Presented by Frankfurt School of Finance & Management – Sustainable World Academy
Last week saw a significant event unfold at USAID's headquarters in Washington, D.C., as over 200 candidates attended the Bureau for Management’s first hiring fair. The job candidates were there for 35 opportunities, many of which have typically been hard for the agency to fill.
“We want people who are flexible, that drive accountability, and have a can-do attitude and a collaborative posture,” says Jami Rodgers, director of USAID’s Office of Acquisitions and Assistance.
In this edition of Career Hub, I’m sharing key takeaways from the USAID Bureau for Management’s first hiring fair. Plus, featured job postings from the likes of Tetra Tech, UNOPS, and more.
+ Join us on April 17: Our next event for Devex Career Account members features insights from career expert Simone Anzböck about how to network when you hate networking. If you’re not yet a member, we’re offering a limited-time 50% discount on our annual membership, which opens access to all career events and advice content, our complete job board, and much more.
Top jobs this week
1. Knowledge Management Adviser
Tetra Tech
United States (Remote)
2. Project Management Support Officer
UNOPS
Brazil
3. Senior Award Specialist
Solidarity Center
United States
4. Senior Program Manager
Basel Institute on Governance
Switzerland
Takeaways from USAID’s Management Bureau’s first job fair
USAID is working to address its contracting officer “staffing crisis.” And one step in doing that was the Bureau for Management’s first hiring fair.
Before the event even started, 1,000 resumes had already been submitted to USAID, the agency said. Dozens more waited in line to do the same while many other preapproved candidates had been teed up for interviews that afternoon.
It wasn’t the only day to apply, as the agency will be accepting applications on a rolling basis for the next few weeks. However, those who attended the job fair got the opportunity to meet the agency staff in person and ask questions about what they were looking for.
The hiring fair’s focus was on veterans, military spouses, and people with disabilities, with digital fliers advertising same-day interviews and job offers on the spot. And clearly, the outreach worked.
Read: What we learned at USAID's Management Bureau job fair (Career)
Explore more: What to know before applying for USAID consulting roles (Career)
Should development organizations ditch their headquarters?
Devex’s David Ainsworth writes that many organizations are ditching the term “headquarters.”
The decision stems from a desire to be more locally led and inclusive. Oxfam’s inclusive language guide, published last March, said the word headquarters “implies a power dynamic that prioritizes one office over another. In the context in which we work the implication is very colonial, reinforcing hierarchical power issues and a top-down approach.”
But what they do next varies. Oxfam International and others have relocated operations to the global south to have fewer development organizations based in big donor countries. Some maintain existing offices but implement more remote work policies and prioritize recruiting more people working abroad. Others, though, keep the same offices and just call them something different.
Practical and ethical issues raised. In some cases, leaders in the global south seem less than overjoyed at INGOs trying to become more locally based. Local leaders have expressed a feeling that this isn’t about being more inclusive; it’s about INGOs muscling in on local NGOs’ turf.
Read: Should development organizations ditch the headquarters? (Pro)
Explore more: Devex's localization series.
Members-only jobs this week
1. Head of Events and Experiences
United Nations agency
United Kingdom
2. Emergency Response Coordinator
International relief NGO
Sudan
3. Communications Intern
United Nations agency
Netherlands
4. International Carbon Pricing Consultant
Regional development bank
Indonesia (Remote)
What we learned from the recruiter roundtable with Tetra Tech
Interested in working at Tetra Tech? This week, we hosted a digital event with the leading global development firm about the organization’s current hiring needs, the skills most in demand, and what applicants can do to make their applications stand out.
“We all are essentially trying to work ourselves out of a job, we would prefer the world to be a magical, wonderful place. And so we’re here in international development to get us there,” — says Kayla Lynch, senior recruiter at Management Systems International, a Tetra Tech company.
Read: How to make your job application stand out with Tetra Tech recruiters (Career)
Around the watercooler
News and views from around global development worth knowing about.
• U.N. chief relief coordinator to step down. Martin Griffiths announced plans to step down by the end of June, citing the lingering impact of COVID-19 on his ability to continue the job.
• Chemonics downsizing in Washington. Chemonics International is shedding over half of its office space on Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Riverfront due to work habit changes post-pandemic.
• Saudi Arabia to lead U.N. forum for women’s rights. A nation routinely criticized for restricting women’s rights is to be appointed chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, the United Nations’ principal forum for promoting gender equality.
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Sign up to Devex Career Hub for global development’s top jobs, expert career advice, and practical tips to help you do more good for more people.
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.
