Arabic-English Cultural Advisor
Location: Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates
Employment Type: Full-Time, Overseas Assignment
Number of Openings: Multiple
Security Clearance: Active SECRET clearance required
Citizenship: U.S. citizenship required
Position Summary
Language on Demand, Inc. is seeking qualified Arabic-English Cultural Advisors to support U.S. military operations at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.
Cultural Advisors will assist U.S. military leadership in building and maintaining effective relationships with UAE military, government, medical, commercial, and community counterparts. The position combines cultural advisory services, liaison support, administrative coordination, and Arabic-English interpretation, translation, and transcription.
Selected candidates may be assigned to support wing leadership, host-nation coordination, public affairs, contracting, civil engineering, airfield operations, medical services, logistics, or morale and community-support functions.
This position requires residence in or relocation to the United Arab Emirates for the contract period.
Primary Responsibilities
- Advise U.S. military leadership on UAE culture, customs, government practices, military protocols, laws, and local procedures.
- Establish and maintain professional relationships with UAE military, government, and civilian counterparts.
- Facilitate communication and coordination between U.S. personnel and host-nation organizations.
- Provide accurate Arabic-English interpretation during meetings, briefings, negotiations, site visits, official engagements, and emergency situations.
- Translate and transcribe correspondence, forms, reports, policies, records, and other official documents.
- Explain linguistic and cultural context beyond literal translation when supporting military or government discussions.
- Support administrative processes involving immigration, residency, sponsorship, base access, vendor coordination, medical services, logistics, construction, public affairs, or airfield operations.
- Prepare and maintain activity reports, correspondence, trackers, databases, and other required documentation.
- Assist with key leader engagements, military exercises, cultural events, official visits, and host-nation coordination activities.
- Respond to urgent operational requests outside normal duty hours when required.
- Maintain confidentiality and comply with all applicable U.S. Government, Department of Defense, security, privacy, and host-nation requirements.
Required Qualifications
Candidates must meet all of the following requirements:
- U.S. citizenship.
- Active U.S. Government SECRET security clearance or higher.
- Professional proficiency at ILR Level 3+ or equivalent in both Modern Standard Arabic and English.
- Valid U.S. passport.
- Valid U.S. driver’s license.
- Eligible for an International Driver's License
- Ability to obtain and maintain all required UAE visas, residency documentation, installation access credentials, and local driving authorization.
- Ability to work effectively with senior military officers, government officials, commercial organizations, and multicultural teams.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to prepare professional reports, correspondence, spreadsheets, trackers, and briefings.
- Ability to live and work in the UAE and comply with local laws, customs, and cultural expectations.
- Strong understanding of Gulf Region culture and customs
- Ability to pass all required background, medical, deployment-readiness, and security reviews.
- Ability to work effectively within USCENTCOM operational environments
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience supporting the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Government, or a military organization.
- Previous work experience in the UAE, Gulf region, or U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
- Experience as a cultural advisor, military linguist, liaison officer, interpreter, translator, or government advisor.
- Familiarity with Emirati culture, Gulf Arabic, UAE military protocol, and UAE government processes.
- Experience supporting one or more of the following functional areas:
- Senior military leadership
- Host-nation or immigration coordination
- Public affairs
- Government contracting
- Civil engineering or construction
- Airfield operations
- Medical services
- Logistics or transportation
- Morale, welfare, recreation, or community services
- Experience preparing operational reports, official correspondence, databases, or tracking documents.
Work Schedule and Conditions
- Anticipated normal schedule: Monday through Friday, approximately 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Work may be required on U.S. federal holidays and UAE holidays.
- Candidates must be available for occasional evening, weekend, emergency, and surge support.
- Emergency support may require arrival at an on-base location within two hours of notification.
- Crisis situations may require immediate availability and extended working hours.
- Work will primarily be performed in an office and military-installation environment, with occasional travel to meetings, government offices, medical facilities, commercial locations, or other sites in the UAE.
- Professional and culturally conservative attire is required.
Site Lead Opportunity [1 Vacancy]
Candidates with supervisory experience may also be considered for the Cultural Advisor Site Lead position. Site Lead candidates should have:
- At least one year of supervisory experience in an office environment.
- At least two cumulative years of experience in one or more of the following:
- Cross-cultural training or military briefings
- Cultural advisory support to military operations
- Liaison work between the U.S. Government and a foreign government or military
- Interpretation involving cultural and linguistic context for U.S. Government or Department of Defense operations
- Experience managing personnel schedules, leave coverage, reporting requirements, quality control, and customer communications.
Application Requirements
Applicants should submit the followings to [email protected]:
- A current résumé describing relevant Arabic-English, cultural-advisory, military, government, and functional-area experience.
- Copy of Active SECRET Security Clearance (or verification)
- Arabic and English proficiency-test information, including the test name, score, and date, when available.
- Current location and availability for relocation to the UAE.
- Confirmation/Copy of U.S. citizenship, valid passport, and driver’s-license status.
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive compensation based on qualifications and experience
- Government-provided housing while deployed
- Government-provided meals
- Government-funded official mission travel within the USCENTCOM Area of Responsibility
- Additional benefits will be discussed with qualified candidates
Equal Employment Opportunity
Language on Demand, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, contract requirements, and business needs without regard to any status protected by applicable law.
Work Location: In person
