Nearly a thousand new public employees, from security guards to physicians
In the municipality of Barreirinhas, Maranhão, the machinery of civic life turns once more toward renewal — nearly a thousand positions open their doors to citizens at every level of education and ambition. From those who maintain the city's streets to those who tend its sick and teach its children, this recruitment reflects the enduring human project of building functional communities through shared public labor. The window is brief, the opportunity real, and the exam set for December will determine who steps forward to serve.
- A city of modest means is making an ambitious bet — 955 public sector jobs represent a sweeping investment in Barreirinhas' capacity to govern and serve its population.
- The urgency is real: registration opens October 29th and closes November 12th, leaving candidates fewer than two weeks to gather documents, pay fees, and submit applications online.
- The spread of roles — from cemetery workers and heavy equipment operators to physicians, engineers, and psychologists — signals a municipality trying to fill structural gaps across nearly every department at once.
- A single objective exam on December 1st will simultaneously eliminate and rank all candidates, making focused, strategic preparation the decisive factor between placement and the reserve list.
- University-level applicants face a second evaluative stage where academic credentials are weighed, meaning a strong exam score alone may not be enough to secure the most competitive positions.
Barreirinhas, a municipality in Maranhão, is launching one of its most expansive public hiring efforts in recent memory — 955 positions spread across every tier of civic work, from street-level operations to specialized professional roles. Of those, 247 will result in immediate employment, while 708 will populate a reserve roster drawn upon as future vacancies emerge.
The salary structure mirrors the breadth of the opportunity. Foundational roles begin at R$1,412 per month, while top-tier professional positions reach R$5,019.60. The city has deliberately designed the process to welcome candidates regardless of educational background — primary school completers, technical and secondary graduates, and university-trained professionals each have a defined pathway in.
At the operational level, the city is recruiting general service assistants, security guards, kitchen staff, and heavy equipment operators — the workers who keep municipal infrastructure functioning day to day. The intermediate tier brings in traffic agents, nursing technicians, administrative assistants, environmental inspectors, mechanics, and IT specialists, reflecting the layered complexity of running a modern local government. University graduates will find the largest single category in teaching — 44 immediate positions and 132 reserved — alongside openings for nurses, engineers, social workers, psychologists, and a range of health professionals.
Applications are accepted entirely online through the FSADU foundation from October 29th through November 12th, with registration fees between R$80 and R$110 depending on the level of the position sought. All candidates will sit an objective written exam on December 1st; those competing for university-level posts will also have their academic credentials evaluated in a second stage that can meaningfully shift final rankings.
For those preparing, the official edital remains the essential guide — it maps each role's responsibilities and the precise content areas the exam will test. Targeted study, supplemented by practice exams from comparable municipalities, offers the clearest path to a competitive result.
The municipality of Barreirinhas in Maranhão is opening its doors to nearly a thousand new public employees. Starting Tuesday, October 29th, the city will accept applications for 955 positions across its government workforce—a significant hiring push that spans everything from street maintenance to specialized medical roles. Of those positions, 247 will lead to immediate employment, while 708 will form a reserve roster for future openings as vacancies arise.
The salary range reflects the breadth of opportunity. Entry-level operational positions start at R$1,412 monthly, while specialized roles at the top end reach R$5,019.60. The city has structured the recruitment to accommodate candidates at every educational level: those with only primary school completion, those with secondary education or technical training, and university graduates seeking professional advancement.
For workers with primary education, the city is hiring across essential municipal functions. Fifty positions open immediately for general service assistants, with another 141 reserved for future hiring. The city also seeks fifty-nine security guards right away, plus fifty more for the reserve list. Smaller numbers of cemetery workers, kitchen staff, and heavy equipment operators round out the fundamental-level openings. These roles keep the municipality's physical infrastructure and public services running.
The secondary and technical tier offers more specialized work. Nine traffic enforcement agents will be hired immediately, with twenty-four more positions held in reserve. Health outreach workers, administrative assistants, tourism inspectors, and nursing technicians all have openings at this level. The city is also recruiting librarians, environmental inspectors, building inspectors, tax auditors, mechanics, drivers, agricultural technicians, and IT specialists—a diverse roster reflecting the complexity of modern municipal administration.
University graduates will find positions in professional and technical fields. The city is hiring forty-four teachers immediately, with another 132 reserved positions—by far the largest category in the upper tier. Social workers, nurses, civil engineers, psychologists, and physicians all have openings. Biochemists, pharmacists, physical therapists, speech therapists, nutritionists, and educational psychologists round out the professional opportunities.
The application process runs from October 29th through November 12th, conducted entirely online through the FSADU foundation, which is administering the exam. Registration fees depend on education level: R$80 for primary-level positions, R$90 for secondary and technical roles, and R$110 for university-level posts. Payment must be completed by November 13th to finalize enrollment.
The selection process itself unfolds in two stages. All candidates take an objective written exam on December 1st, 2024—a test that both eliminates unqualified applicants and ranks those who pass. For university-level positions, a second stage evaluates academic credentials and professional qualifications, which can significantly affect final ranking. Specific test locations and times will be announced later through official notice.
Candidates preparing for the exam should begin with the official job posting, which details each position's specific responsibilities and the exact content areas the test will cover. Building a study schedule around those requirements, rather than studying broadly, gives applicants the best chance. Reviewing previous civil service exams from similar municipalities helps candidates understand the question format and difficulty level they'll face.
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does a municipality of this size need to hire nearly a thousand people all at once?
It's not quite all at once—only 247 positions are for immediate hiring. The other 708 are reserve positions, which means the city is building a roster it can draw from as people retire or leave. It's a way to avoid repeating this entire process every time someone quits.
And the salary range—R$1,412 to R$5,000—that's quite a spread. What does that tell us?
It reflects the reality of municipal work. A security guard or kitchen worker earns the lower end; a physician or engineer earns the upper end. The city is trying to fill every level of its operation, from the most basic services to specialized professional roles.
Why is teaching the biggest category in the university-level positions?
Schools are labor-intensive. Forty-four immediate openings plus 132 in reserve suggests the city either has significant turnover in teaching or is expanding educational services. Either way, it's a major commitment.
The application fees—R$80 to R$110—do those seem like barriers to entry?
For someone earning minimum wage in Brazil, that's not trivial. But it's standard practice in public sector exams. The fee helps cover the cost of administering the test and processing thousands of applications.
What's the real competition going to look like?
That depends on the position. A teaching role will likely draw hundreds of applicants. A specialized position like civil engineer might draw far fewer. But everyone takes the same objective exam, so it comes down to who studies hardest and knows the material best.
And if someone doesn't pass the exam but made it onto the reserve list—what happens then?
They don't make the reserve list unless they pass. The reserve roster is only for people who scored high enough to qualify. It's a waiting list of qualified candidates the city can call on when positions open up.