Organizational Setting

FAO mandate in Georgia is to support national efforts to promote food security and sustainable development of agricultural sector. FAO priorities in Georgia reflect the objectives and priorities of the Government set in the strategy papers related to agricultural development. In essence, FAO assists the Government in creating and implementing an institutional, legal and regulatory environment. At the same time, FAO supports individuals working in agriculture – farmers, cooperatives, companies etc. by providing technical and financial assistance.

Reporting Lines

The Technical Interpreter/Translator shall operate under the overall guidance and responsibility of the FAO Representative in Georgia; the direct supervision of the ENPARD IV Programme Manager and in close collaboration with other international and national consultants of the ENPARD IV programme in Georgia, and more concretely project GCP/GEO/022/EC.

Technical Focus 

A series of trainings to groups of orchard managers is being designed to address gaps identified by the Farm Owners/Managers of a number of fruit and nut species. To scale up the work done in the previous production seasons under a number of FAO’s projects and to reinforce knowledge on the agricultural and management practices of various fruit and nut species, under the ENPARD IV programme, additional trainings sessions will be organized in Eastern and Western Georgia. These trainings will include theoretical sessions and practical masterclasses to equip various crop producers in the country with the adequate skills and knowledge needed to ensure safer production practices having a spill over effect from producers to both local and international consumers.
The incumbent will support the overall efforts of the programme by providing consecutive translations for technical discussions and trainings covering a wide range of agronomic topics and in particular fruit and nut production.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Provide consecutive interpretation from English to Georgian language and vice versa: facilitate clear and effective communication between trainers and trainees by accurately interpreting spoken content during training sessions, meetings, and workshops. Ensure that the context, tone, and intent of the original message are preserved in the interpretation;
•    Provide accurate and complete oral translations covering a wide range of agronomic topics, targeted at the Farm Owners/Managers of a number of fruit and nut species: translate complex technical information on agronomic practices into clear and understandable language for Georgian-speaking farmers. Topics may include soil and water management, pest and disease control, crop nutrition, sustainable farming practices, machinery use, crop harvesting, storage and drying, as well as food safety and food production related topics related to fruit and nut processing;
•    Ensure consistency in the use of technical terminology and style throughout the interpretation process: maintain a high level of terminological precision by using standardized agricultural terms and expressions consistently. This ensures that all participants share a common understanding of key concepts and practices, and that the translations capture the essence and technical accuracy of the original text, making it fully  comprehensible and useful to the target audience;
•    Conduct lexicological research, propose additional terms for the established standards of terminology and glossaries:  regularly update and expand the project’s agricultural terminology glossary by researching and incorporating new terms and phrases. Work with subject matter experts to ensure that the glossary reflects current agricultural practices and innovations.
•    Facilitate Q&A sessions and group discussions: support interactive components of the training sessions by interpreting questions from participants and responses from trainers, ensuring meaningful and productive exchanges;
•    Assist with the development of training materials: collaborate with translators and subject matter experts to develop bilingual training materials, presentations, and other resources. Provide proofreading as necessary to ensure these materials are linguistically accurate and appropriate for the target audience.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
•
•    University degree in agronomy/horticulture, agricultural science, or related fields;
•    Minimum of 2 years of experience in fruit production, encompassing orchard establishment, crop nutrition, crop protection and IPM, organic production, pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest management, and food safety. Previous experience working on international agricultural projects is an asset;
•    Language Proficiency: mother tongue Georgian speaker and excellent working knowledge the English language with the latter being certified by a recognized language institution. Proficiency in both spoken and written forms is required.
•    National of Georgia or resident in the country with a valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Excellent communication skills: demonstrated proficiency in both written and oral communication. Ability to clearly convey complex and technical information and facilitate effective dialogue among English and Georgian speakers;
•    Technical agricultural terminology: strong understanding of technical agricultural terminology in both English and Georgian languages. Ability to comprehend and accurately translate complex agronomic concepts, ensuring clarity and consistency;
•    Proven experience and ability to perform consecutive interpretation during training sessions, meetings, and workshops is an asset;
•    Familiarity with the use of digital tools and software commonly used in agricultural extension and training, such as presentation software (e.g., PowerPoint), online training platforms (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams), and document editing tools (e.g., Microsoft Word, Google Docs). Ability to use these tools to enhance training delivery and coordination.