As a challenging year for the development workforce nears an end, professionals across the sector are hoping to see an uptick in hiring in 2026, as organizations explore new partnerships and funding models. According to experts who joined our most recent digital careers event, highlighting transferable skills, upskilling, and networking will be critical to standing out in the coming year.
In this edition of Career Hub, I’m sharing key insights from our event on how to navigate the development job market in 2026. Plus, the best new job opportunities from Devex’s board, from leading organizations such as Tetra Tech, CARE, and many others.
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Top full-time staff jobs this week
1. Director of Environmental and Social Performance
Millennium Challenge Account
Sierra Leone
2. VAC Manager
Tetra Tech
Vietnam
3. Major Gifts Manager
CARE
United States
4. Finance and Administration Officer
Alinea International Ltd.
Pakistan
5. Research and Policy Principal/Lead Economist
Inter-American Development Bank
United States
6. Economic and Social Research Facilitator | APEP
Abt Global Inc.
Papua New Guinea
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.
Approach 2026 with agility
“Put yourself out there as not just an international USAID award manager, for example, but as a donor liaison. It’s still all about the donor — it’s just [a question of] who are the donors today.”
— Douglas Mercer, managing director of talent attraction and acquisition, Save the Children USDuring a recent Devex digital event, leading recruitment and career experts shared insights into where demand for expertise is growing and how job seekers can leverage transferable skills to remain competitive. Here are a few key takeaways from our discussion.
Transferable business skills. Douglas Mercer, managing director of talent attraction and acquisition at Save the Children US, noted that many job seekers have transferable skills that lend themselves to business development roles, which are growing in demand. Someone who has experience as a U.S. government grant writer, for example, knows the sector and has the relevant skills in donor engagement, donor compliance, and sales.
AI and digital upskilling. Artificial intelligence is already impacting how organizations in the sector approach their internal operations, programming, and policy research, according to Craig Zelizer, CEO and founder of PCDN Global. To build AI skills, he suggested Bluedot, Open Philanthropy — now known as Coefficient Giving, and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy.
Emerging local hubs. The rise of emerging global development hubs and the acceleration of localization are redefining the NGO job market, according to Janaina Tavares, global head of people and culture at ActionAid International. “We’re seeing real opportunities opening up across several regional markets,” she said, noting cities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America that “are all showing strong growth.”
Watch: How to navigate the global development job market in 2026 (Career)
Explore more: 3 tips for breaking through a challenging US development jobs market (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. Team Assistant — Protocol
United Nations Office at Nairobi
Kenya
2. WASH Engineer
UNOPS
Denmark
3. MEL Consultant
DT Global
Indonesia
4. Operations and Administration Manager
International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement
Worldwide
5. Professor of Practice in International Affairs
Indiana University
United States
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.
Data download: 2025’s top-paid development roles
Despite a significant shake-up of the development landscape, several organizations continued to invest in critical areas and ensured that the highest-level technical and leadership roles were filled in 2025. Here are a few of the top-paid positions across various organization types from the past year.
Nongovernmental organizations
Practical Action | GDC program manager — Investment Catalyst Facility
Annual salary: $582,617.50
Location: Kenya
Bilateral organizations
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office | Lead political adviser
Annual salary: $793,352.52
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Multilateral development banks
Asian Development Bank | Project manager
Annual salary: $577,535
Location: Pohnpei, Micronesia
United Nations agencies
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Senior forest management expert
Annual salary: $281,680.17 - $425,333.48
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Development consulting organizations
Climate Lead | Senior director, new donor strategy
Annual salary: $300,000 - $350,000
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Read more: The best-paid development jobs of 2025 (Career)
Around the watercooler
News and views from around global development worth knowing about.
• What’s next in U.S. foreign aid? The State Department is rebuilding its workforce — and across the world, positions are opening up to fill the gaps created by the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development. [Devex Pro]
• Oxfam CEO’s controversial departure. Halima Begum left the organization over the weekend following allegations by staff members of bullying, which have since been disputed. [Devex Pro]
• Record funding for ADB lending arm. The African Development Fund, the concessional lending arm of the African Development Bank, has secured a record $11 billion for its 17th replenishment cycle amid mounting pressure on development budgets in many donor countries.
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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.
