Top global development employers in North Carolina

North Carolina may not be the first place that comes to mind when we think of international development, but the state — particularly the Research Triangle, or the area covering the cities of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill — actually does have a bustling global development scene. Aside from holding the headquarters of some leading global NGOs such as RTI International, FHI 360, Ipas, and IntraHealth International, North Carolina also plays host to Switchpoint, IntraHealth’s annual conference that focuses on humanitarian innovation and technology and brings together grassroots NGOs and large foundations. “This conference should not be missed if anyone's interested in global health, particularly in Africa, or in social entrepreneurship,” Caroline Poole, senior program coordinator at Duke University’s Center for International Development told Devex. North Carolina’s universities have their own fair share of renowned global development degree programs as well. North Carolina State University offers a Master of International Studies program, while the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill just recently launched their Master of Global Studies program. The Duke Center for International Development, on the other hand, offers the Master of International Development Policy program, as well as other international executive education programs. For students interested in global health, the Duke Global Health Institute and the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health offer a range of degree programs and certificates considered among the best in the country, if not the world. Those working in the environmental sector, on the other hand, may be interested in pursuing further education at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. A flourishing global development industry means quite a number of job opportunities for experts and professionals based in North Carolina. The Devex jobs board lists openings across a range of specialties and sectors, from health and finance to monitoring and evaluation and communication. Who are some of the state’s largest global development employers? Find out below. 1. Abt Associates Type: Consultancy Founded: 1965 President and CEO: Kathleen Flanagan Abt Associates has a global staff of about 2,700, providing research and technical expertise geared toward improving food production, health care systems, public programs and the measurement of public opinion in nearly 50 countries all over the world. The organization, which focuses on the fields of health, social and environmental policy, and international development, reported revenue of $565 million in fiscal year 2014. It has an office in Durham and services a range of clients — including U.S. federal, state, and local governments, international governments, INGOs, universities, corporations and foundations. Read up on the latest job opportunities at Abt Associates here. Don’t miss past Devex news about Abt Associates. 2. Church World Service Type: Implementing NGO Founded: 1946 President and CEO: John McCullough Church World Service helps families displaced by conflict, persecution or disaster feel safe in their communities, find legal status where they are, or resettle in other countries. The organization has over 35 resettlement offices and affiliates across the United States, including two in North Carolina. Both the Durham and Greensboro offices opened their doors in 2009, and have since been working to help refugees integrate into their new communities and become fully self-sufficient. CWS services include case management, job placement, basic needs support, cultural orientation and English language classes, and immigration and legal assistance. Don’t miss past Devex news about Church World Service. 3. Datu Research Type: Consultancy Founded: 2012 President: Marcy Lowe An international consulting firm headquartered in Durham, Datu Research carries out studies and research projects focused on agriculture and food security, economic development and climate resilience. This relatively young shop established by analysts from Duke University’s Center on Globalization, Governance, and Competitiveness offers case studies, impact assessment, economic analysis, strategy consulting and global value chain mapping. Its clients and funders include the U.S. government, nonprofits and private foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation. 4. FHI 360 Type: Implementing NGO Founded: 1971 President: Patrick Fine Headquartered in Durham, FHI 360 is a 4,000 person-staff international organization that works closely with other NGOs, foundations, educational institutions, bilateral agencies, multilateral organizations, governments and the private sector to catalyze positive change across over 70 countries. Formed after Family Health International merged with Academy for Educational Development in 2011, it offers capacity building, clinical trials, research, data analysis, monitoring and evaluation, training and technical assistance, and marketing and communication services across a wide range of practice areas. Interested in joining this growing organization? Check the latest FHI 360 job opportunities here. Don’t miss past Devex news about FHI 360. 5. IntraHealth International Type: Implementing NGO Founded: 1979 President and CEO: Pape Amadou Gaye Since its establishment, Chapel Hill-based IntraHealth International has worked in more than 91 countries, where it harnesses the power of technology and strategic partnerships to help close the health care access gap. It seeks to strengthen health systems by supporting health workers, ensuring they have the tools, supplies, information and training needed to better serve the communities where they work. IntraHealth’s staff expertise includes family planning and reproductive health; health worker training and performance; HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis prevention, treatment, and care; eHealth solutions; malaria prevention and treatment; maternal, newborn, and child health; and gender equality. Each year, the organization hosts Switchpoint, a conference at the intersection of global health, humanitarian innovation, and technology. See which job opportunities are currently available at this organization. Don’t miss past Devex news about IntraHealth International. 6. Ipas Type: Advocacy NGO Founded: 1973 President and CEO: John Hetherington Ipas works with health ministries and health care systems and providers to save women’s lives by preventing unsafe abortion and supporting reproductive rights. The organization seeks to ensure that women in the developing world can obtain safe, respectful and comprehensive abortion care, including counseling and contraception to prevent future unintended pregnancies. Aside from advocating for broader interpretation of abortion laws, Ipas also conducts research and training and works with communities to address the factors that contribute to poor reproductive health outcomes and limit women’s access to quality services. 7. Miraclefeet Type: Implementing NGO Founded: 2010 Executive Director: Chesca Colloredo-Mansfeld Miraclefeet is a relatively young nonprofit dedicated to treating children born with clubfoot, a congenital deformity wherein one or both feet are rotated inwardly at the ankle. Miraclefeet supports local health practitioners in developing countries who are trained in the Ponseti method, a highly effective, non-surgical and inexpensive treatment involving a series of simple, properly applied plaster casts that are changed weekly. The organization has already helped improve the lives of over 13,000 children born with clubfoot in 13 different countries. 8. Palladium Type: Consultancy Founded: 1965 Group Managing Director and CEO: Kim Bredhauer The new, unified Palladium is the result of a recent merger between GRM Futures Group, the Palladium Group, and Development and Training Services. It focuses on the areas of economic growth, education, environment, governance, health, humanitarian assistance and workforce development. Its services are also comprehensive, including policy development and advocacy; project management; research, monitoring and evaluation; financing, modeling and economic analysis; project design and strategic planning; technical assistance and training; and procurement and logistics. Palladium has an office in Durham, as well as several job openings. Check them out here. Don’t miss past Devex news about Palladium. 9. RTI International Type: Implementing NGO Founded: 1958 President and CEO: E. Wayne Holden Headquartered in Research Triangle Park, RTI International is a leading independent nonprofit research and development organization working in over 75 countries. RTI’s research projects are focused on health, drug discovery and development, education and training, surveys and statistics, international development, economics, energy, environment, laboratory testing and chemistry analysis. As an employer, it offers several career development programs, such as the RTI Fellow Program for distinguished scientists and the RTI University for continuing professional education. Interested in jumping on board? Check out RTI’s latest job openings here. Don’t miss past Devex news about RTI International. 10. World Relief Type: Implementing NGO Founded: 1944 President: Stephan Bauman World Relief stands for the vulnerable, working with churches all over the world to carry out initiatives and projects focused on education, health, child development, agriculture, food security, anti-trafficking, immigrant services, microenterprises, disaster response and refugee resettlement. Its offices in Durham and High Point are involved in all stages of the refugee resettlement process — from pre-arrival preparations to post-arrival partnerships and support. Aside from its staff, World Relief also relies on volunteers to help refugees integrate seamlessly into their new communities. Are you interested in the work they do? See if World Relief has any job openings for you here. Here are some other notable global development employers in North Carolina: Curamericas Global Duke Energy ICF International Samaritan’s Feet Samaritan’s Purse Stop Hunger Now TCG Consulting ViiV Healthcare Walker Wilson Consulting Westat Looking to make a career move? Visit our career center for expert advice on how to navigate your job search — all you need is a Devex Career Account to get started.