Lead Translator - French

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their future. In more than 40 countries and in 26 U.S. cities, our dedicated teams provide clean water, shelter, health care, education and empowerment support to refugees and displaced people.

Job Overview/Summary:

Language Services are a critical enabler of the IRC, increasing our staff and client engagement and inclusion, enabling organizational effectiveness, and ensuring compliance. The Lead Translator (French) will provide crucial support to the Unit Manager by developing a comprehensive Style Guide and Glossary/Terminology Base in consultation with stakeholders across the relevant departments, with a focus on services provided to Francophone African countries. The role requires significant expertise in into French translation, including extensive experience with CAT tools and corresponding QA processes, as well as excellent project management and communication skills. Interpretation experience is also valuable and there is potential for expanded involvement in developing the unit’s standards in this area as well. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the foundational activities of the Unit in its aim to build a more connected and collaborative workplace through a unified and informed approach to translation and interpretation.

Major Responsibilities:

Development of Core Resources (Style Guide/Glossary/Terminology Base)

· Lead development of Core Unit Resources beginning with comprehensive Style Guide and Glossaries/Terminology Base in French language, in collaboration with other Departmental Leads

· Liaise with multiple departmental stakeholders to compile and synthesize existing translation resources

· Identify IRC style, tone and other preferences that will fall within the scope of the Style Guide; survey and analyze stakeholder responses to revise and refine product

· Draft and supervise peer-review of finalized draft document, assisting internal communications teams with formatting and final proofreading

· Create Central Terminology Base and Glossary that can be implemented by varied IRC stakeholders and integrated with selected CAT tools

Operational Support and Unit Strategy

· Support Unit Manager in cataloguing and classifying major departmental translation projects and the creation of standard operating procedures and quality assurance practices for translation

· Assist in overall unit strategy and recruitment of freelancers for French language department

· Contribute to planning of interdepartmental events and communications that raise IRC community awareness of best practices for translation and interpretation

· Engage with existing multilingual staff and employee resource groups to identify internal resources and develop best practices for translation and interpretation

· Dialogue with country and regional counterparts to improve upon current translation practices and share unit resources

· Participate in Operational Leadership meetings at the discretion of the Unit Manager

· Provide expert guidance on overall considerations for French language translation needs

Position Reports to: Language Services Provision Manager

Minimum Requirements

· 2-5 years related work experience

· Collaborative, humanitarian-first mindset

· Excellent verbal and written communication skills, especially with diverse audiences

· Self-starter and a critical thinker who can work independently and drive projects forward

· High level of emotional intelligence (e.g. empathy, self-awareness, self-management) and ability to maintain high levels of confidentiality

· Positive outlook, team player and seeks feedback for continuous improvement

· Adaptable and comfortable juggling a range of tasks in a fast-moving environment

· Fluency in oral and written French

Preferred Requirements

· Significant experience in Francophone African settings and knowledge of local languages in Francophone African countries in which IRC is engaged

· University-Level Degree in Translation and/or Interpretation

· Experience working in multilingual, highly complex global organizations or settings

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

IRC et les employés de IRC doivent adhérer aux valeurs et principes contenus dans le IRC WAY (normes de conduite professionnelle). Ce sont l’Intégrité, le Service, la Responsabilité, et l’égalité. En conformité avec ces valeurs, IRC opère et fait respecter les politiques sur la protection des bénéficiaires contre l’exploitation et les abus, la protection de l’enfant, le harcèlement sur les lieux de travail, l’intégrité financière, et les représailles.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement:

In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions. All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity:

IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits:

We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days (depending on role and tenure), medical insurance starting at $145 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus a 3-7% base IRC contribution (3 year vesting), disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

Compensation:

Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.#LI-GR1