Arabic Language Specialist – NGO Security Training – Netherlands 11 views

About INSO

Founded in 2011, the International NGO Safety Organization (INSO) is an international NGO that supports humanitarian aid workers by establishing safety coordination platforms in insecure contexts. INSO provides registered NGOs with a range of free services, including real-time incident tracking, analytical reports, safety-related data and mapping, crisis management support, staff orientations, and training. INSO provides daily support to more than 1,500 NGOs operating in 24 of the world’s most insecure countries. INSO is registered in the Netherlands, with its headquarters located in The Hague, a city renowned for its international focus on peace and justice.

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Arabic-speaking security professional to support the translation, adaptation, and contextualisation of our online NGO Security Management Course for Arabic-speaking humanitarian audiences over the duration of three months (July 26 to September 26).

The Arabic Language Specialist – NGO Security Training supports INSO’s Global Training Team (GTT) in overseeing the translation and contextualising INSO NGO Security Management online course for Arabic-speaking humanitarian audiences.

The role involves ensuring that course materials are operationally accurate, contextually relevant, and culturally adapted for Arabic-speaking environments. The position is part of the Global Training Team and works closely with the Digital Learning Manager to adapt learning content, review materials, and contribute to the quality and coherence of the course package.

Critically, this role goes beyond linguistic translation. It requires the postholder to bring deep, practical knowledge of NGO security and safety management to bear on the content itself. INSO’s NGO Security Management course addresses complex operational topics – including humanitarian dilemmas, security risk management, access negotiation, duty of care, incident management, and field-level safety protocols – that require expert judgement to adapt accurately for Arabic-speaking humanitarian contexts. The postholder must be able to identify where course content does not reflect the realities faced by aid workers operating across the Middle East and North Africa, propose substantive adaptations, and ensure the final course is not only linguistically accurate but operationally credible and relevant for practitioners working in these environments.

This is a short-term assignment of three months. The selected candidate must be able to step into the role immediately and deliver high-quality outputs within a limited timeframe, with minimal onboarding. The role demands a high degree of professional autonomy, sector credibility, and the ability to make sound, context-sensitive judgements from day one.

The Arabic Language Specialist – NGO Security Training will work daily at INSO’s headquarters in The Hague.

Key Responsibilities

Translation Oversight & Contextual Adaptation

• Review and validate Arabic translations of all course materials following Modern Standard Arabic.
• Ensure accurate and consistent security terminology translations adapted to the aid sector
• Adapt scenarios and case studies to reflect realities in Arabic-speaking humanitarian contexts
• Challenge and clarify course content with INSO Global Training Team colleagues where terminology, concepts, or contextual references may not accurately reflect humanitarian operational realities in Arabic-speaking contexts.
• Ensure that translations convey the intended operational meaning rather than a literal wording, preserving clarity and relevance for humanitarian practitioners.
• Apply strong quality standards to ensure consistency, precision, and clarity across all translated materials.

Multimedia & Digital Learning Integration

• Review and validate: actor-led scenario scripts, animation scripts and on-screen text, voice-over scripts and subtitles, interactive learning elements.
• Ensure conceptual and contextual alignment across written, visual, and audio materials.
• Provide input during video and audio production phases.
• Support quality control of Arabic-language multimedia components.

Quality Assurance & Andragogical Integrity

• Ensure that learning objectives are preserved in the Arabic version.
• Conduct a full-course review at the end of the 3 months.
• Review translated content critically and raise questions where concepts, terminology, or explanations may lead to ambiguity or misinterpretation for Arabic-speaking audiences.
• Identify and resolve clarity, usability, or contextual issues.
• Provide structured feedback and validation reports.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Native-level Arabic speaker with experience developing humanitarian security course content in Modern Standard Arabic.
• Fluent in English.
• Substantial professional experience in humanitarian security management within Arabic-speaking environments.
• Experience working with NGOs or international humanitarian organisations
• Strong knowledge of security risk management, field operations, access, and duty of care
• Experience reviewing, developing, or delivering training content.
• Demonstrated ability to critically assess and adapt technical content – not merely translate it – based on in-depth operational knowledge of humanitarian contexts across the Middle East and North Africa.
• Proven ability to work independently and deliver results quickly within a short-term assignment, with limited ramp-up time.

Desirable:

• Experience in digital learning or e-learning development.
• Familiarity with training creation software platforms – Articulate suite.
• Familiarity in multimedia production environments – Adobe suite.
• Experience supporting professional translation or adaptation processes.

Core Competencies

• Adaptability – Works effectively in multicultural and dynamic environments.
• Organisation – Manages tasks, priorities, and projects in a structured and efficient way.
• Autonomy – Performs reliably with minimal supervision and takes initiative.
• Problem-Solving – Identifies issues, analyses them, and contributes to practical solutions.
• Accountability – Demonstrates strong work ethic, ownership, and responsibility for actions.
• Integrity – Acts with professionalism, confidentiality, sound judgement, and commitment to humanitarian values.

INSO’s Safeguarding Policy

INSO is fully committed to the safe recruitment, selection, and vetting of all potential new staff, trustees, and volunteers. We ensure rigorous compliance with our Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy throughout the recruitment process. INSO is a member of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, and the selected candidate will be required to undergo the relevant misconduct disclosure checks as part of the final hiring steps.

Terms & Conditions

A fixed-term contract for a duration of three months, full-time equivalent, based in The Hague, the Netherlands, with a monthly fee of EUR 4,800.