Mass Rescue Trainers (French speakers) - Call for interest

Location: Full remote work possible, except for the training delivery
Application Deadline: March, 29th, 2026 

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 42.000 people have been rescued by SOS MEDITERRANEE.

For the past nine years, SOS MEDITERRANEE has been developing and formalising its operational training while working closely with a range of partners. Although Mass Rescue Operations (MROs) are considered rare but high-impact events in most parts of the world, they are a routine reality in our area of operations.

From the outset, SOS crews identified a significant gap between existing maritime training standards and the complex, high-intensity situations encountered during rescues at sea. Standard training frameworks were not fully adapted to the scale, frequency, and specific risks of the operations conducted in the Central Mediterranean.

In response, SOS MEDITERRANEE has invested substantial effort over the years in designing and refining dedicated tactics, procedures, and training tools to Bridge this gap. Through continuous learning, operational feedback, and structured training development, the organisation has built a comprehensive learning system tailored to the realities of mass rescue at sea.

In order to provide training to external rescue teams, the Outreach department is aiming to develop a pool of trainers.

The trainers would be:

• trained (5 days including self directed learning),
• attend a 2 day live training with a client
• willing to be registered in the pool of trainers, and available upon request to deliver training

Typical trainings run for 2 days and require 2-5 days of preparation depending on SOS MEDITERRANEE and trainers experience in a specific context.

SOS MEDITERRANEE would notify trainers of upcoming opportunities as soon as possible (usually 4 months in advance) however ad hoc trainings do come up and trainers with flexible schedules will be prioritised.  Clients may include Coast Guards and law enforcement units.

Responsibilities:

• Maintain and up to date understanding Of SOS MEDITERRANEE learning material both general and specific to various outreach partners
• Review and discuss current standards with existing outreach instructors and outreach manager
• Deliver high standard training sessions to partners
• Maintain a professional composure throughout trainings
• Adapt trainings within a framework following 1st delivery
• Ensure the elaboration of a capitalization report following each training sessions.
• Ensure lessons learned from delivering training remain confidential and managed by SOS unless otherwise discussed
• Ensure SOS MEDITERRANEE engagement is not compromised

Training (mandatory):

• Experience presenting Infront of an audience
• Experience leading training (including drills at sea)
• Detailed understanding of SOS MEDITERRANEE’s SAR guidelines

SAR:

• Mandatory requirements:  
• At least one year operating in the central mediterranean on NGO assets on Rescue boats as part of the rescue team
• Decision making experience while leading rescue teams or boats in Mass Rescue Operations
• Understanding of risk management and assessments
• Appreciated experiences: 
• Experience on various SAR assets (cruisers, patrol boats, RIBs, jet ski etc.)

IT & Language:

• Expert use of Word, excel, PowerPoint and office
• Fluency in French and English (written and spoken)

Interpersonal competencies:

• Crew must be highly professional in their presentation, cloths and grooming especially when working in a military context, grooming standards should be reasonably close to theirs
•  Presentation to professional standard regardless of context
•  Capacity to work and maintain neutral behaviour in environments that may include people with negative perception of NGOs work and/or migration SAR

Flexibility and ability to travel are needed for this role

Availability needed:

• Availability for the preparation of the first training session from the 24th of April to the 1st of May 2026, in Marseille
• Availability for the first training session the 05, 06, 07 May in Marseille
• Availability for the debriefing on the 08th of May in Marseille

• Consultancy contract (a SIRET number is mandatory), with a duration based on the training duration
• Travel costs and costs for accommodation or subsistence are covered by SOS MEDITERRANEE
• Daily fees : 300 – 400€ (without VAT) according to experience
• Full remote work possible, except for the training delivery
• Necessary to have a work permit to work within EU
• Deadline for applications: March 29th, 2026

To apply for this role, please fill in the form and upload your resume and cover letter (either in French or in English) through this link by March 29th the latest : Application form Mass Rescue Trainer – french speaker

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.

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 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, at rgpd.fr@sosmediterranee.org.

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