The Organization
Search for Common Ground (Search) is an international non-profit organization that promotes peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and Brussels, Belgium, Search’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict - away from adversarial approaches and toward cooperative solutions. Search seeks to help conflicting parties understand their differences and act on their commonalities. With a total of approximately 600 staff worldwide, Search implements projects from 57 offices in 35 countries, including in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. The organization is an exciting and rewarding place to work, with a dedicated and enthusiastic staff.
Summary of Position
Search for Common Ground is seeking an experienced translator and interpreter to fill a short-term consultancy. All translation work will be completed remotely, and the successful candidate should possess all necessary equipment and software to complete the work to a high professional standard. The consultant will fill the role of interpreter as part of a large data collection team conducting research in the domain of peacebuilding across 7 provinces. The consultant will report to the Burundi Conflict Sensitivity Specialist.
Translation work will take place from the 28th-30th of April, 4-8th of May, and the 25th-29th of May. Field work will take place from the 13th-22nd of May.
Responsibilities
- Translation of (maximum) 5 page survey tool from English into both French & Kirundi
- Translation of (maximum) 10 page FGD guide from English into both French & Kirundi
- Interpretation from Kirundi to English for 7 field days of Focus Group Discussions; across 7 provinces
- Providing assistance where needed to the data collection team in logistical tasks during field days
- Translation of a 15 page report from English into both French & Kirundi
As consultancy descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.
Minimum Qualifications
- At least 2 years of Translation & Interpretation experience
- Excellent written & spoken French
- Excellent written & spoken English
- Native Kirundi fluency
- Flexibility; ability to complete translations under tight deadlines
- Attention to detail
- Organized & professional
- Strong computer skills in Microsoft office
- Positive attitude
- Creative thinking; strong analytical capacity
- Able to remain composed and neutral during focus group discussions
- Discretion & ability to respect confidentiality
- Able to be away from Bujumbura overnight for up to 7 days consecutively
Preferred Skills
- Experience working across all provinces; familiarity with differences in Kirundi across certain regions
- Experience translating focus group discussions on sensitive topics
- Prior experience with terminology specific to the peacebuilding domain
- Energetic; able to handle long field days while remaining positive and engaged
HOW TO APPLY:
To apply, interested candidates should submit their application via email, with the subject line ‘Conflict Scan T&I Consultant Application’ to bnemecek@sfcg.org The email should include a cover letter, resume, and an example of a past translation (original document not longer than 2 pages) from french to english, or english to french by Friday, April 24th at NOON. Please be sure to submit both the original and translated document. Please ensure that any attachments to your email include a title that clearly indicates the contents of the document, as well as the first and last name of the candidate, or, the company name.
In your cover letter, please clearly state:
- Rate per page for translation
- Rate per day for interpretation
- (optional) A link to your online portfolio
- An explanation of what makes you the best candidate for this position
No phone calls please. Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. Please see our web sitewww.sfcg.org for more details of our work. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
