While there are actionable ways for development consultants to remain competitive, there is also no getting around the fact that the development consulting recruitment landscape is quickly evolving and growing more competitive.
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In this edition of Career Hub, I’m sharing some key job board data insights from our latest downloadable career guide on the recruitment landscape for consultants. Plus, some of the best new job opportunities from Devex’s board, from leading organizations such as FHI 360, UNOPS, and many others.
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Since the aid freeze was first announced on Jan. 24, nearly 16,300 short-term contracts and long-term consulting roles have been posted on Devex’s board. This means there were roughly compared to the same period in 2024, according to an analysis conducted for our recently published survival guide for consultants.
We also found that , with some organizations bucking the trend by posting more consulting opportunities compared to last year. For instance, the World Bank has increased its postings for short-term contract roles by 32%, while the International Organization for Migration’s 444 short-term contract postings are more than four times as many as last year.
But , and in some cases, the drops are drastic. While UNICEF posted the most short-term contract roles of any other organization, its 889 roles are 45% fewer than in 2024.
A survival guide for consultants navigating the USAID crisis (Career)
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“The No. 1 piece of advice I give consultants is to ask your peers, and be transparent yourself by telling people what you're getting. This is why community is important.”
— Kelsi Kriitmaa, social impact career coach
“I have heard people ask recently: Should I lowball a potential client in order to get in? My answer is always, ‘absolutely not,’” social impact career coach Kelsi Kriitmaa said during our most recent digital careers event on development consulting in the sector’s new normal.
Kriitmaa believes , and doing all that they can to avoid setting bad precedents is key to building a sustainable consulting career over the long haul.
“Know your worth, because , particularly contracts with organizations like the World Bank,” Kriitmaa said, referring to her own experience as a development consultant.
Kriitmaa was joined by Loksan Harley, a veteran development consultant and the co-founder of the Impact Consulting Hub, who made the point that when considering consulting rates and contracts, it’s important to have a holistic approach.
“Many overfocus on a daily rate when you’ve really got to look at the overall picture of what you’re committing to and how much you’re charging for it. … Put as much effort into trying to ,” Harley said.
How development consultants can stay competitive in a crowded market (Career)
1.
UNOPS
United States
2.
Corus International
Vietnam
3.
IMA World Health
United States
4.
Common Goal
Germany | Spain | United Kingdom
5.
FHI 360
Mozambique
6.
London School of Economics and Political Science
Zambia
Devex Talent Solutions, our boutique recruitment agency, is supporting the Caribbean Development Bank in its search for an operations officer (financial analyst) to be based in Barbados. Applications close on June 19.
+ See more roles DTS is helping to fill.
1.
Tetra Tech
Fiji
2.
AGRA
Kenya (remote)
3.
Kiva
Colombia (remote)
4.
World Bank Group
Tanzania
5.
International Finance Corporation
United States
6.
Adam Smith International
East Asia and Pacific
+ For more opportunities, check out the weekly Jobs Alert newsletter on LinkedIn and Devex’s job board.
May was a month marred by more bad workforce news for some of the sector’s leading organizations. In case you missed any of the key developments, here’s a recap of headlines that were among the most-read articles by Devex readers last month.
According to an email by Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of World Bank-supported roles at the agency will be reduced by more than half, from 87 to no more than 45.
. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres is seeking to eliminate 20% of jobs across the agency, which employs some 35,000 people. Critics have called Guterres’ reform initiative “a hasty, ill-thought-out plan.”
UNAIDS will need to reduce the current number of staff from 608 to around 280 over time. Its country presence will also shrink from 75 to 36, with some offices serving multiple countries and others manned by a single person.
USAID staffers were forced to race against a tight deadline for a small number of new roles as part of the agency being subsumed by the State Department. One current USAID employee called the process “shady, rushed, and back-handed.”
Tracking Trump’s cuts to international development
News and views from around global development worth knowing about.
The Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal would slash U.S. international affairs spending to its lowest level in 80 years. Approval by the U.S. Congress would result in an 85% drop in foreign affairs funding.
• Jordan’s localization success becomes a burden. Dozens of Jordanian organizations are facing the consequences of the recent cuts to U.S. foreign aid, especially after decades of reliance on significant funding and unusual success with localization
• NGOs facing a hostile climate in Brussels. Nongovernmental organizations in the country are increasingly coming under fire from right-wing politicians over their advocacy work, with veteran development advocates describing the political environment as “the worst we’ve ever had.” (Pro)
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