In the months since the United States froze its foreign aid and dismantled USAID, Devex has been continuously assessing the state of development work opportunities across the globe through data analysis of our job board.
This work has informed our latest downloadable guide for development professionals, which identifies key trends to help job seekers identify which organizations continue to be active recruiters and where the most opportunities are available.
In this edition of Career Hub, I’m sharing some key insights from our guide to the sector’s top local employers. Plus, the best new job opportunities from Devex’s board, from leading organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme, the West African Development Bank, and many others.
+ Join us on Sept. 15: Devex is hosting a digital event focused on how to stay motivated, maintain momentum, and continue growing despite a challenging development job market. To gain access to this and all digital events, advice guides, and job board, sign up for a Career Account with a free 15-day trial.
Top full-time staff jobs this week
1. Events and Protocol Assistant
Commonwealth Secretariat
United Kingdom
2. Sr. Advisor, economic empowerment and resilience
CARE
Yemen
3. Labor Market Advisor (Cooperative and Short-term Training)
Education Development Center, Inc.
Ethiopia
4. Deputy Project Manager – Infrastructure and Prevention of Juvenile Violence
UNOPS
Democratic Republic of Congo
5. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager
Tetra Tech
Thailand
6. Investment Director, Infrastructure Acceleration Fund
Africa50
Morocco
Devex Talent Solutions, our boutique recruitment agency, is supporting CARE in its search for a country director to be based in Kenya. This is a full-time, senior-level position. Applications must be submitted by Sept. 16.
+ See more roles DTS is helping to fill.
Data download: Where the jobs are
We recently analyzed seven key development hubs across the globe to get a sense of which regions are weathering the rocky job market better than others, and vice versa. Here are a few key figures that indicate sector recruitment trends since the U.S. aid freeze.
+1% — More jobs in the Middle East and North Africa. MENA is the only region to see an increase in opportunities compared to last year. Unfortunately, the 404 roles advertised were by far the fewest total compared to the other regions analyzed.
3,828 — Roles available in East Asia and the Pacific. The aid cuts have had a less significant impact in EAP than in most other regions, seeing only a 6.7% decrease compared to 2024. The Asian Development Bank, headquartered in the Philippines, was responsible for nearly half of the opportunities (1,785).
-30% — Decrease in roles based in East Africa. Unfortunately, most regions have seen significant losses in available jobs. East Africa has experienced the steepest decline, though the Latin American and Caribbean region is not far behind with a 29% decrease.
Download: Your guide to global development’s top local employers (Career)
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Top consulting and short-term jobs
1. Medical Products Regulatory System Legal Expert (Africa Region)
U.S. Pharmacopeia
Unites States
2. Data Governance Management & Regional Planning Specialist
DT Global
Indonesia
3. ICT Officer – Project Manager
European Union Agency for Asylum
Malta
4. Senior Consultant on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement
West African Development Bank
Worldwide (remote)
5. Consultant for Climate Finance Strategy
UNDP
Bangladesh
6. Africa Communications Manager
The Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry
Kenya
+ 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.
Life after USAID: Will anyone benefit?
Many laid-off USAID workers are struggling to find new work, Devex Senior Global Reporter Colum Lynch writes. But the U.S. retreat from foreign aid has provided an opportunity for entrepreneurs and other new players — including conservative faith-based aid groups and military and intelligence veterans.
The idea for some is to brand, or rebrand, themselves in ways that make them more palatable to MAGA decision-makers in Washington. One such not-for-profit outfit, Spirit of America, has embraced the notion that it is “a non-neutral” partner that “supports America’s national security.”
Currently, many of these groups remain on the margins of the international aid system: too small to replace a sector built on billions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer funding, and in some cases, largely untested.
But the Trump administration has made it clear they plan to align U.S. giving with American economic and foreign policy interests. The administration is planning to announce a new program to deploy “American-made, innovative drone infrastructure” in Africa and elsewhere to distribute humanitarian aid, while also engaging in more commercial pursuits, such as delivering packages and other goods, in places with poor road infrastructure.
There have also been signals indicating a shift in aid partners, possibly including religious groups that were previously denied opportunities to work with the State Department or USAID because they lacked the capacity to deliver large-scale assistance.
Read more: Laid-off USAID workers struggle to find work as new job cuts approach (Career)
Around the watercooler
News and views from around global development worth knowing about.
• Replacing global health’s USAID stopgap. While donations in response to USAID cuts have waned, Founders Pledge's Katrina Sill says “broad donor interest in supporting the most impactful global health and development opportunities is as strong as ever.”
• The split screen of GHF. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — an organization backed by Israel and the United States, says it feeds millions. It has also been accused of “orchestrated killing.”
• Devex’s monthly news quiz. How well do you know last month’s headlines? Take Devex’s latest news quiz to find out.
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.
