There haven’t been a lot of reasons to smile for many working in our sector of late, but I’m happy to report that not all hope is lost.
“This was excellent. I feel energized … finally,” said one attendee, which was representative of the overwhelming sentiment expressed by the hundreds who joined yesterday’s panel discussion on how to navigate this uncertain period as a global development job seeker. Many came away feeling galvanized by the mere ability to vent, offer support and advice, and connect with their fellow professionals.
You can watch the event in full now, and I’ll report back on some of the best tips our panel of experts offered on how to stay resilient, pivot your skills for new opportunities, and much more in next week’s early-week edition of Career Hub.
In this edition, I’m sharing some initial insights into job board hiring trends that we’re already tracking in the wake of the U.S. aid freeze. Plus, new job opportunities at Chemonics, Speak Up Africa, and more leading organizations.
+ Join us on Feb. 12: Devex is hosting an interactive digital event and workshop to help development professionals reframe meaningful career growth that puts you on the path to finding the right fit. To gain access to this and all career development events, advice guides, and more sign up for a Career Account with a free 15-day trial.
Top full-time staff jobs this week
1. Chief Executive Officer
LifeNet International
United States
2. Gender Expert
Speak Up Africa
Benin | Senegal
3. Project Director, Cambodia One Health Project
Population Services International
Cambodia
4. Head of Finance/ Manager, Finance
BRAC
Philippines
5. Senior Programme and Fund Associate, Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends
Chemonics International Inc.
United Kingdom (hybrid)
6. Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Reporting Specialist
Tetra Tech
Vanuatu
Devex Talent Solutions, our very own boutique recruitment agency, is assisting Corus International in its search for a director, ethics and compliance to be based in Washington, D.C., but remote work outside of the D.C. area is also an option. Those interested should apply by March 5.
+ DTS is also seeking candidates for Nepal country director with ChildFund Japan (closing Feb. 12), among many others. See more roles DTS is helping to fill.
Who’s still hiring?
Despite the uncertainty currently hovering over segments of the global development community, hiring in the sector has not come to a complete halt. In the past two weeks alone, more than 1,300 job opportunities have been posted on Devex by over 250 organizations still actively recruiting.
Raquel Alcega, Devex’s head of data products, took a quick look at the numbers. Here are the key takeaways.
Major global players are still hiring. Multilaterals such as UNICEF and the World Bank, philanthropies such as the Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust, and INGOs including Humanity & Inclusion and HIAS have been among the top recruiters. Demand has spanned across humanitarian response, project management, research, and specialized technical fields like climate resilience and health systems strengthening.
There has been a ripple effect. Nonetheless, the effects across the sector of the USAID funding freeze and looming agency shutdown have been evident. Positions linked to USAID-funded programs are rapidly and quietly disappearing as many employers have pulled their listings.
Pivots are being made. Some of the same organizations that have pulled USAID-funded roles are now posting roles tied to other U.S. federal agencies, including the CDC, USDA, and the U.S. Department of State. Examples include Pact recruiting in Eswatini for several positions related to a CDC proposal, Global Communities looking for a chief of party in Pakistan tied to an anticipated USDA award, and International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc., or IBTCI, is seeking another chief of party for a Department of State-funded project in the MENA region. Meanwhile, global development firms such as Palladium and DT Global remain actively hiring for projects backed by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
“Staying ahead means keeping an eye on opportunities from multilateral agencies, philanthropic foundations, and implementing partners that are not reliant on USAID funding — such as Oxfam America or Bread for the World — organizations that continue to hire despite the sector’s uncertainty,” Alcega tells me.
For development professionals, a challenging and highly competitive job market is nothing new, and it will get tighter depending on your field and location. We’ll keep tracking the numbers to help you navigate this as more data becomes available. Of course, exploring the latest openings on Devex can help you identify these trends on your own to help position yourself for what’s next.
+ Standing out to recruiters is more important than ever, and many globaldev organizations are still using the Devex job board and Curated Candidate Lists (CCL) to find talent — but only if they can see your latest experience and skills. Get on their radar by updating your Devex profile to be considered for CCLs. Feel free to email us at talent@devex.com or wait for our team to reach out after completing your profile.
Top consulting and short-term jobs
1. International Health and Climate Expert (m/f/x) - Rwanda
Belgian Development Agency
Rwanda
2. Funding Manager (Fixed-term)
The King’s Trust International
United Kingdom
3. GEDSI Strategy Adviser
The Palladium Group
Australia
4. Senior Specialist (Climate Finance)
DT Global
Indonesia
5. Associate Investment Officer
International Finance Corporation
Philippines
6. Individual Consultant: Higher Education Specialist
Asian Development Bank
Bangladesh
+ 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.
Trump’s aid freeze: Assessing the impact
We’re tracking the impact on development staff as the new U.S. administration continues its efforts to realign government policies and priorities with Trump’s “America First” agenda. Here are a few key recent developments:
The damaging effects beyond the loss of work. In the wake of Tuesday’s order placing the majority of USAID’s staff on administrative leave, several have shared their stories with Devex, including one worker abroad who is 7 1/2 months pregnant with a high-risk pregnancy. “The stress of this entire environment is making that pregnancy complication much worse,” she said. “God forbid this leads to the loss of a pregnancy.”
Staff cuts expected at DFC. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation staff members were informed Wednesday that all probationary employees would be terminated soon and that other staff reductions are likely to follow. DFC officials claim this is necessary given the general guidance on reductions of the federal workforce taking place across various agencies.
Budget concerns hitting U.N. agencies. A U.N. survey obtained by Devex shows that, so far, 19 U.N. agencies have reported receiving stop-work letters, and of the organizations surveyed, 74% said they expected a moderate or severe impact on their budget.
Read latest updates: Tracking the impact on development work during Trump’s first 100 days
+ We’re tracking the impact of the USAID shutdown. How does it affect your organization? Answer our survey here.
Around the watercooler
News and views from around global development worth knowing about.
Argentina follows Trump in leaving WHO. Argentina President Javier Milei has instructed his foreign minister, Gerardo Werthein, to withdraw the country from WHO, due to the country’s “deep differences” in health management.
U.K. debt distress plan under scrutiny. The U.K. is encouraging private creditors to respond to the debt crisis facing lower-income countries — but campaigners say legislation is needed for real change.
Rwanda is examining Marburg survivors. The country’s success in combatting the outbreak has been attributed to large-scale tracing, rapid testing, and the experimental use of a vaccine. But work continues to bolster the understanding of how this virus impacts the human body.
+ To keep up to date with all the must-read global development coverage, be sure to sign up to the daily Devex Newswire.
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
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.
