What the role is
The ICRC recruits interpreters for its mobile, internationally deployed staff. This posting is for Kurdish speakers, with Iraq as the stated location and a global deployment option afterwards. The core of the job is interpreting between Kurdish and English during confidential interviews with detainees and in other protection work, plus written translation and help with analysis and reporting on detention conditions. It is field work in sensitive settings, not conference interpreting.
Who can apply
You need Kurdish and English at C1 level, at least two years of professional experience (interpreting or translation experience helps; a degree in interpreting is an asset, not a requirement), and a manual-transmission driving licence. You must accept unaccompanied postings for your first two missions, 24 months in total, and pass a medical check. The ICRC does not deploy people to their own country, so Iraqi nationals would be considered for other contexts, not Iraq. Kurdish speakers from Syria, Türkiye, Iran or the diaspora are the natural fit. Arabic is listed as an asset.
What you get
A 12-month contract, extendable, a two-week orientation course, in-house training and social benefits the posting does not itemise. Successful interpreters join the ICRC talent pool for future missions. Salary is not published.
How to apply
Apply online through careers.icrc.org in English. Be honest about your dialect and your written level in each language: the ICRC tests both.
Timing & verification note
Checked on the employer’s page on 2026-09-26. The ICRC vacancies list shows a date of 9 July 2027; the job page itself shows no closing date, and this looks like a standing recruitment pool. We re-check it monthly.
