Description of the role
The purpose of this consultancy is to provide translation of general organisational information, including (but not be limited to) advocacy statements, research reports, country updates and multi-media material published by CIVICUS. The consultancy will be coordinated by the Communications department, but will involve working with a wide variety of departments in the organisation. The consultant will provide translation for selected content in the following language pairs:
- English to Arabic
- Arabic to English
On average, it is estimated that the translator will be required to translate approximately 5 items a month. The average length of the content is 600 words. There will also be quartery reports (ranging from 10 to 40 pages). The successful applicant will be added to CIVICUS' Preferred Supplier List and may receive additional requests which can be assessed based on relevance and availability.
- Location: Remote
- Duration: July 2026-June 2028
- Type of contract arrangement: Services commissioned on an as-needed basis. Volume of work can fluctuate over course of consultancy.
- Application deadline: 24 April 2026
Specific tasks and responsibilities
- Providing high-quality English-Spanish translation for online content on civicus.org and monitor.civicus.org within agreed timeframes.
- As required, assist with translation of social media content.
- Providing guidance to CIVICUS staff on the correct terms to use for translation of technical terms related to the subject matter of the reports.
- Provide live interpretation of online events.
- Working closely with individual team members at CIVICUS to ensure a regular flow of translated content.
- Working with designers to review translated materials.
- As required, participate in team calls to discuss ongoing implementation of translation products.
- Other tasks to support translation of content, as assigned.
- Ad hoc translation of other organisational documentation where relevant.
- Prepare subtitles for videos and online presentations.
Requirements
- Fluency in English and Arabic and excellent communication skills in both languages.
- Minimum of three years work experience as a translator, ideally in the civil society sector.
- Previous experience of working with civil society, civic space and human rights issues and demonstrated understanding of current dynamics of closing civic space will be considered an asset.
- Ability to work under pressure and meet clearly-defined deadlines.
- Ability to work as part of a team and to work remotely across time zones.
Location and timeframe
This is not a location-specific consultancy; however, the translator is required to be online and available for a portion of the day which overlaps with other members of the team working. Specific arrangements in this regard are to be agreed between the successful candidate and the Communications Department. The translator will also be required to undertake electronic communication through email, instant messenger and online call services, and other platforms commonly used by remote teams.
This is a consultancy beginning from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028. There will be a review of the work of the translator after three months to ensure the system is working according to expectations. The consultant will be paid on a bi-weekly basis, based on the number of materials translated in the month and according to a fixed fee per report to be agreed in advance.
Reporting
There is no formal reporting requirement envisaged as part of this Agreement. Instead, the translator will be required to provide oral updates during calls with a member of the Communications Department, during team calls and by email, as required and as agreed jointly with a focal point from the Communications Department.
How to apply
Interested candidates should email with their CV, a cover letter and at least two writing samples illustrating their translation experience. The deadline for applications is 24 April 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates may also be required to undertake a practical translation exercise.
To submit proposals
To submit an expression of interest, please submit the following, with the subject line "Translator proposal- Your Name"
- Budget/cost estimate. As this will be a regular working relationship, a day rate is encouraged, instead of price per word translated.
- Please explain if/how you use translation tools, for instance Deepl to help with translations. We encourage the use of translation tools.
- CV and portfolio/examples of similar assignments.
