Arthur E. Shears's Blog

I share information about working abroad in this BLOG, and have in past posts mentioned a variety of agencies that look for consultants or volunteers ranging from Peace Corps, and British Council to CUSO International and Catalyste+. In scrolling through LinkedIn this morning, I came across the following story by Anthony Stokes who invited readers to repost. That is what I am doing.

Hard to find a job in development?

One of these 9 links could change your life:

Social media is not a bad starting point for international development job opportunities at a difficult time. There are also many websites with job boards, communities and advice.

1️⃣ https://www.impactpool.org

“We gather top talent to solve global challenges”

Global development, humanitarian aid, peace and security

2️⃣ devex.com/jobs/search

Online community of global development professionals
6,000+ jobs on “the world’s largest development job board”

3️⃣ https://reliefweb.int/jobs

“Humanitarian information on global crises & disasters”

With over 2,000 humanitarian jobs

4️⃣ https://lnkd.in/eXeuFXHV

Jobs, scholarships and grants “to empower often marginalised communities, particularly in the Global South”

Plus opinion, articles, videos

5️⃣ Opportunitiesforyouth.org

“Informational online portal created for ambitious young adults across the world”

Jobs, conferences, scholarships, grants

6️⃣ Devnetjobs.org

International development jobs and consulting opportunities

Plus paid membership access to “member-only jobs”

7️⃣ wianetwork.com/jobs

“The global headquarters for ambitious women in international affairs”

Membership platform, community, job listings

8️⃣ idealist.org

Opportunities spanning nonprofits, social-impact businesses, corporate social responsibility initiatives

9️⃣ https://bit.ly/4jVi9eD

A “crowd-sourced” list of websites, consulting firms and coaches

And, now let me share a reminder about my book “Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between”.

Overseas Adventures – North Star Skills for Development

The link above to take you to the page to order my book from me directly.

Or you can order it from Amazon by using this link.

Amazon.com : Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between

GOOD LUCK in YOUR JOB SEARCH and GOOD READING.

A former ILO colleague of mine shared the below opportunity. If interested, check it out but be quick, the deadline for application is midnight Ukraine time, September 2, 2025.

https://jobs.ilo.org/job/Project-Manager-P4/13218-en_GB

Excellent skills in English is a requirement; knowledge of Ukrainian an advantage. The project focuses on labour issues.

I had the pleasure of working on projects with the International Labour Organization (ILO) in the past, once as Chief Technical Advisor on the TVET Reform project in Bangladesh (7 years), and as a short-term consultant in employment policy in Afghanistan (before the Taliban takeover).

You can find my experiences with the ILO, amongst others, described in my book “Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between” available from this website or from AMAZON.

Good luck, if you apply.

For those looking for international development assignments as a consultant, you could try the British Council. I registered with them some years ago but never followed up any leads because I had enough work elsewhere. It seems they are decommissioning their current consultant database and replacing it with a new system. See their letter to me below.

If consulting is of interest, you could check their “Our work in international development” link below as well as read the Council’s policies on the link that follows. Or you could write directly to their email: consultantsenquiries@britishcouncil.org

Good luck.

(And don’t forget to check out my book “Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between” available from my website or from AMAZON.)

Dear Arthur,

I hope that you are well. I am writing to give you an update on British Council consultants database CMIS that you are still registered to.

We have identified an application that will replace CMIS. We are working towards preparing the new application and de-commission CMIS. Read on to find out more. 

Upgrading CMIS – In April we informed you that we were exploring an alternative platform to replace CMIS which will offer more efficient ways for you to keep your professional information up-to-date and enable us to match opportunities with consultants on our database more closely. We have now identified an application that we feel would meet most of the criteria we seek. This means that we will not re-activate CMIS while we now work to prepare the new application and de-commission CMIS. You will no longer be able to access your CMIS profile but be assured that all your data has been saved.

We’re currently finalising the timescale for the new consultants’ database and will invite you to transfer to the new platform when it is ready.In the meantime, to keep informed of the opportunities please visit our International Development website by clicking on the blue tab below, then click on the ‘Development Consultants’ tab at the top to find links to other useful information, for example ‘Opportunities and Insight’ web page.If you no longer wish to be registered on CMIS, please email our mailbox below and we will remove you from CMIS and delete your CV. It would be useful if you were to let us know your reason for this decision. 

Yours sincerely,
Consultants Enquiries
British Council | 1 Redman Place | London | E20 1JQ

Our work in international development

Consultants contracting with the British Council are required to familiarise themselves with and adhere to British Council policies for consultants including the standards, behaviours and principles.

Click the tab below for details.

British Council Policies

You have received this communication because you are part of our database of consultants. If you wish to be removed from this database, please email us.consultantsenquiries@britishcouncil.org

I am reposting this message from Christine Hoffman at the ILO.

Please circulate among your networks! We look for digital innovators from Africa.

Are you a digital entrepreneur using technology to expand access to work, training, and better opportunities? hashtag#HacktheDivide is your chance to take your ideas further—starting with a two-day hackathon in Nairobi, and continuing with incubation support in Italy.
Applications are open to young digital innovators (aged 18-35) from 25 African countries to co-create inclusive tech solutions that address real challenges such as youth employment, digital inclusion, and labour mobility.
You’ll spend two days in Nairobi collaborating in teams, supported by expert mentorship, and interacting directly with global institutions and policy leaders shaping Africa’s digital future.
Travel, accommodation, and meals will be covered for all selected participants.

hashtag#skillsforall Jonas Bausch Stefano Merante Barbara Glover Nqobile Zwane Baye Sambou Nicholas Omondi Ouma
https://lnkd.in/etQnnnMj

#HackTheDivide

itcilo.org

In my career, I have previously worked for various UN specialized agencies including the ILO, FAO, UNESCO, ITU and UNESCO but never for UNOPS. But I have worked previously in Afghanistan which is where a current UN assignment is becoming available. See here:

If you would like to apply, check the actual job posting at:

https://jobs.unops.org/pages/viewvacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=30575

The application period is shown as August 10 – August 27, 2025.

If I were you, I would first read the information on “How to send a good application” first. You can also learn about other job opportunities at UNOPS on the their site.

If you would like to read about my time in Afghanistan in 2007, you will find a chapter in my book “Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points in-Between”.

Good luck in your application. The people there need assistance.

The following opportunity was shared with me by Dr. Julia Dicum, Director of Education at UNRWA.

UNRWA has a TVET programme that serves about 8,000 Palestine Refugee Youth and a similarly structured even smaller education sciences faculty programme (pre-service teacher training only) that serves about 2,000 Palestine refugee youth (mostly females).  We are looking for a 6-month TVET/skills-based higher education consultant to advise us on sustainability models for the future management/governance of TVET and educational sciences (pre-service education training). 

The JO TVET Consultant / P4 #262571 is online now. For easy reference, please follow the link below:

https://inspira.un.org/psc/UNCAREERS/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/UN_CUSTOMIZATIONS.UN_JOB_DETAIL.GBL?Page=UN_JOB_DETAIL&Action=A&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=262571&PostingSeq=1

Note that UNRWA has programs in Gaza, the Occupied West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

This assignment is a transformational opportunity for the right person. Unfortunately, I am not available. I did work with UNRWA in TVET in the 2005-2007 period. My experience is described in a chapter of my book Overseas Adventures….

Exciting opportunity for hashtag#Communications and hashtag#Advocacy professionals in hashtag#Cairo!

UNRWA Representative Office in Cairo is looking for a Communications and Advocacy Consultant to join our small, dynamic team and help amplify the Agency’s mission and advocacy for Palestine refugees.

If you’re passionate about strategic communications, storytelling, and building media partnerships in a fast-paced humanitarian context, this role is for you.

Some of the things you’ll be doing:

Shape UNRWA’s voice in hashtag#Egypt and the region through press, social media, and impactful communication products.
Craft stories that matter, producing newsletters, advocacy content, and media messaging.
Engage the media landscape with leading local and regional journalists and organize interviews and press events.
Position UNRWA at high-level events and support multilateral engagements in Egypt.

If you have five years of experience and a passion for communications and humanitarian advocacy, this is a great opportunity to put your skills to work in a meaningful way.

Deadline to apply: 11 August 2025.

https://lnkd.in/d_PBXfDq

The Trump administration continues to make a series of bad decisions on everything from trade, to the environment, to international development.

It seems not that long ago that I was congratulating the US on this platform for re-joining UNESCO; now it’s going to withdraw again. Really?

UNESCO has a place in my heart not only because of its positive and sweeping scope in science, education and culture but because in my last long-term assignment, I was Team Leader on the EU funded Skills and Technical Education Program (STEP) in Malawi. This program was managed by UNESCO from 2017-2021.

STEP – Skills and Technical Education Programme – Malawi

My experience on this assignment was thoroughly enjoyable and described in the next to last chapter of my book, “Overseas Adventures -From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between”. The book is available from AMAZON or from this website.

As explained by the UNESCO Director-General in the below statement, the agency’s future outlook is not as badly affected as some other UN agencies.

Both the Director-General and I hope that the USA will again join the agency at some future date.

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/withdrawal-united-states-america-unesco-statement-audrey-azoulay-director-general

This is a repost of a request from Dr. Julia Dicum, Director of Education, UNRWA.

Looking for work in the education sector? Are you a senior curriculum or teacher training/school capacity building expert? Interested in working to support the only school system in the world managed by the UN? Do you have expertise in long term refugee education? Have you ever worked with digital education delivery systems from an educational material pov? Interested in curriculum issues, material review, and teaching critical thinking, peace and human rights in complex environments?

Are you organised, collaborative, a people person, and/or experienced at leading teams?

Are you ready to move to the Middle East region and support Palestine refugee education?

We are seeking to hire Senior Education Officers at the P-4 level to help us deepen our efforts to teach our students an education that aligns with UN values and UNESCO standards. Chosen candidates will work either in one of our field offices or in headquarters in Amman.

Full information on Inspira.

Application deadline is August 23rd.

hashtag#jobsineducation hashtag#jobs hashtag#education hashtag#educationforall hashtag#EFA hashtag#INEE hashtag#careers

https://lnkd.in/gv4d_iay

Web Link

inspira.un.org

(If you want to read about my experience working in the region, check the Chapter on Gaza in my book “Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between” available on my website or from AMAZON.)

See the job description link below. The deadline is July 31, 2025.

https://world-renew.breezy.hr/p/623fdd1dd72d-global-gender-equality-advisor

Don’t forget my book, Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between, available on my website or from AMAZON, if you want to read my stories about working for international development.

YOU CAN STILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.