Somali Interpreter

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries, the IRC aims to restore safety, dignity, and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. In response to the arrival of refugees in Greece in 2015, the IRC has been offering SMS, WASH, and Protection Services. Among others, through its child protection programs, the IRC has been offering individual support through case management to vulnerable children and their families, non-formal educational activities for children through Safe Healing and Learning Spaces, and emergency accommodation and protection to unaccompanied children.

The current program (Supported Independent Living – SIL) seeks to offer quality, community-based, and age-appropriate accommodation, care, and support to unaccompanied children (UAC) 16 to 18 years old and equip them with the vital skills in order to transition efficiently into adulthood.

SCOPE OF WORK: Under the mentorship and supervision of the SIL Unit Coordinator, the Interpreter/Cultural Mediator will provide support services on individual and group activities and communications, internal and external appointments, translation of documents, etc. They will be working closely with all SIL team members, including the SIL Unit Coordinator, the social workers, the caretakers, and the lawyer, as well as with specialized external staff whenever needed, such as the external psychologist.

Key responsibilities:

• Assist with translation, interpretation and cultural mediation in communication with IRC staff, national staff, beneficiaries and/ or any other relevant parties; and during the individual or group support to UAC residing in the apartments and elsewhere needed;

• Assist in explaining all procedures to children;

• Assist the social workers in the collection of relevant information and data on children;

• Assist the caretakers in the creation of daily care plans with the children;

• Assist with translation and cultural mediation during the sessions with the asylum advisor and the psychologist, whenever needed;

• Assist with interpretation and cultural mediation during the group skills-building activities organized by the social worker and the caretaker whenever needed;

• Whenever needed, escort the UAC in external services;

• Together with the support of caretakers, empower children to participate in activities and cultivate a positive environment.

• Support dedicated activities in and outside of the site, such as facilitation of activities for children, translation, cultural mediation, and escorting children to activities/appointments with the designated staff;

• Translate from Greek and/or English into Somali and vice versa vital materials or written information as the need arises;

• Complete any reporting and supervising tool.

• Conduct administrative duties.

• Any other duty as assigned by the supervisor.

Requirements:

• Experience in interpretation and translation services is required;

• Certification in cultural mediation is considered an advantage;

• Experience working with children and youth highly desirable;

• Experience working in NGOs and in the humanitarian context is highly desirable, Experience working with refugees and vulnerable groups of people;

• Proficiency in Greek and/or a good working level of English is mandatory;

• Strong interpersonal skills (written and spoken) in Somali and ability to translate into English and/or Greek and vice versa;

• Knowledge of one of the following languages is considered as an asset: Arabic.

• Bachelor’s degree in Translations, humanities, social sciences, or equivalent combination of education/training and work experience in a similar context is considered as an asset;

• Able to work in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams;

• Understanding and sensitivity to the needs of people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures;

• Personal qualities: Great teammate, adaptable, flexible, network-builder, able to handle pressure well and work in Understanding and sensitivity to the needs of people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures;

• Strong sense of personal integrity;

• Cultural awareness and ability to establish links quickly with a wide variety of people;

• Digital literacy: Knowledge of MS Office, Internet, Outlook, and proficiency with new technologies required

Other:

• Must be able to work flexible hours, including afternoons and in cases of emergency evenings and/or weekends;

• Must successfully complete a criminal background check;

Work environment:

Working hours: Afternoon and evening working hours. Due to the nature of the program and based on the program's needs, flexibility is required. Working during weekends might be needed.

Travel and other requirements: travel requirements between the apartments within Attica and occasionally to other areas of IRC programs within Athens.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.

Disclaimer Clause: This job description is not an extensive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

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Professional Standards: IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and carries out policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Respect at Work Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Accountability to Clients: IRC staff must adhere to the commitment of contributing to the sustainability and development of its (CR) Client Responsiveness Mechanisms, preserving the culture of prioritizing the needs of our clients and affected communities by systematically listening to their perspectives and using their feedback to make programmatic decisions and give them greater influence over program design and delivery.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Diversity and Inclusion: At IRC we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Organizations that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, nationality, and perspective are validated to be better organizations. More importantly, creating a safe workspace environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best is the right thing to do. So, bring your whole self to work.

IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. In keeping with our core values of Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality, IRC strives to maintain a work environment built on mutual respect in which all individuals treat each other professionally, and free of bias, prejudice, and harassment. IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of IRC Persons in any work setting. All IRC staff, wherever they are located, are accountable for creating an environment free of discrimination, harassment, bullying, and retaliation.

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