Finding MDB jobs shouldn't feel like a full-time job.
Every week, I go through 30+ Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) careers websites and portals so you don't have to.
What you get:
Monday Staff Positions: A comprehensive list of all international MDB staff positions from World Bank, ADB, AfDB, IDB, EBRD and more. Each position includes location, closing date, and direct application link.
Friday Consultancy Roundup: Consultancy opportunities from MDBs and UN agencies, compiled in one place. Short-term and long-term contracts across all sectors and regions.
Wednesday Insights Guides, breakdowns, and practical advice for navigating the MDB recruitment process. From application strategies to interview preparation.
Why I Started This
Hi there, I’m Rob Johnsen, and I currently work as a consultant at the World Bank based in Lisbon.
A while back, I was hunting for an MDB job and discovered something pretty annoying: finding these jobs is like a treasure hunt where the map is split across 30 different websites, half the clues are in bureaucratic gibberish, and the treasure disappears if you don’t find it within 48 hours.
Each organization has its own portal. Great positions are buried. Some roles are only posted for a couple of days.
After tracking these opportunities for myself, friends (ok, LinkedIn connections) kept asking me if I’d seen any jobs that matched their skillset.
As a result, I decided to put this newsletter together.
The MDB Job Hunt Reality Check
The Competition is Intense: Picture this. You, plus 5,000 other highly qualified people from 190 countries, all applying for the same position. Fun times.
The Windows are Ridiculously Short: Some positions are posted for literally 48 hours. It’s like job postings for the TikTok generation.
The Portals are a Mess: They look like they were created in the 1980s. Enough said.
How This Newsletter Makes Life Better
One Email, Zero Hassle Monday morning coffee + MDB jobs email = your new routine. Friday afternoon wind-down + consultancy opportunities = your weekend stays yours.
The Important Stuff, Highlighted: Job title. Location. Deadline. Link. That’s it. No wading through 47 pages of institutional waffle to find out the position is based in Chad when you thought it was in DC.
Quality Control I’m not sending you “Junior Administrative Assistant, must be local national of Burkina Faso” unless you specifically told me that’s your thing. My focus is on international positions.
What You’ll Get from MDB Jobs
A weekly email of all MDB staff positions each Monday (from the World Bank, ADB, AfDB, and more).
A comprehensive list of consultancy opportunities from MDBs and the UN, provided each Friday.
Deep Dives each Wednesday
Multi role focus - I focus here on international staff positions and consulting opportunities
Key details highlighted - Location, closing dates, application link
Let’s Talk Strategy
Landing an MDB job is like online dating but worse.
You’ll send dozens of applications into the void.
Most won’t even get a response.
The ones that do will take months to process (sometimes almost a year…).
It’s a numbers game wrapped in a patience test, sprinkled with a dash of luck.
The people who succeed aren’t necessarily the smartest or most qualified. They’re the ones who:
Actually know about openings (that’s where I come in)
Keep applying even when it feels pointless
Don’t let the process crush their soul
Have better things to do than check 30 websites weekly
This newsletter handles point one. The rest is on you, but at least you’ll have more energy for it.
Time Math That Actually Matters
The Old Way: Spend 3 to 5 hours every week playing “hunt the job posting” across the internet. Miss half the opportunities anyway. Slowly lose will to continue...
The Newsletter Way: Spend 10 minutes reviewing my email. Use saved time to actually write good applications. Or watch the Youtubes (or whatever young people do these days). I don’t judge.
Playing the Long Game (Without Losing Your Mind)
I’ll be real. Most people take 12 to 24 months to land an MDB position. That’s a lot of Sundays to spend portal-hunting. It’s exhausting, demoralising, and completely unnecessary.
When job hunting eats your entire weekend, you’ll quit after a month.
When it takes 10 minutes, you can keep going until something sticks.
And eventually, something will.
Your Next Steps (Revolutionary Stuff Here)
Hit subscribe
Get your first email Monday or Wednesday or Friday, depending on when you join
Scan the positions while drinking coffee
Apply to the good ones with all that time you saved
Repeat until employed by international bureaucracy
Join 400+ People Who’ve Figured This Out
Development professionals at World Bank, UN agencies, big consulting firms, and universities all get these emails.
They’re not spending their Sundays on job portals.
Neither should you.
What you get:
Every MDB staff position, delivered Mondays
All consultancy opportunities, delivered Fridays
Occasional wisdom and mild entertainment on Wednesdays
Your Sundays back
Ready to Make Job Hunting Suck Less?
No spam. No catch. Unsubscribe whenever.
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