Translators without Borders is a unique non-profit organization that helps humanitarian organizations communicate more effectively with vulnerable populations in the right languages. TWB created the first translation and language program specifically for crisis response and is now deploying that program in northeast Nigeria.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Kibaku (Chibok) Community Team Leader
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Hours: Part-time (50%)
Reporting to: Program Manager
Travel: some travel to field locations in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states
Contract length: until the end of March 2019, with the possibility of extension/ national position
Background
TWB conducted an initial assessment of language support needs in the humanitarian response in north-east Nigeria in July 2017. This found very significant levels of need: in a context where people affected by the conflict and food crisis speak dozens of first languages, humanitarian communication is overwhelmingly in English and Hausa. Organizations lack basic information about the languages spoken and understood by affected people, and struggle to hire either language professionals or national staff and volunteers with the right language skills. Humanitarian staff voiced fears for the impact this could have on the accuracy of needs assessments, the effectiveness of program design, accountability, and conflict sensitivity. So far TWB has developed a protection, mental health and psychosocial support and camp coordination and camp management glossary apps, conducted comprehension testing with IDPs, enumerators, and field staff, worked with partners on collecting and mapping language data, carried out trainings on the basics of interpreting and is piloting a multilingual feedback mechanism.
There is still much to do to fully understand how language barriers affect data collection, two way communication between crisis affected people and humanitarian agencies, and access to services. The research planned over the coming months includes better understanding the impact of language on service accessibility, the effectiveness and limitations of multi-lingual audio messaging, and the relevance of language in enabling crisis affected people to express their needs.
The Role
- The Kibaku Community Team Leader will be responsible for delivering high-quality Kibaku language translation, terminology development, and training services to humanitarian organizations in north-east Nigeria and will provide research, administrative and logistical support to other TWB activities as needed.
- The postholder will lead on recruiting, capacity building, and managing a community of translators in Kibaku, from among qualified translators and suitably skilled bilinguals in Nigeria and the wider region. The role will identify capacity building needs and coordinate training and support measures to respond to them.
Responsibilities
- Recruitment and management of the Kibaku language team
- Research and report on the existing capacity of professional language service providers (LSPs) for Kibaku in north-eastern Nigeria, identifying their training and support needs.
- Recruit a team of qualified translators and suitably skilled bilinguals for training and recruitment into a TWB community of translators (posting vacancies, shortlisting, interviewing, reaching out to universities, LSPs, community groups).
- Test Kibaku applicant translators to ensure high-quality applicants are selected.
- Train and coach new Kibaku translators to improve their skills and ensure they know how to use TWB translation platforms and glossaries.
- Manage and support the Kibaku language pool of translators to encourage exchanges of experience, sharing of learning, mutual support and a sense of belonging to a TWB team
- Manage the volunteer and translator incentive program.
- Management of translation and language services in Kibaku
- Delivers high quality and timely translations to and from Kibaku, transcription and audio recordings in Kibaku language.
- Liaise between partner organizations, Kibaku translators and TWB’s wider translation team to take full responsibility for delivering high-quality translations on time.
- Lead for Kibaku in the provision of multilingual terminology support to humanitarian partner organizations, including terminology harvesting, collaborative development of sectoral terminology in relevant languages, and field testing.
- Support TWB in the implementation of field activities, including support to multilingual feedback mechanisms and communication with communities, support to language-sensitive rapid response, comprehension studies, needs assessments and wider research on language.
- Coordinate and co-facilitate training activities, including liaising with partner organizations on needs, timings and venue; identifying suitable trainers with the right skills and languages; collecting evaluation forms; and maintaining a register of trained Kibaku translators and interpreters.
- Make sure that alternative workflows are in place and available to members of the Kibaku translator pool who cannot access and/or use TWB’s web-based translation platform.
- Research, contribute to and/or write language factsheets guides, dos and don’ts, etc.
- Participate in research and monitoring, evaluation and learning activities.
- Test interpreters to assess language competency levels.
- Identify needs for new translation technology tools and assist with the development and roll-out of new tools as they emerge (including online testing modules and audio translation).
- Support a peer network of interpreters and translators in north-east Nigeria.
Other activities:
- Provide administrative and logistical support to TWB’s activities in Nigeria as needed.
- Support TWB in scaling up operations in Nigeria, particularly with recruiting other language team leaders.
- Attend occasional meetings of humanitarian organizations to relay TWB messaging and report on discussions or decisions.
- Produce regular reports.
- Any other duty as required.
Qualifications
- Professional translation or interpreting qualifications and experience
- Excellent quality written and spoken Kibaku
- Good level of written and spoken English
- Resourcefulness and ability to innovate to find creative solutions
- Integrity and professional verbal and written presentation
- Team player; experience managing volunteers a plus
- Previous experience with non-profit organizations, particularly in development and/or humanitarian action, a plus
- Training experience a plus
- Familiar with office management (financial, logistics) routine is a plus
- experience of Computer Assisted Translation tools
- Track record of working with and managing volunteers and small teams
Requirements
- 1+ year experience in translation or interpretation into Kibaku
- Experience in team work management/facilitation
- Mother tongue Kibaku speaker with superb Kibaku writing skills
- Willingness to travel to insecure locations for work
Interested and qualified candidate should:Click here to apply
Job Title: Waha (Gwoza) Community Team Leader
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Reporting to: Program Manager
Contract Length: until the end of March 2019, with the possibility of extension / national position
Hours: Part-time (50%)
Travel: Some travel to field locations in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states
The Role
- The Waha Community Team Leader will be responsible for delivering high-quality Waha language translation, terminology development, and training services to humanitarian organizations in north-east Nigeria and will provide research, administrative and logistical support to other TWB activities as needed
- The postholder will lead on recruiting, capacity building, and managing a community of translators in Waha, from among qualified translators and suitably skilled bilinguals in Nigeria and the wider region
- The role will identify capacity building needs and coordinate training and support measures to respond to them.
Responsibilities
- Recruitment and management of the Waha language team
- Research and report on the existing capacity of professional language service providers (LSPs) for Waha in north-eastern Nigeria, identifying their training and support needs
- Recruit a team of qualified translators and suitably skilled bilinguals for training and recruitment into a TWB community of translators (posting vacancies, shortlisting, interviewing, reaching out to universities, LSPs, community groups)
- Test Waha applicant translators to ensure high-quality applicants are selected
- Train and coach new Waha translators to improve their skills and ensure they know how to use TWB translation platforms and glossaries
- Manage and support the Waha language pool of translators to encourage exchanges of experience, sharing of learning, mutual support and a sense of belonging to a TWB team
- Manage the volunteer and translator incentive program.
- Management of translation and language services in Waha
- Delivers high quality and timely translations to and from Waha, transcription and audio recordings in Waha language
- Liaise between partner organizations, Waha translators and TWB’s wider translation team to take full responsibility for delivering high-quality translations on time
- Lead for Waha in the provision of multilingual terminology support to humanitarian partner organizations, including terminology harvesting, collaborative development of sectoral terminology in relevant languages, and field testing
- Support TWB in the implementation of field activities, including support to multilingual feedback mechanisms and communication with communities, support to language-sensitive rapid response, comprehension studies, needs assessments and wider research on language
- Coordinate and co-facilitate training activities, including liaising with partner organizations on needs, timings and venue; identifying suitable trainers with the right skills and languages; collecting evaluation forms; and maintaining a register of trained Waha translators and interpreters
- Make sure that alternative workflows are in place and available to members of the Waha translator pool who cannot access and/or use TWB’s web-based translation platform
- Research, contribute to and/or write language factsheets guides, dos and don’ts, etc.
- Participate in research and monitoring, evaluation and learning activities
- Test interpreters to assess language competency levels
- Identify needs for new translation technology tools and assist with the development and roll-out of new tools as they emerge (including online testing modules and audio translation).
- Support a peer network of interpreters and translators in north-east Nigeria.
Other Activities:
- Provide administrative and logistical support to TWB’s activities in Nigeria as needed.
- Support TWB in scaling up operations in Nigeria, particularly with recruiting other language team leaders.
- Attend occasional meetings of humanitarian organizations to relay TWB messaging and report on discussions or decisions.
- Produce regular reports.
- Any other duty as required.
Qualifications
- Professional translation or interpreting qualifications and experience
- Excellent quality written and spoken Waha
- Good level of written and spoken English
- Resourcefulness and ability to innovate to find creative solutions
- Integrity and professional verbal and written presentation
- Team player; experience managing volunteers a plus
- Previous experience with non-profit organizations, particularly in development and/or humanitarian action, a plus
- Training experience a plus
- Familiar with office management (financial, logistics) routine is a plus
- Experience of Computer Assisted Translation tools
- Track record of working with and managing volunteers and small teams
Requirements
- 1+ year experience in translation or interpretation into Waha
- Experience in team work management/facilitation
- Mother tongue Waha speaker with superb Waha writing skills
- Willingness to travel to insecure locations for work
Core Values
Translators without Borders employees and volunteers are made of people who believe passionately about the value of this work and take personal responsibility for achieving the mission. Translators without Borders’ mission and organizational spirit embody the core values established in its strategic framework:
- Excellence: As the leading voice for communicating humanitarian information in the right language, Translators without Borders is a leader in the translation industry and in the non-profit sector.
- Integrity: Translators without Borders believes that every person, whether it is the people who we serve, our volunteers or our staff, has value, deserves respect and has inherent dignity.
- Empowerment: Translators without Borders believes in using language to empower people around the world to control their own development and destiny.
- Innovation: Translators without Borders recognizes and celebrates the power of innovation to address humanitarian and crisis issues around the world.
- Sustainability: Translators without Borders recognizes that meeting our mission necessitates establishment and maintenance of a solid financial and organizational infrastructure.
- Tolerance: Our staff and volunteers are highly knowledgeable and skilled; value each other, our partner and our recipients; create a supportive work environment; and, conduct themselves professionally at all times.
- Translators without Borders is an equal-opportunity employer, committed to diversity and inclusion, and encourages qualified candidates of all genders and from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization.
Interested and qualified candidates should:Click here to apply
Job Title: Administrative and Logistics Officer
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Hours: Full-time
Travel: some travel in northeast Nigeria
Department: Crisis Response
Employment Type: Consultancy
Contract length: initially 3 months, with the possibility of extension/ national position
Background
TWB conducted an initial assessment of language support needs in the humanitarian response in northeast Nigeria in July 2017. This found very significant levels of need: in a context where people affected by the conflict and food crisis speak dozens of first languages, humanitarian communication is overwhelmingly in English and Hausa. Organizations lack basic information about the languages spoken and understood by affected people, and struggle to hire either language professionals or national staff and volunteers with the right language skills. So far, TWB has developed a protection glossary app, conducted comprehension testing with IDPs, worked with partners on collecting and mapping language data, and carried out training on the basics of interpreting.
The next step is to prepare the groundwork for setting up a full program of activities in support of affected people and the humanitarian community working with them. This entails developing a community of volunteer translators for relevant languages of northeast Nigeria, identifying skills development needs and carrying out initial training, and leading and coordinating translation and terminology development activities in support of and in liaison with humanitarian organizations.
The Role
- The Administration Officer will be responsible for providing general management support to the TWB
- Nigeria program. This includes, but is not limited to administrative, Human Resources, logistics and procurement support.
Responsibilities
General Administration:
- Set up the country’s paper filing system and ensure its effective implementation
- Provide general administrative support as required including preparing written documentation, filing, note taking, arranging meetings etc.
- Purchase, manage and control the storage and issue of office supplies, stocks, and other office materials
- Organize equipment as and when required, coordinate any necessary maintenance as tasked
- Arrange training bookings, manage attendance records, distribute pre and post training information and other services associated to training support
- Carry out administrative tasks associated with monitoring and evaluation
- Support the office IT functions, providing basic IT support to colleagues
Human Resources:
- Ensure all paperwork related to personnel records and systems are properly filed and kept up to date
- Support the HR Manager with recruitment administration such as posting advertisements, logging applications, coordinating interview arrangements and assisting with the new starter processes
- Assist the HR Manager to ensure that TWB in Nigeria is well informed and works within legal requirements
- Accurately collate any other information as required to assist with payroll preparation
Logistics and Procurement:
- Assist with the setup of an efficient logistics and procurement filing system, including asset management
- Support the team with procurement by completing administrative duties as directed including identifying suppliers, collecting quotations, preparing Purchase Request Forms and Local Purchase Orders, collecting goods, dispatching goods and organizing transportation where required
- Obtain quotes from local suppliers in an efficient and timely manner, and ensure that logistics procedures are followed at all times, adhering to TWB and donor procurement policies
- Maintain logistics records and file paperwork including asset register, purchase orders, waybills, asset register, receipts etc.
- Assist in managing travel and visas as required such as booking flights, amending flight reservations, booking hotels, arranging local permits, coordinating transport arrangements etc
Financial Administration:
- Support the Finance Officer by ensuring that receipts and other financial supporting documents are organised and kept properly
- Support the Country Director and the wider Country Management Team in tracking expenses
- In all the categories above, the post holder is expected to carry out any other duty as required
- Reporting lines: The post holder will report to the Country Director.
- Please note that these roles and responsibilities are approximate and may change over time.
Requirements
- Previous experience in an administration role, ideally in a support services role for another INGO
- Previous experience of procurement including identifying suppliers, etc.
- Previous experience completing logistics paperwork and record keeping
- Excellent administrative skills including ability to use MS Word and Excel, e-mail and other computer packages
- Ability to speak either Hausa or Kanuri is essential
- Strong written and spoken English is essential
Essential Aptitude
- Ability to demonstrate initiative, be proactive and offer a solution-oriented approach
- Determined and committed to high quality standards
- Ability to establish effective working relationships at all levels internally and externally
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to prioritise work, meet deadlines and work calmly under pressure
- Self-motivated, flexible and enthusiastic approach to work
- Interest in and commitment to TWB’s humanitarian mandate
Interested and qualified candidate should:Click here to apply
Job Title: Capacity-Building Officer
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Contract length: Until the end of March 2019, with the possibility of extension/ national post
Hours: Full-time
Travel: Some travel to field locations in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states
Reports To: Program Manager
Background
TWB conducted an initial assessment of language support needs in the humanitarian response in north-east Nigeria in July 2017. This found very significant levels of need: in a context where people affected by the conflict and food crisis speak dozens of first languages, humanitarian communication is overwhelmingly in English and Hausa. Organizations lack basic information about the languages spoken and understood by affected people, and struggle to hire either language professionals or national staff and volunteers with the right language skills. Humanitarian staff voiced fears for the impact this could have on the accuracy of needs assessments, the effectiveness of program design, accountability, and conflict sensitivity. So far TWB has developed a protection, mental health and psychosocial support and camp coordination and camp management glossary apps, conducted comprehension testing with IDPs, enumerators, and field staff, worked with partners on collecting and mapping language data, carried out trainings on the basics of interpreting and is piloting a multilingual feedback mechanism.
There is still much to do to fully understand how language barriers affect data collection, two way communication between crisis affected people and humanitarian agencies, and access to services. The research planned over the coming months includes better understanding the impact of language on service accessibility, the effectiveness and limitations of multi-lingual audio messaging, and the relevance of language in enabling crisis affected people to express their needs.
The Role
- The Capacity-Building Officer will be responsible for adapting, localising, delivering and monitoring TWB’s training curricula. The Capacity-Building Officer will be expected to train translators, interpreters, field workers and volunteers of humanitarian agencies providing services in the northeast Nigeria as well as working to raise awareness of the language barriers present in the response overall.
- This role will involve increasing the capacity of translators, interpreters, field workers and volunteers to bridge the communication divide between the affected population and the humanitarians working to serve them by helping them to understand complex humanitarian terminology as well as important cultural and linguistic barriers preventing clear communication with the affected population.
Responsibilities
- Training development:
- Training needs assessment and training plan development
- Adapt / localise existing curricula
- Work with the programme team and to review existing training curriculum
- Identify improvements to the proposed training curriculum, tools and/or delivery method and as well as working to ensure training materials are appropriate for the local context
- Oversee the development of new curricula or modules as needed
- Implement all training
- Support consolidation of field and desk linguistic research
- Training Delivery:
- Support TWB partners in defining specific training plans
- Take direct responsibility for all training sessions, for example, from participant identification to training delivery, logistical arrangements, ensuring costs are covered, to providing training reports, etc.
- Monitoring,evaluation and impact documentation and ongoing support:
- Contribute to designing and implementing participant, session and project evaluation tools
- Responsible for tracking all training-related activities
- Work with the programme team and workshop participants to determine the need for follow-up support.
Other duties as required:
- Ensure timely and accurate reporting to feed into overall project reports in line with donor requirements
- Document and disseminate best practices, innovations, lessons learned and proven methodologies
- Contribute other written materials that support TWB needs (brochures, summary project information, etc.)
- Feed into TWB’s advocacy and communication efforts as needed
- Maintain open and professional relationships with the internal TWB team, TWB volunteers, and partners
- Any reasonable duty requested by the line manager
- The role will evolve along with the overall project to reflect the changing language needs of the affected population and humanitarian community in the emergency response as needed.
- The Capacity Building Officer should be a creative self-starter with a strong sense of initiative, who is enthusiastic about the importance of increasing access to knowledge through language. The right candidate is an energetic team player who agrees with TWB´s Core Values and who can work both individually and as part of a team.
- Able to innovate to find creative solutions
- Willing to explore new technologies
- Active listener, diplomatic and solution-oriented
- Previous experience with non-profit organizations, particularly in development and/or disaster relief, is a plus.
Requirements
- Degree (or recognized formal qualifications) in education
- 3+ years of demonstrated experience delivering training and facilitation in a linguistically diverse environment
- Fluent command of Hausa and English required,
- Knowledge of Kanuri and other languages of northeast Nigeria a plus
- Willingness to travel to insecure locations for work
- Experience delivering Training of Trainers (ToT) content
- Formal teaching experience a plus
- Demonstrated community outreach a plus
- Track record of working with small teams
- Familiarity with the translation, language or content industries a plus.
Interested and qualified candidate should:Click here to apply
Application Deadline 31st December, 2018.
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