working abroad – Page 3 – North Star Skills for Development

Volunteer Opportunities Abroad

A diverse group of volunteers standing together outdoors, smiling and engaged, promoting a volunteer initiative with WUSC.

It’s been awhile since I wrote about WUSC on this BLOG but a reference in the latest newsletter from the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC) announcing new vacancies had me visiting their site again. Here’s what the ACIC said in their newsletter:

Your expertise can make an impact. By volunteering internationally, you can help create a better world for all young people. WUSC has provided over 10,000 Canadians with high quality, rewarding, and safe international and e-volunteer opportunities. Whether you are an early-career, mid-career or a retired professional, you can give your time and share your skills and experience in support of development programs that improve education, economic, and empowerment opportunities for young people around the world.

WUSC, much like CUSO International which I worked for in my early career, still sends Canadians abroad for development work (and to learn a lot in the process). WUSC also offers e-learning volunteer opportunities, a good option for those with families or other commitments who need to stay close to home. What is new and very encouraging for interested persons in low to middle-income countries is the opportunity to apply for a South-South volunteer assignment. There is also the chance to apply as a WUSC national volunteer in your own country. For example, I see on the current list of openings a position available in Iraq.

SOUTH-SOUTH Volunteer

The image below shows an example of an assignment description, this one for a job in Ghana lasting seven months. Check out the eligibility requirements shown. The full job description has many more details .

Screenshot of the WUSC volunteer opportunity page for a Business Development Advisor position in Ghana. Includes assignment details, eligibility requirements, and application buttons in English and French.

Conditions of Service for Canadian International Volunteers

The snapshot below lists the conditions of service for a Canadian WUSC International Volunteer. For those who might want to check out conditions for South-South or National volunteers, you can visit WUSC and explore further.

A list outlining the support package for Canadian International Volunteers with WUSC, detailing various benefits and conditions included in the program.

WUSC website

You can learn about WUSC and its volunteer opportunities here.

WUSC (World University Service of Canada) – Education Changes the World

Executive and Junior Level International Development Positions

A friend at the Canadian Association of Independent Development Professionals (CAIDC) shared the following. Have a look and kindly share.

Director (Chief Financial Officer)(D1) IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ∙ Vienna ∙ Senior Executive level ∙ Closing September 22

Assistant Analyst, Portfolio EBRD – European Bank for Reconstruction and Development∙ London ∙ Junior level ∙ Closing September 23

Advisor, Strategic Planning GICHD – Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining ∙ Geneva ∙ Senior level ∙ Closing September 26

Chief Strategy Officer IRRI – International Rice Research Institute ∙ Los Baños ∙ Senior Executive level ∙ Open until filled

[FO] (Senior) Environmental/ Social Development Specialist – Occupational Health and Safety AIIB – Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank ∙ Beijing ∙ Mid level ∙ Open until filled

Good luck if you do apply.

Looking for International Development Jobs?

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.

ILO Seeks Project Manager for Ukraine (P4 Level)

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.

UNOPS – Jobs Available

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:

Job listing for a Senior Project Manager position at UNOPS in Afghanistan, detailing job categories, vacancy code, level, department, duty station, contract type, duration, and application period.

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.

TVET/skills-based higher education consultant needed

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….

UN Agency Job in Egypt – Communication and Advocacy

📢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

New Job Opportunity with UNESCO in Afghanistan

UNESCO Office in Afghanistan is recruiting a Programme Specialist (Skills Development and Literacy Education). The deadline for the application is 9 June 2025.
https://lnkd.in/dBbf_YA7

I had a quick scan of this opportunity, and it looks both interesting and challenging. I believe the requirement that candidates need a PhD maybe raising the bar too high but that is just my opinion.

In 2007, when the situation in Afghanistan was relatively calm, I had an assignment with the International Labour Organization to start development of a National Employment Policy. It was an intense but worthwhile experience, and many of the international consultants and advisors who were there at the same time would probably say the same thing. With Afghan colleagues we made a difference in health, education, infrastructure development and in other areas. (You can read more about my Afghan experience in my book available from this website.)

Times have changed, but this is your chance to help the young women of Afghanistan.

Below are a couple of pictures from my time in Afghanistan. I wonder if the co-op shown in picture 1 is still operating.

Sign for Afghan Women Companies displaying services such as solar lanterns, mobile repairs, and gem cutting, supported by the Italian Cooperation. — OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Two young boys sitting on a cart pulled by a donkey on a dusty street in Afghanistan, with buildings and vehicles in the background. — OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Upcoming Assignment in Dominica with Catalyste+

The Dominica Technical Vocational Education and Training Council (DTVETC)
seeks comprehensive support to develop a 5-year strategic plan to support
TVET in the country, including institutional strengthening for the New
Goodwill Secondary School (GSS) TVET Center of Excellence. Catalyste+ contacted me for the short assignment as Strategic Planning Advisor.

The TVET Council belongs to an organization named CANTA – Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies. See their member countries below. The map also serves the purpose of showing where Dominica is located. (And no, Dominica is not the Dominican Republic.)

Map showing the member countries of CANTA (Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies), including Dominica, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The in-county assignment will be about 2 weeks with a possible follow-up visit some time later. The parallel virtual assignment has already started with a kick-off meeting via ZOOM last week, and the first technical working group meeting coming up this Thursday.

I look forward to sharing my international expertise with the wonderful people of Dominica and advising officials as they develop the strategy.

UN Volunteers

This morning I received the below message from UNV Malawi about the value of UN Volunteering and how to apply.

I need no convincing since as Team Leader on the STEP Malawi program, we hired two excellent communications volunteers. There are different categories of volunteers, and in particular, national versus international volunteers. Some assignments are in country, others are online/remote.

If interested, you can create a profile at https://app.unv.org as indicated in the image below. And also check there, the type of assignments available and where.

GOOD LUCK.

Tag: working abroad