English to Sidaamu Afoo Translator

Position Title: English to Sidama Afo Translator

Duration of contract: Based on Ad-Hoc assignments

Who are we?

We’re Population Services International (PSI), the world’s leading non‐profit social marketing organization. We work to make it easier for people in the developing world to lead healthier lives and plan the families they desire by marketing affordable products and services that range from mosquito nets to contraceptives to HIV testing. We are a $560m enterprise based in Washington, DC, operating in the private and public sectors in more than 65 countries.

Join us!

There are over 9,000 “PSI’ers” around the world. It’s a diverse group of entrepreneurs and professionals with an unusually wide range of backgrounds – from the medical industry to the music business – all with unique skills we bring to the job.

PSI/Ethiopia wants to reimagine healthcare, put the consumer at the center, and whenever possible, bring quality care to the front door. We achieve health impact in Ethiopia by working with both government and private partners and harvesting technology innovation to bring quality care closer to communities, schools, and homes. We empower consumers by including them in the design of healthcare solutions, offering them more healthcare choices, and helping them to have a voice in influencing national priorities. We work with all market actors in the health system to understand their needs, designing and delivering solutions so that market systems can sustainably serve consumers for the long term, helping to support the Government of Ethiopia in achieving Universal Health Coverage.

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled and detail-oriented English-to-Sidama Translator to translate demand generation materials, including banners and flyers, for campaigns. The successful candidate will produce high-quality Sidama translations that accurately convey the meaning, context, tone, and intent of the approved English source materials while maintaining linguistic clarity, consistency, cultural appropriateness, and professionalism.

The translator will work within agreed timelines and quality standards to support the development, review, and finalization of Sidama-language banners and flyers for the pop-up campaign. The assignment covers written translation, proofreading, and review of text in the final layouts; audio transcription and research-document translation are not included.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Translation and Adaptation of Campaign Materials

• Translate approved English banner and flyer content into accurate, clear, and natural Sidama for the pop-up campaign.
• Preserve the meaning, intent, tone, key messages, and calls to action of the source materials without adding unsupported information or omitting essential details.
• Use culturally appropriate wording and terminology that the intended Sidama-speaking audience can readily understand.
• Keep banner messages concise and easy to read, and ensure flyer content remains clear and informative within the agreed layout and space requirements.
• Maintain consistent terminology, spelling, campaign names, and messaging across all banners and flyers.
• Flag unclear source text or wording that does not translate directly, and agree on suitable adaptations with the campaign team before finalization.
• Check that any dates, locations, contact details, and service information match the approved English source materials.
• Proofread all Sidama translations for grammar, spelling, punctuation, completeness, and accuracy before submission.
• Review translated text in the designed banners and flyers to identify text truncation, incorrect line breaks, missing characters, or other issues affecting readability.
• Incorporate consolidated feedback and submit final, approved translations within agreed timelines and before printing.
• Follow project-specific translation guidelines, approved terminology, and campaign messaging requirements.

Documentation Management

• Maintain organized records of English source materials, Sidama translations, reviewer feedback, and approved final versions.
• Submit editable translations clearly organized by material type and text component, including banner headlines, flyer body text, and calls to action, as applicable.
• Follow agreed formatting, file-naming, and version-control conventions so the design team can identify and use the approved text.
• Provide final proofread Sidama text for each banner and flyer, together with any agreed terminology notes and confirmation that the final layouts have been checked for language accuracy.

Confidentiality and Ethics

• Handle unpublished campaign content, draft materials, and other project information with strict confidentiality.
• Do not share or publish source materials, translations, or campaign artwork without authorization, and comply with applicable data protection requirements.
• Sign and adhere to confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements where required.

Collaboration

• Work closely with the campaign team, communications staff, graphic designers, and designated Sidama-language reviewers to finalize banners and flyers.
• Clarify ambiguous wording, local expressions, terminology, and contextual issues with the designated project focal person.
• Participate in translation and layout reviews, incorporate agreed revisions, and flag outstanding language issues before materials are approved for printing.

Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Translation, Linguistics, Language Studies, Journalism, Communication, Social Sciences, or a related field.

Experience

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in translation and transcription services.
• Familiarity with health-related terminology or demonstrated experience translating health-related documents.
• Demonstrated experience translating qualitative research interviews, focus group discussions, surveys, or assessment data.
• Experience working with development organizations, NGOs, research institutions, or consulting firms is an advantage.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Strong understanding of Sidaamu Afoo dialects and cultural contexts.