Senior Protection Assistant – AI Translation Data (Rohingya)

Deadline for Applications

May 23, 2026

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

D

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)

Family

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

UNOPS LICA5

Target Start Date

2026-06-01

Terms of Reference

1. General Background

Bangladesh hosts the world’s largest refugee settlement, with more than one million Rohingya refugees concentrated in Cox’s Bazar district. UNHCR Bangladesh operates through its Cox’s Bazar Sub-Office, with DIMA (Data, Identity Management and Analysis) overseeing registration, ID systems and supporting data and evidence-based programming and as well as accelerating the adoption of technology-driven innovation. UNHCR is supporting the development of an AI-enabled translation service for the Rohingya language, to integrate with KoboToolBox. This service requires structured training data, including transcribed and translated audio content produced by native Rohingya speakers. To generate this data, UNHCR Bangladesh is coordinating a workflow involving an academically qualified refugee volunteer who will be translating, transcribing and reading Rohingya language, as well as coordinate and record written material for other refugee volunteers who will be reading it. The Senior Protection Assistant (UNOPS LICA-5) will coordinate and facilitate this data production process, operating from a UNHCR registration site in the camps over a six-month period.

2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The Senior Protection Assistant will coordinate and facilitate the production of AI translation training data in Rohingya language for UNHCR’s Kobo translation service. The contractor will:

1. Receive and organize English language source material (transcripts of UNHCR helpline call recordings) provided by the DIMA, CBP and Education teams;
2. Coordinate with the refugee translator / transcriber to produce Rohingya-language translations and transcriptions of the English source material (character script TBD);
3. Work with Registration, CBP, legal and FSMU teams and their existing partner agencies to identify and mobilize a diverse pool of male and female Rohingya community volunteers to read transcribed text aloud in Rohingya for audio recording.
4. Coordinate with DIMA and Data Protection to ensure the relevant counselling on the specifics of the data processing is provided to the refugee volunteers, and that their informed consent is confirmed. Obtain signed forms from all recording volunteers prior to participation, in line with UNHCR data protection and volunteer engagement guidance;
5. Manage and conduct audio recording sessions, ensuring appropriate recording quality;
6. Set up and manage a secure digital workflow (UNHCR laptop, cloud storage) for organising, saving, and submitting translated texts and audio files;
7. Maintain strict confidentiality of all material processed, including helpline recordings and related personal data in line with UNHCR data protection standards. Anonymization of some material may also be required;
8. Liaise regularly with the DIMA supervisor and relevant IT/protection colleagues on technical setup, progress, and operational issues;
9. Track and report on output volumes (word/token counts, number of recordings) on a monthly basis.

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls
The contractor will report to the DIMA focal point. Progress will be monitored through:
1. Monthly progress reports detailing volume of translated/transcribed content (word/token count), recordings made, consent forms collected, and operational challenges;
2. Tracking log of source material received, content produced, and recordings completed, submitted monthly to supervisor;
3. Consent and Non-disclosure agreement (NDA) forms signed by refugee translator on file before work commences;
4. Signed consent forms on file for all recording volunteers prior to participation;
5. Final end-of-contract report summarizing total output, workflow lessons learned, and any unresolved issues.

4. Qualifications and Experience
(List the required education, work experience, expertise and competencies of the individual contractor. The listed education and experience should correspond with the level at which the contract is offered.)

a. Education (Level and area of required and/or preferred education)
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field would be an advantage (computer science, information management, social sciences, linguistics, or related).

b. Work Experience
(List number of years and area of required work experience. Clearly distinguish between required experience and experience which could be an asset.)
Required:
• Minimum 2 years of relevant experience in coordination, data management, community engagement, or a related humanitarian field;
• Experience working in a humanitarian or refugee context;
• Computer literacy, including use of MS Office or similar tools.
Desirable:
• Prior experience working with Rohingya communities or in Cox’s Bazar;
• Familiarity with digital data collection tools (e.g. Kobo, ODK);
• Knowledge of Rohingya language (note: translation/transcription is performed by the refugee volunteer, not the contractor).

c. Key Competencies
(Technical knowledge, skills, managerial competencies or other personal competencies relevant to the performance of the assignment. Clearly distinguish between required and desired competencies)

Required:
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage concurrent tasks in a field setting;
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision;
• Discretion and commitment to confidentiality when handling sensitive data (helpline recordings, refugee personal data);
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills, particularly with refugee communities;
• Fluency in English and Bangla (spoken and written).

Desirable:
• Knowledge of Rohingya language or culture;
• Familiarity with UNHCR data protection and volunteer engagement guidelines;
• Experience with audio recording tools or digital content management.

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

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Desired Languages

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Additional Qualifications

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Education

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Other information

Only Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the Assessment Exercises for the recruitment of the position, which may include Written/Technical tests and/or Interviews, as applicable for recruitment of the position.This position doesn't require a functional clearance
Remote

No