRAC
Kenya

5. Chief of Party, Food for Progress
Global Communities
Worldwide

6. Sr. Platform Administrator
Habitat for Humanity International
United States | United Kingdom | Slovakia | Kenya |  Philippines | Costa Rica

+ See the full list

Devex Talent Solutions, our boutique recruitment agency, is currently supporting several key hires. The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean is recruiting an employee experience senior specialist and a senior change management specialist, with both roles based in Colombia and Brazil. Applications close on May 19.

+ See more roles DTS is helping to fill.

I’m about to graduate, now what?

If you’ve been observing the Trump effect on global development as a soon-to-be graduate, you probably have a few questions about what lies ahead.  

“It is still possible to break into the global development sector, but it's important to be strategic and flexible, [as] those entry level roles are competitive with the current funding challenges — there's a lot less of them around,” Jarrett told Devex Career Account members during a recent event.

Being flexible about where you start in the social impact space and the exact nature of your first role could help you avoid a long post-graduation job hunt while putting you in a stronger position to ultimately land a preferred position.  

“For some, that might mean starting in a related area, and what I mean by that is looking at [areas] of corporate social responsibility, or ESG, or working for a social enterprise or a consultancy that partners with development organizations. Those experiences are incredibly valuable and highly transferable,” Jarrett said.

Watch the session: 3 burning questions answered about job hunting post-aid freeze (Career)

Explore more: What will USAID feeder schools do now? (Career)

Download: Graduation checklist — 6 things you should know (Career)

Top consulting and short-term jobs

1. Individual Consultant: Project on Strengthening Women and Youth Participation in Cross-border Trade
AGRA
Nigeria

2. Consultancy to conduct Entrepreneurship-Driven Total Market Analysis for PHC Products & Services
Amref Health Africa
Zambia

3. Senior Program Associate, Green Skilling and Green Jobs
World Resources Institute
India

4. Flood Management Specialist
Tetra Tech
Worldwide (remote)

5. Individual Consultant: Advancing HIV Sustainability and Integration
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Nigeria

6. Individual Consultant: Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist
World Bank Group
Somaliland

+ For more opportunities, check out the weekly Devex Jobs Alert newsletter on LinkedIn, our next early-week edition of Career Hub, and Devex’s job board.

Who is still hiring in Europe?

To assess the current state of development job opportunities across Europe in the wake of the Trump administration’s sector-shaking foreign aid cuts, Devex dug into its job board data to identify the key global development organizations that are still actively recruiting. Here’s a look at the top three.

1. UNOPS

Total jobs posted since Jan. 24: 123.

UNOPS is the United Nations agency that works directly with communities to provide expert project management, infrastructure, and procurement services. It is currently looking to hire a project management support officer based in Denmark.

View all current European job postings from UNOPS on Devex.

2. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Total jobs posted since Jan. 24: 101.

EBRD supports private sector development, sustainable infrastructure, and regional connectivity. The bank is seeking candidates for a results and knowledge management analyst and an associate finance manager. Both roles are based at its London headquarters.  

View all current European job postings from EBRD on Devex.

3. Médecins Sans Frontières

Total jobs posted since Jan. 24: 101.

Médecins Sans Frontiéres, or Doctors Without Borders, provides critical medical care in emergency and fragile settings. Aside from its headquarters in Geneva, MSF also often hires for roles in Brussels and currently has an opening for an emergency coordinator based in Paris.

View all current European job postings from MSF on Devex.

Read: Who’s still hiring in Europe? (Career)

ICYMI: Who's still hiring development roles in the global south? (Career)

Around the watercooler

News and views from around global development worth knowing about.

• ‘What’s in’ and ‘what’s out.’ USAID leadership sent out guidance to country missions abroad, which highlighted 24 “central awards to support global health programming” that will continue under the agency’s “narrower focus.”

• Historic pandemic deal. Countries were finally able to agree on a finalized text of a pandemic treaty after more than three years of negotiations.

• Gates alters scholarship rules. The Gates Foundation quietly expanded its scholarship eligibility after a conservative group accused it of discriminating against white students.

+ To keep up to date with all the must-read global development coverage, be sure to sign up to the daily Devex Newswire.

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