Freelance Interpreters, Translators and Post-Editors/Proofreaders

Job Posting Organization:
The Organization for security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world’s largest regional security organization, comprising 57 participating States. Established to foster peace, security, and stability in Europe, the OSCE operates on a consensus basis, meaning that all participating States have equal status in decision-making. The organization focuses on a range of security issues, including politico-military, economic and environmental, and human dimensions. The OSCE's Secretariat plays a crucial role in supporting the organization's operations and initiatives, ensuring effective communication and coordination among its various institutions and field operations. For more detailed information about the OSCE's structure and work, you can visit their official website at http://www.osce.org/secretariat.

Job Overview:
The primary objective of this assignment is to create and maintain a roster of qualified freelance interpreters, translators, and post-editors/proofreaders who can provide high-quality linguistic services between English and Ukrainian languages, and vice versa. This roster will serve as a pool of pre-vetted language professionals who may be engaged on Special Service Agreements as needed. The selected experts will play a vital role in supporting the OSCE Secretariat, its institutions, and field operations by ensuring the accuracy, consistency, and linguistic quality of the organization's written and oral communications. The rostered professionals will be expected to provide ad hoc services in various areas of expertise, contributing to the effective implementation of the OSCE’s mandates across its three dimensions: politico-military, economic and environmental, and human dimensions. The nature of the assignments will vary, and candidates should be prepared to deliver services that include interpretation during meetings and events, translation of official documents, and post-editing or proofreading of texts to ensure adherence to OSCE standards.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Under the supervision of the Supervisor/Hiring Manager, the successful candidates will be responsible for the following duties:

• Provide simultaneous and/or consecutive interpretation services during OSCE meetings, conferences, and events, ensuring accurate and context-appropriate delivery that reflects the speaker’s intent and tone.
• Prepare for assignments by reviewing background materials and relevant terminology, and effectively use interpretation equipment and online platforms for both on-site and remote events.
• Maintain professionalism, confidentiality, and impartiality at all times while delivering interpretation services punctually and to the required quality standards.
• Translate official OSCE documents, reports, correspondence, and training materials from English into Ukrainian and vice versa, ensuring linguistic accuracy and adherence to OSCE style and formatting standards.
• Conduct terminology and background research to ensure context-appropriate translations and observe strict confidentiality in all assignments.
• Review translated texts for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style accuracy, performing quality assurance and revision as required.
• Ensure consistency in terminology, tone, and formatting in line with OSCE standards, and verify proper use of official names, titles, and references.
• Deliver all assignments within established deadlines while maintaining high quality and confidentiality, resulting in finalized documents, reports, and correspondence that meet OSCE standards.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a first-level university degree in interpretation/translation studies, linguistics, or a related field, or a first-level university degree in areas relevant to the OSCE's three mandates, along with a mandatory professional certification in translation or interpretation. They should have an excellent command of both English and Ukrainian, with one language as a mother tongue and the other as an active language, demonstrating the ability to accurately translate complex texts in both directions. Additionally, candidates should have a minimum of five years of professional experience in translation, interpretation, and post-editing/proofreading, preferably within international organizations or similar multicultural environments. For interpreters, a minimum of 30 working days of professional interpretation services over the past three years is required, with at least 10 active working days per year. Proficiency in Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools and the ability to deliver high-quality translations under tight deadlines are also essential.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a first-level university degree in interpretation/translation studies, linguistics, or a related field. Alternatively, candidates may hold a first-level university degree in areas relevant to the OSCE's three mandates, provided they also possess a mandatory professional certification in translation or interpretation. This educational foundation is crucial for ensuring that candidates have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform the duties associated with the role effectively.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of five years of professional experience in translation, interpretation, and post-editing/proofreading. This experience should preferably be within international organizations, governmental institutions, or similar multicultural environments. For interpreters, it is required to have completed at least 30 working days of professional interpretation services over the past three years, with a minimum of 10 active working days per year. This level of experience is essential to ensure that candidates can meet the demands of the role and deliver high-quality services under varying conditions.

Languages:
The mandatory languages for this position are English and Ukrainian, with one of them being the candidate's mother tongue and the other as an active language. Candidates must demonstrate an excellent command of both languages, with proven ability to accurately translate complex texts in both directions. While proficiency in additional languages may be beneficial, the primary focus is on English and Ukrainian.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy-based assignments will be issued on an as-needed basis, with the duration of each assignment varying depending on project requirements. Assignments may range from a few days to several weeks or months, and engagement under this roster does not constitute a continuous or full-time contractual arrangement, nor is there a guarantee of assignments. Candidates are required to indicate their proposed rates for the services in the pre-screening section of the application. The OSCE reserves the right to make final remuneration decisions based on the complexity of tasks and deliverables, as well as the degree of technical expertise required. It is important for candidates to confirm in their application that they can provide services in their individual capacity, not as part of a business entity, unless they clarify otherwise. The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified candidates of all backgrounds to apply.