UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, support

Background

UNICEF Zambia works to promote and protect the rights and wellbeing of children and communities across the country. Effective communication and community engagement require information to be accessible in languages understood by diverse audiences across Zambia.

To support programme implementation, advocacy, behaviour change communication, and community outreach, UNICEF Zambia seeks to establish a Long-Term Agreement (LTA) with qualified individual translators to provide professional translation services between English and Zambia’s seven official local languages.

The individual consultant on LTA will support the translation of communication, programme, advocacy, and operational materials to ensure accessibility, inclusion, and cultural relevance.

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to establish a pool of suitably qualified individual consultant translators to provide accurate, culturally appropriate, and high-quality translation services between English and Zambia’s seven official local languages (Bemba, Nyanja, Lozi, Tonga, Kaonde, Luvale and Lunda.

The LTA will enable UNICEF Zambia to access translation services efficiently on an as-needed basis throughout the contract period. Detailed Term of Reference (TOR):  LTA Terms of Reference Translator Advert .pdf

How can you make a difference?

Key Tasks:

The objective of this consultancy is to provide high-quality, accurate, and culturally appropriate translation, editing, proofreading, and localization services to support UNICEF Zambia’s communication, advocacy, and programme priorities. The consultant will ensure that content is effectively translated between English and designated Zambian languages while maintaining linguistic accuracy, consistency, and alignment with UNICEF standards, enabling clear and impactful communication with diverse target audiences.

Specific objectives:

• Provide professional translation services from English into one or more official Zambian languages (Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga, Lozi, Kaonde, Lunda, and Luvale), and vice versa, for a wide range of UNICEF materials.
• Translate communication, advocacy, programme, training, research, and knowledge products, including reports, publications, social media content, video subtitles, radio scripts, surveys, questionnaires, presentations, and safeguarding materials.
• Edit and proofread translated content to ensure accuracy, clarity, consistency, and adherence to established linguistic and technical standards.
• Conduct quality assurance reviews of translated materials, including verification of terminology, grammar, language usage, and messaging consistency.
• Localize and culturally adapt content to ensure relevance, appropriateness, and accessibility for intended audiences while preserving the original meaning, tone, and purpose of the source material.
• Support effective communication and audience engagement by ensuring translations are linguistically accurate, culturally sensitive, and aligned with UNICEF’s communication objectives.
• Contribute to the quality and consistency of multilingual communication across UNICEF programme areas, including health, nutrition, education, WASH, social policy, child protection, and other thematic sectors.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Requirements:

Education

• Diploma or Degree in Translation, Linguistics, Journalism, Communication, Education, Languages, or related field.

Experience

• Minimum 3–5 years of professional translation experience.
• Demonstrated experience translating between English and at least one of Zambia’s official local languages.
• Experience working with development agencies, NGOs, UN agencies, media organizations, or government institutions is an asset.
• Experience working with national television and radio stations, particularly in content translation, scripting, subtitling, or language adaptation for broadcast media, will be considered an added advantage.

Technical Competencies

• Excellent written and verbal proficiency in English and relevant local language(s)
• Strong editing and proofreading skills
• Ability to preserve tone, meaning, and technical terminology
• Familiarity with child rights, development, public health, education, or humanitarian terminology is desirable

Competencies

• Attention to detail
• Cultural sensitivity
• Ability to work under tight deadlines
• Strong communication and organizational skills

Commitment to accuracy and confidentiality 

Evaluation Criteria:

Selection will be based on a combined technical and financial evaluation in the ratio of 70:30. The technical evaluation will be conducted in two stages:

• Technical qualifications and experience 10 points
• Language proficiency   10 points
• Quality of previous translation work/sample tests 20 points
• Understanding of the assignment 20 points
• Sample of translated materials 10 points
• Financial Score 20 points

The selection of the consultant will be on the basis of technical evaluation & financial offer in the ratio of  80:20.

 Financial proposals will be assessed against UNICEF’s best value for money principles.

The LTA will specify a fixed day/session rate for the duration of the agreement. UNICEF does not guarantee any minimum volume of work. Payment will be made upon satisfactory completion of each assignment and submission of invoices.

When a specific assignment arises, UNICEF will approach LTA holders in ranked order. Consultants who are unavailable will be passed over for that assignment, without prejudice to future engagements. A separate contract will be issued for each assignment. Work should not begin, unless and until a contract is in place, signed by both parties, and fully funded.

Joint applications from multiple consultants will not be accepted. Each candidate is required to submit their proposal as individual service providers.

Consultants are responsible for determining and meeting any applicable tax obligations in their country of fiscal residence.

 HOW TO APPLY

Candidates are requested to submit the following documents:

• Updated CV(s) or company profile
• Language proficiency details
• Samples of previous translation work
• References from previous clients
• A financial proposal indicating professional fee as per the attached template  FINANCIAL PROPOSAL TRANSLATOR.docx. Please do not forget to specify your name in the file while saving. (To be uploaded under other supporting documents).

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Without all the above documents your application will be considered incomplete and invalid and will not be considered further

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.