Online Volunteer for Translation Services

Job Posting Organization:
The UNDP Resilience Hub for Africa was established in 2019 and is located in Nairobi, Kenya. It operates with a mission to enhance integrated resilience across 46 Sub-Saharan countries under the UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa. The Hub aims to provide thought leadership and support for resilience building, ensuring that UNDP’s work is future-ready and capable of withstanding shocks. The organization is structured into four dedicated teams that focus on thematic areas such as Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, Governance and Peace-building, Migration and Displacement, and Digital Partnership. The Hub's vision is to transform resilience-informed programming into actionable reality, thereby supporting governments, communities, and institutions in building resilience through sustainable development.

Job Overview:
The position of Online Volunteer for Translation Services is crucial for supporting the REST-GLR programme, which aims to promote economic transformation across seven trade corridors in the Great Lakes Region. The volunteer will be responsible for translating various project documents from English to French and vice versa, ensuring that the translations accurately reflect the original meaning, intent, and tone. This role is essential for facilitating communication and understanding among stakeholders involved in the programme, which focuses on connecting smallholder farmers, cooperatives, and women- and youth-led enterprises to stronger markets. The volunteer will also be tasked with maintaining a translation glossary for consistency and ensuring confidentiality when handling sensitive information. The role requires strong written communication skills and a commitment to delivering high-quality translations within specified deadlines.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the Online Volunteer include:

• Translating project documents from English to French and vice versa as needed.
• Ensuring that translations accurately reflect the meaning, intent, and tone of the original documents.
• Researching field terminologies to ensure high-quality translations.
• Managing assignments and delivering completed tasks within deadlines.
• Maintaining a translation glossary to ensure consistency across documents.
• Ensuring confidentiality in handling sensitive matters related to the project.
• Collaborating with team members to clarify any ambiguities in the source documents.
• Providing feedback on the translation process to improve future assignments.

Required Qualifications:
The ideal candidate for this position should possess strong written communication skills in both English and French. They should have a keen eye for detail and the ability to accurately convey the meaning and tone of the original documents in their translations. Familiarity with the subject matter related to resilience, economic development, and sustainable practices is highly desirable. The candidate should also demonstrate the ability to manage time effectively and meet deadlines consistently. Experience in translation or a related field will be an advantage, as will any previous work with international organizations or NGOs.

Educational Background:
A background in languages, translation, international relations, or a related field is preferred for this position. Candidates should ideally have formal education or training in translation practices, as well as a strong understanding of the cultural nuances that may affect translation. Additional certifications in translation or language proficiency may also be beneficial.

Experience:
While specific years of experience are not mandated, candidates should ideally have some prior experience in translation or a related field. Experience working with international organizations, NGOs, or in contexts that require bilingual communication will be considered an asset. The ability to demonstrate previous successful translation projects will strengthen the application.

Languages:
Fluency in both English and French is mandatory for this position, as the primary task involves translating documents between these two languages. Knowledge of additional languages relevant to the Sub-Saharan region may be considered a plus, but is not required.

Additional Notes:
This position is offered as a volunteer opportunity, and as such, it may not provide financial compensation. The role is expected to be part-time, with flexibility in hours to accommodate the volunteer's schedule. The duration of the assignment is not specified, but it will involve ongoing tasks as project documents are developed and require translation. The volunteer will be working remotely, allowing for international participation.