Qualified Translator (Karari) – MSF Switzerland

Job Description

Organization	Medecins sans Frontieres Switzerland
Job Title	Qualified Translator
Location	Currently based in Karari locality, with potential work placements throughout Khartoum State (particularly Sharg Al Nil)
Section/Unit	Administration
No. of Post	1
Grade Level	5
Duration	6 months
Supervisor	Project Fin/HR Manager
Closing Date	06 Oct 2025

Médecins Sans Frontières – Switzerland (MSF-Swiss) is a medical, humanitarian, impartial and international non-profit organization. MSF provides exclusively humanitarian and medical assistance to populations in need, without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, philosophy, or politics and is independent of any political, religious, military or economic power.

At MSF Switzerland, we are committed to an inclusive culture that supports and amplifies the diverse voices of our staff members. We strive to create workplaces where teams of people with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, perspectives, ideas, and experiences work together to advance MSF’s social mission and create better outcomes for our patients and the communities we work with.

We understand that some people may hesitate to apply for employment if they don’t meet all listed job requirements. Research shows that this is especially true for women. If you believe your profile is a good match for this position, we invite you to apply even if you don’t fulfil every listed qualification. 

We encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, beliefs, ability status, and all other diversity characteristics. 

MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment.

MSF-Swiss is seeking to employ 1 (one) qualified candidate in the Khartoum Project for the position of Qualified Translator.Interested applicants may find the detailed job description of this position below

Duties and responsibilities:

Main Purpose of the position:

Performing professional translation activities and delegated duties depending on supervisor’s specializa-tion and instructions and according to MSF protocols, standards and procedures, in order to ensure a proper representation and translation of MSF activities and core values. 

Responsibilities

• Performing professional written and oral interpretation and translation activities according to supervisor’s specialisation (e.g. MD, RN, IC, Pharmacy, Mental Health, Lab, Logistics, Operations, HR), ensuring medical confidentiality, neutralitiy and respect towards patients, collaborators, authorities, military factions and MSF staff.
• Performing administrative tasks required by supervisor (arrangement of meetings, minute taking). Providing necessary feedback to supervisor following discussions and negotiations and assisting with report writing (MSF and Government required reports), ensuring that all meeting minutes are recorded and that translated documents are properly filed.
• Ensuring that supervisor is aware of cultural nuances when dealing with MoH authorities and counterparts to ensure a good working relationship. Educating supervisor on effective methods of culturally sensitive communication and informing international staff about local customs, tradition, etc. that will help in better communication and understanding of the context.
• Immediately informing supervisor of any problems that might be linked to individual behaviour (counterproductive and/or culturally insensitivity) and declaring any “conflict of interest” when asked to translate (e.g. personal involvement).
• Upholding MSF’s core principles, values, quality standards and Code of Conduct. Respecting MSF’s identification materials and not abusing their use aside from their intended purposes.
• Observing security rules and regulations, NOT putting self and others in danger. Promoting and maintaining MSF quality standards

Context Specific Responsibilities

• Support all departments (HR/FIN, MED, LOG, OPS) in translating documents from Arabic to English or English to Arabic.
• Accompany international staff to reunions with officials (MOH, HAC, etc.) and local partners and provide accurate, transparent and instant translations.
• Support in recruitment processes with translations of documents and translations during interviews.
• Coordinate his/her own schedule in collaboration with the supervisor to accommodate needs of all departments.
• Ensure confidentiality at any point of their work.

Minimum Qualification, Skills and Experience Required:

Requirements

Education: Secondary education essential, health degree is an asset.

Experience: 

• Essential: 2-year work experience, desirable in MSF or other NGOs.
• Essential: Experience in written and oral translations and performing administrative tasks.

Language: Essential: Fluent in Arabic and English (written and oral)

Knowledge: 

• Essential: computer literacy (word, excel, power point, outlook)
• Communication skills, and knowledge of Sudan health system an asset. 

How to apply

All applications should at the minimum include:

• Accurate contact information (candidate’s primary and secondary phone number)
• Copy of the National identification document (National Number/national ID/Passport)
• Cover letter detailing your motivation for this specific position
• Complete CV, detailing the applicant’s education, professional experience
• Copies of relevant diplomas and certificates mentioned in the CV
• Contact information of previous employer(s) and other references

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. In this recruitment process, candidates will have to pass a written test and an interview.

!!! Please note that your application will only be considered if you filled in this application’s Google Form and uploaded all the required documents through the same survey !!! Incomplete applications will not be considered !!!

The protection of your personal data is important to MSF By submitting your application, you consent to MSF using your data only for the recruitment process, to have all the necessary information and documents to proceed with the recruitment, validate your application, and select the most suitable candidate. Your data will be treated confidentially and will be destroyed after 12 months. Only those involved in the recruitment process have access to it. MSF does not sell your data under any circumstances.