Interpreter (Creole/Spanish) (UNOPS/LICA-4)

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

A (least hardship)

FamilyUNOPS LICA4

2023-01-03-08:00December 14, 20221. General Background

The current drivers of forced displacement in North of Central America (NCA) remain in place. However, the inflow of Haitian nationals through the Mexican Southern border has sharply increased in the past two years. Mexico registered some 130,000 asylum seekers in 2021, of which around 40% were from Haiti descent. In 2022, Haiti remains in the top 3 main nationalities requesting asylum in Mexico. Since most new arrivals come to Mexico through the Southern border, a great part of the asylum processing in Mexico happens in Chiapas (bordering state with Guatemala), were around 60-70% of all asylum applications are lodged.

UNHCR Mexico is working with and supporting the Government and other actors to build a stronger asylum system that allows refugees to fully exercise their human rights, from the moment of entry into Mexico, to when a durable solution is found. UNHCR’s presence is spread across the national territory, with a major focus on reception conditions, asylum procedures, local integration or peaceful coexistence depending on the part of the country, and there are promising options for local integration and tangible results have been achieved in this respect.

To be able to provide effective services to all refugees and asylum seekers, UNHCR must be able to communication with the people it serves, including those who not necessarily are proficient in Spanish, such as many Haitians. Therefore, interpreters are essential to UNHCR in fulfilling its core mandate functions, including registration, resettlement, and counselling, which, in many cases, also involves sensitive issues related to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). The role of the Interpreter is to assist in the process by providing a channel for communication. It is an important role that must be accomplished with a high degree of professionalism.

2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The interpreter will be working under the overall supervision of the Registration Associate and the Associate Registration and Identity Management Officer. He may be required to work at UNHCR premises, travel to other offices in the Southern border (on exceptional basis) or perform the services remotely through phone or video conference in order to assist UNHCR staff in interpreting interviews, translating documents and providing orientation to UNHCR’s persons of concern, whenever necessary. Support may also be required to provide interpretation and translation services for UNHCR partners.

These are some of the encounters in which UNHCR officials meet with the people UNHCR serves and might need the help of an interpreter:

• Registration procedures: when the personal information of refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons or returnees are recorded, and vulnerabilities are assessed.
• Refugee status determination: when an interview is conducted with an asylum-seeker to determine whether she/he meets the criteria of the refugee definition.
• Resettlement interviews: when an interview is conducted with a refugee for determining his/her needs to be resettled to a third country.
• Monitoring: when UNHCR collects information relating to the protection, rights and well-being of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons through interviews.
• Participatory Assessment: when a structured dialogue is conducted with women, girls, boys and men of concern to UNHCR, in order to gather accurate information on the specific protection risks they face and underlying causes, to understand their capacities, and to hear their proposed solutions.
• Counselling sessions and/or medical interviews: when informed and professional advice on private and/or illness-related matters is made available to refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR.
• Screening survivors of violence or torture: when more information on psychological and/or physical consequences of torture is sought.      

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls

UNHCR Staff working with the interpreter will evaluate his/her performance on regular basis; in particular, his/her job performance and adherence to professional standards. Staff members will fill out the evaluation report form, which will be used for consideration of contract extensions in the future.

Commitment to continuous learning: Following the recruitment, interpreters shall be provided with an induction training which should include, among other things, basic information on UNHCR specialized terminology (see the UNHCR Thesaurus), content of their work, clarification of their role, content of the UNHCR Code of Conduct, PSEA standards according to ST/SGB/2003/13 and the Undertaking of Confidentiality and Impartiality, security briefing, and interpretation training. For the latter the UNHCR Training module “Interpreting in a Refugee Context” should be utilized.

Definition of the Final Product (i.e., survey completed, data collected, workshop conducted, research documents produced, etc.):

Oral interpretation of interviews and translation of documents as required.  

4. Qualifications and Experience

a. Education
• Social Sciences, Politics, Economics, Human Rights, Languages, or any other related field. Education in a distinct field but coupled with an interpretation certification may be accepted. A high-school education grade coupled with an interpretation certification may be accepted.
• A perfect command of the Creole and Spanish language is necessary.
• Certification of interpretation/translator skills in an asset.

b. Work Experience

• 1 year of relevant experience, ideally on interpretation functions.

c. Key Competencies

• Communication: excellent communication skills
• Empowering and building trust
• Ability to work well under pressure and deliver quality output in a most time-efficient manner.
• Professionalism
• Integrity
• Accountability
• Respect for diversity
• Commitment to continuous learning

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• This position is advertised to internal and external applicants. Candidates must be legally present in México at the time of application, recruitment and hire. Only Mexicans or candidates holding a valid work permit in México will be considered eligible.

• Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern, is subject to proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, independently of contract type and duration. The selected candidate(s) will be required to provide the proof of vaccination prior to recruitment.

• Only short-listed candidates will be notified. The recruitment process might include written test and/or oral interview for this job opening. No late applications will be accepted.

• UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).

• This position is offered under UNOPS Local ICA contract until 30/06/2023 with possibility of extension.

• Remuneration: A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered depending on relevant experience as per the requirements of the job advertisement. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, please visit the portal of the Office of HR Management of United Nations.

 

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

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Desired Languages

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Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance