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WHAT WE DO

ICRC interpreters work in the protection team and are the vital communication link enabling delegates to carry out tasks such as visiting detainees with a view to improving their living conditions and respect for their dignity, restoring family links and reuniting families separated by conflict, organizing emergency relief aid and talking to combatants about their responsibilities under the Geneva Conventions.

They also contribute to explaining and raising awareness of the ICRC’s mandate and working methods among various audiences and provide written translations of newspaper articles, correspondence, etc.


WHAT WE LOOK FOR

We recruit interpreters in about 14 languages, including:

Amharic/Tigrinya

Arabic

Azeri/Turkish

Bengali

Burmese

Farsi

Hausa

Khmer

Kinyarwanda

Kirundi/Swahili

Pashto

Peulh

Russian

Sinhalese

Ukrainian


This list is constantly evolving according to needs. We do not work with interpreters who originate from the country of the interpreted language.

You are:

  • strongly motivated by humanitarian work;
  • able to work under pressure in a potentially dangerous environment;
  • open-minded and adaptable.

You have:

  • a university education/degree in interpreting or translation as an advantage
  • two years’ professional experience; previous interpreting or translating experience as an advantage;
  • excellent command of English or French and the interpreted language.

WHAT WE OFFER

By joining our organization, you will have an opportunity to practise your profession in stimulating, complex and sometimes challenging environments, where your work can really make a difference.

You will work with colleagues from various fields of expertise in a cross-cutting manner to help victims of conflict and other situations of violence. You will be dealing with humanitarian situations that require experience, resourcefulness and innovation in order to achieve the best possible impact, often with limited resources.

You will work for the oldest major international humanitarian organization in the world, adding to your sense of achievement in alleviating the suffering of people and communities and giving you the chance to promote humanitarian values in these turbulent times.

You will benefit from a competitive employment package, including different possibilities for career and personal development. You will take part in an onboarding course and follow continuous training, in order to build your career within the ICRC and beyond.

 

 

 

 

 

THE PROFILES SOUGHT IN LANGUAGES

Please note that all positions are not continuously open.

INTERPRETER

Interpreters assist delegates and/or prepare detention visits; interpret during, or hold independently, private conversations with detainees; maintain contact with detainees’ families; respond to requests from families. They contribute to following up on released detainees and to analysing detention conditions. They interpret during and otherwise contribute to other protection activities and translate documents such as letters, reports and Red Cross messages.

PROTECTION TRANSLATOR

Protection translators tanslate and revise both ICRC and external documents, including confidential material. They interpret in high-level meetings and may be asked to perform other interpreting duties as required. They hold information sessions for various audiences, including high-level authorities

INTERPRETER

  • Helps delegates to prepare, and/or prepares, visits to people deprived of their freedom; interprets during, or holds independently, private conversations with detainees; maintains contact with detainees’ families; responds to requests from families
  • Contributes to following up released detainees
  • Contributes to analysing detention conditions
  • Interprets during and otherwise contributes to other protection activities (related to restoring family links, missing persons, protection of the civilian population, etc.)
  • Contributes to, or carries out, registration of individual protection cases
  • Translates documents such as letters, internal and external reports, Red Cross messages, etc.
  • Holds information sessions about the ICRC for various audiences (e.g. authorities, detainees and civilians)
  • Demonstrates cultural sensitivity and appropriate behaviour for the local context

PROTECTION TRANSLATOR

  • Translates and revises both ICRC and external documents, including confidential material
  • Interprets in high-level meetings
  • May be asked to perform other interpreting duties as required
  • Holds information sessions for various audiences, including high-level authorities

Career Opportunities