Cultural Mediator/ French / Female – Lesvos
Position: Cultural Mediator / French / Female
Project: MSF Europe Migration/ Balkan Projects
Location: Lesvos
Starting Date: Immediately
Duration: 3 Months (high possibility of extension)
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international independent medical and humanitarian action-driven organization that offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation. The MSF movement is built around 5 operational centers (OC) supported by 23 sections and offices worldwide. The MSF-Mission in Greece provides humanitarian and medical assistance to the refugee and migrants populations fleeing conflict in their home countries and following a migration route via Greece and the Balkans towards Northern Europe.
Main role:
Make the bridge between MSF beneficiaries (people on the move, migrant and refugee communities) and MSF staff and care givers at the clinic during medical/midwife consultations, by addressing potential negative consequences of language barriers, socio-cultural differences, discrimination and tensions and by fostering their removal.
Tasks and responsibilities:
Ensure quality interpretation between MSF care givers and the patient (trialogue) in his/her mother tongue making the words of the care giver understandable to the patient and vice versa (source language / target language) by ensuring intercultural awareness, during medical/midwife consultations, mental health sessions (individual and/or group), nursing activities and social worker/case management sessions.
Assist MSF care givers and patients in addressing potential negative consequences of socio-cultural differences, different visions and knowledge on health provision, such as misunderstanding, fears, misconceptions, stereotypes and prejudices, tensions, with the aim to support the therapeutic intervention: intercultural mediation and cultural brokerage (e.g sharing with the medical/MH staff important aspects of the cultural background of the patient to be considered for the treatment and vice versa); assess, identify and report barriers impairing fairness and equality in access.
Ensure quality linguistic intercultural interpretation during collection of testimonies for advocacy or communication purposes.
When necessary, ensure accompaniment of MSF beneficiaries to external services, namely health, administrative, social, legal/protection.
Participate in multidisciplinary case management & medical meetings on ad hoc basis together with the rest of the cultural mediators’ team.
Any other duties that may be assigned by the Cultural Mediators’ Supervisor that fall under the scope of the work of the team.
Requirements:
Education: Essential secondary education. Degree from institution of higher education is an asset. Training in interpretation or intercultural mediation would be considered a major asset.
Experience: Minimum two years’ experience in similar position, preferably in provision of medical services and/or with NGOs. Desirable previous experience in migration/ refugee contexts
Languages: Essential French and English. Other languages an asset
Competencies: Results and quality orientation, teamwork and cooperation, commitment to MSF principles, behavioral flexibility, stress management, service orientation
Post conditions:
Full time position
Annual gross salary: According to MSF Salary Policy.
Private insurance.
This is a local opening but all candidates interested in the position and willing to work on Lesvos are welcomed to apply. In that case it should be noted that MSF will not offer any relocation benefits.
To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter in English at the following email address,
quoting reference code “Cultural Mediator-French Female” in the subject line of the e-mail:
[To send your CV please click here]
Closing Date: 22/10/2019
All applications will be treated in strictest confidentiality
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
