Background/IRC Summary: The IRC has a rich history of assisting refugees to apply for U.S. resettlement, from its founding in 1933 to help vulnerable individuals escape Nazi-occupied Europe, to pioneering the Joint Voluntary Agency which assisted Indochinese refugees for 22 years, to operations in Croatia, Sierra Leone and Sudan. Over the years, IRC has processed some half million refugees worldwide for U.S. resettlement.
Based in Bangkok with four field offices in Thailand and Malaysia, the IRC Resettlement Support Center (IRC-RSC) assists persons throughout East Asia seeking permanent resettlement in the United States. RSC prepares refugee applications for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, provides information to resettlement agencies about arriving refugees and offers cultural orientation training to those refugees bound for the U.S.
Job Overview/Summary: The Staff Interpreter and Translator will provide operational support to all departments in providing Rohingya language support services for applicants to the US refugee resettlement program. The Staff Interpreter will act as an interpreter of oral statements between English and Rohingya for RSC Prescreen interviews, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) interviews, and for Cultural Orientation training. Additional responsibilities will include translation work, observations and feedback sessions, assisting in the training and mentoring of other interpreters, and liaising with other departments and partner agencies. Interpreters will also be responsible for administrative duties related to the Interpreters Team. This position reports to Interpreter Services Manager with indirect reporting to other managers within the RSC, as well as the RSC Program Coordinator (Program Support).
Major Responsibilities:
- Act as an interpreter during RSC assignments for prescreen, US immigration interviews, and post-processing appointments at the RSC processing center at the UNHCR compound in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Translate documents from target languages (Rohingya) to English language and vice versa;
- Train and mentor new staff and incentive interpreters as needed;
- Conduct regular observations and related feedback sessions as assigned (M&E)
- Facilitate meetings and trainings for the Interpreter's Team as assigned
- Complete administrative tasks as assigned including but not limited to scheduling, tracking observations, tracking translations, record keeping, and filing
- Perform other relevant duties as directed by supervisor
- Key Working Relationships:
- Position Reports to: Interpreter Services Manager Position directly supervises: NA
- Indirect Reporting: Senior Staff Interpreter, Program Coordinator (Program Support), other RSC Managers as applicable.
- Other Internal and/or external contacts:
- Internal: All IRC Malaysia Staff
- External: UNHCR, IOM
- Job Requirements:
- Education:
- Bachelor's Degree preferred, but not required.
- Experience working as an interpreter strongly preferred.
- Experience working as a translator strongly preferred.
- Experience conducting trainings strongly preferred, especially Interpretation and Translation trainings.
- Excellent organizational skills, including attention to detail.
- Strong communication skills
- Strong coordination and administrative skills.
- Strong observation and feedback skills
- Flexible and willing to learn and take on new tasks
- Able to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Mature, positive attitude and able to work under pressure.
- Thorough knowledge of computer software (e.g., Word, Excel, Email, Internet).
- Fluent or near-fluent in English, both oral and written
- Must be Fluent in Rohingya, both oral and written
- Ability to type in English and target language(s)
- Not applicable, unless required by law and/or organization to carry out official duties
- Able to travel as required
- Preference given to female candidates due to the population served
