Chemonics UK is seeking a skilled Arabic-English Translator to support translation and interpretation needs for the Syria Education Programme II. The ideal candidate will have strong experience translating technical and programmatic documents in both Arabic and English, with a deep understanding of cultural and linguistic nuances essential for accurate and context-sensitive communication.

The Arabic-English Translator is responsible for accurately translating and localising a variety of technical and programmatic documents, reports, and communications to support the Syria Education Programme II. They ensure that translations maintain the original meaning, tone, and cultural relevance for Arabic-speaking audiences and English-speaking stakeholders. The role includes providing interpretation services during meetings and workshops, collaborating with programme departments to ensure consistency in terminology, and managing multiple translation tasks under tight deadlines – all while maintaining confidentiality and quality standards in line with FCDO rules and regulations.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Translate a wide range of written materials (project proposals, reports, training manuals, communications content, and donor deliverables) between Arabic and English, maintaining accuracy, tone, and meaning.
Localise Syria Education Programme II materials to ensure they are contextually and culturally appropriate for Arabic-speaking audiences.
Provide high-quality simultaneous or consecutive interpretation during meetings, workshops, interviews, and trainings when required.
Collaborate with different teams within the Syria Education Programme II to ensure consistency in terminology and understanding of content.
Maintain and update an internal glossary of key development terms in both English and Arabic, especially in sectors education, safeguarding, gender and social inclusion.
Review and edit translations completed by other translators for accuracy, consistency, and completeness.
Meet tight deadlines and manage multiple translation tasks across projects.
Ensure compliance with confidentiality and data protection policies when handling sensitive materials, in line with FCDO rules and regulations.
Qualifications and Experience:

Required

Bachelor’s degree in Translation, Arabic Language, English Language, Linguistics, International Relations, or a related field.
Minimum 3 years of professional translation and/or interpretation experience in international development, humanitarian aid, or public sector work.
Native or near-native proficiency in both Arabic and English, with excellent writing skills in both languages.
Proven experience translating technical documents related to development sectors (e.g., donor reports, MEL reports, RFPs, technical briefs).
Proficiency with computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools (e.g., Trados, Wordfast, MemoQ).
Strong attention to detail, grammar, and formatting.
Has the right to work in Syria and based or willing to be based in Damascus.
Preferred

Experience working with or translating for FCDO, UN agencies, USAID, GIZ, or other international development actors.
Understanding of regional dialects and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA).
Familiarity with localisation best practices for Arabic-speaking audiences.
Experience with digital content translation (e.g., websites, social media).

Please send your resume/CV