Intercultural facilitator - Roster creation

Location: Onboard of the Ocean Viking
Contract Start Date: From December 2025 according to security assessment
Application Deadline:  October 31st, 2025

SOS MEDITERRANEE is a civil European rescue association founded in 2015 to face the humanitarian tragedy and the lack of adequate state rescue capacity in the Mediterranean on the deadliest maritime migratory route in the world since 2014. Created by a group of European citizens, our maritime and humanitarian organisation has three missions:

1. To rescue people in distress at sea.
2. To protect and assist survivors on board our ship.
3. To bear witness and raise awareness about the tragedy unfolding in the central Mediterranean.

Today, SOS MEDITERRANEE is a network composed of four European entities (Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland) sharing the objective to support our rescue operations at sea. Search and Rescue (SAR) operations have been carried out since February 2016 in the Central Mediterranean off the Libyan coasts with the chartered ships Aquarius and Ocean Viking. To date, over 38.000 people have been rescued by SOS MEDITERRANEE.

SOS MEDITERRANEE is now looking to hire intercultural facilitators, in order to build a resilient pool of people who would be available to join our Post Rescue team onboard of the Ocean Viking.

Reporting to Medical & Protection Team Leader (MPTL), the Intercultural Facilitator in Arabic, Bengali or Tigrinya enables communication with both rescued persons and other actors, the collection of key information and the identification of those needing further support and referral to appropriate services both onboard and on land.

Responsibilities:

Strategy 

• Participate in the development of SOS MEDITERRANEE post-rescue strategy

Protection Activities

• Act as a focal point for registration activities and for communication within the team
• Refer people with medical needs to the medical team and support as necessary
• Identify and report needs for further support, including for protection issues
• In collaboration with the post-rescue team members, identify and refer those in need of specialized support on land.
• Provide continuous, relevant and accessible information to people on their situation, rights, expected processes, protection services and mechanisms

Care activities

• Support with the organisation of distributions
• Ensure relevant information is transmitted and shared to survivors about services, activities and living measures in place on the vessel
• Provide support for mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) activities onboard
• Support the organisation of recreational activities for people, as per needs.
• Contribute to de-escalate tension and aggressive behaviors.

Communication

• Depending on language profile, provide translation for communication with various actors, like the Libyan coastguard, requiring precision and clarity for security reasons and to safeguard the operation, under the direct supervision of the Search and Rescue Coordinator (SARCo)
• Contribute to the de-escalation of tension and aggressive behaviours on the deck
• Ensure communication channels, feedback loop and methods for collecting survivor’s insights with regular monitoring, analysis and dissemination of findings.
• Ensure complaints and feedback are appropriately directed and shared with team members following safeguarding policies (PSEA and child safeguarding).
• Support in the collection of testimonies for the communications and advocacy departments.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS :

• This position is on board a ship and candidates must be physically fit and “seaworthy” having spent some time at sea (be aware that sea sickness can be significant)
• Space is limited on the ship and rooms will be shared with other colleagues with little to no personal space.
• Candidate must have effective coping skills to deal with stress during high intensity rescues.
• Due to the current context and several uncertainties, flexibility is necessary.
• Transit with rescued people on board may last longer than usual waiting for a place of safety.
• Candidates may be asked to participate in recording audio and video messages for the media.

Diploma(s) & certification(s)

• University Degree is desirable but not essential
• Training in facilitation or cultural mediation and/ or interpretation is essential
• Training in the administration of Psychological First Aid is essential

Technical expertise

• Ability to ensure sensitive working practices with vulnerable groups of people in line with confidentiality and privacy
• Ability to ensure excellent communication, facilitation, and diplomacy across differing audiences including in times of heightened security risk
• Ability to communicate with people in severe distress and in complex environments

Experience

• 2 years of previous experience in similar work
• Previous experience in facilitation and interpretation with people on the move
• Previous experience supporting people in complex environments and under severe distress
• Experience in crowd management and conflict resolution within a humanitarian/ emergency response setting
• Experience in maritime Search and Rescue is desirable

Languages

• Fluency in spoken and written English and one or more of the following: Tigrinya, Bengali (Arabic can be considered too)

IT/SI 

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs (good command of Excel)
• Knowledge in the Kobo application is desirable

Soft skills 

• Adaptability;
• Autonomy;
• Stress management skills;
• Rigor;
• Sense of initiative;
• Ability to take some steps back;
• Conflict resolution and mediation skill;
• Ability to work in team;
• Active listening;
• Sense of confidentiality;
• Ability to use non-violent communication;
• Critical thinking

• Short term contract, for 6 to 8 weeks rotation onboard
• Ship-based position
• Europe-wide travel
• Salary : from 2.860 € gross according to the time spent on the OV
• Insurance on-board and off-board

This recruitment is for a roster position, the real working period will be discussed in details during the recruitment process. 

Please submit your application, including a resume and cover letter, before October 31st by filling out the form available here: >> Application form <<

To finalize your application, you will receive an email asking you to confirm your application. Please do not forget this step. Once our team has received your application, you will receive a confirmation email. Please note that no information will be given over the phone.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

SOS MEDITERRANEE is committed to promoting an inclusive workplace and actively fights against all forms of discrimination

When you apply for a job, we collect and store your personal data within our recruitment department for the administrative management of applications and the recruitment process. The purpose of the information requested as a candidate for employment is to assess the professional qualities and skills of your application, to the exclusion of any other purpose. The legal basis for this processing is to obtain your consent and for pre-contractual measures for the employment contract. If you have any questions on the data collection, please contact: rgpd.fr@sosmediterranee.org. If your application is successful, this data will be kept for the duration of your contract. If your application is not successful, this data will be deleted immediately unless you advise us otherwise. In accordance with the French Data Protection Act of 6 January 1978 and European regulations, you may access your personal data, rectify it, request its deletion or exercise your right to limit the processing of your data. You can request more information and exercise your rights at any time by contacting SOS MEDITERRANEE France, CS 20585 – 13294 Cedex Marseille 06.