Presented by The Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts University
It’s now been five months since the Trump administration’s freeze on foreign aid sent the development sector reeling. While we’ve seen enough evidence to know that the overall job market has taken a massive hit, we also know that not every space in development’s big tent has been affected in the same ways. This is why we continue to dig into our job board data to see what trends could be helpful for job seekers navigating this rocky road.
In this edition of Career Hub, I’m sharing some of what we learned from analyzing recent opportunities in East Africa. Plus, the best new opportunities from Devex’s job board, from leading organizations such as UNOPS, the Center for Global Development, and many others.
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Top full-time staff jobs this week
1. Senior Treasury Officer
Asian Development Bank
Thailand
2. Director, Communications
UNOPS
Denmark
3. Compensation Specialist
Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean
Argentina | Bolivia | Colombia | Chile | Ecuador | Uruguay | Paraguay
4. Comptroller
Center for Global Development
United States
5. IT Officer
Danish Refugee Council
Myanmar
6. Senior Trusts Manager
ActionAid
United Kingdom
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.
Data download: Who is hiring in East Africa?
As we continue assessing the state of development job opportunities across the globe, our latest job board data analysis dug into opportunities in East Africa. Here’s a look at three key global development organizations that have been actively recruiting, and who they’re currently looking to hire:
United Nations Environment Programme
Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya
Total jobs posted since Jan. 24: 358
UNEP has primarily sought mid-level candidates, or those with four to six years of experience. It is currently seeking a finance and budget assistant based in Nairobi to work on a full-time basis.
View all current UNEP job openings on Devex.
African Union
Headquarters: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Total jobs posted since Jan. 24: 83
The AU has advertised several postings seeking fixed-term staff, short-term consultancies, and volunteers since Jan 24. It is currently seeking several consultants, including a human capital development expert and a monitoring and evaluation officer, both based in Addis Ababa.
View all current AU job openings on Devex.
AGRA
Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya
Total jobs posted since Jan. 24: 49
AGRA has mainly advertised senior-level opportunities and short-term contract roles. Monitoring and evaluation experts and food systems specialists in the agriculture and rural development space have been particularly in demand.
View all current AGRA job openings on Devex.
Check out the full list: The top local employers in East Africa (Career)
Explore more: The top local employers in East Asia and the Pacific (Career)
Download: Who is still hiring in global development? (Career)
Top consulting and short-term jobs
1. Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser
Commonwealth Secretariat
Belize
2. Individual Consultant: Contract Management Consultant
World Bank
Pakistan
3. Program Officer
DT Global
Australia (remote)
4. Technical Advisor - Regulatory Consultancy
US Pharmacopeia
Ghana
5. Event Management Consultant
Global Green Growth Institute
South Korea
6. Individual Consultant: Technology Consultant – Yuwaah Digital Solutions
UNICEF
India (remote)
+ For more opportunities, check out the weekly Jobs Alert newsletter on LinkedIn and Devex’s job board.
Networking for consultants, from micro to macro
Quote:
“Start with something, like, ‘I’m going to update my LinkedIn tagline, and I’m going to update my bio section, and that’s going to be my task for this week.”
— Kelsi Kriitmaa, social impact coach
No matter your personality type or the strength of your existing network, consultants can and need to tap into the power of networking, especially in the current extra-competitive climate.
“If you haven’t used LinkedIn in 10 years, because let’s face it, a lot of people from development and humanitarian work haven’t used LinkedIn traditionally … start small,” Kelsi Kriitmaa, a social impact coach, said during our recent digital event for Devex Career Account members. No matter how long it takes you, the goal is to make “sure that you are findable” by those looking for talent, and you achieve this by “setting really tangible goals,” she added.
Another effective approach is to post content that is relevant to those you are hoping to connect with. Loksan Harley, a veteran development consultant and the co-founder of the Impact Consulting Hub, spoke of his podcast during the event and its dual purpose of providing him with effective opportunities to connect with new people while producing relevant content for his broader network.
If podcasting isn’t your thing, there are other, lower-lift options. “If you’re more inclined to do LinkedIn posts, you can do that. You can do a blog. You can do whatever kind of goes with what you like to do,” Harley said.
Watch the event recording: Is it time to get in or get out of development consulting? (Career)
Download: A survival guide for consultants navigating the USAID crisis (Career)
Around the watercooler
News and views from around global development worth knowing about.
• Gavi pledges fall short. A high-level replenishment event in Brussels included a shocking announcement from the Trump administration that it intends to cut funding to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, but also a larger-than-expected commitment from the United Kingdom.
• USAID’s grim reaper returns. After taking an ax to USAID, Peter Marocco largely faded into the background. But he resurfaced this week, continuing his campaign to dismantle the U.S. African Development Foundation.
• USAID’s institutional memory is fading, too. By shuttering USAID, the Trump administration is destroying an entire body of knowledge that could have been mined to reveal exactly what did not work and needed to be changed in the U.S. aid system, Devex Senior Reporter Michael Igoe writes. (Pro)
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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.
