Chief of Translation Unit, Senior Reviser, Arabic, Nairobi

Chief of Translation Unit, Senior Reviser, Arabic, Nairobi

• Organization: UNON - United Nations Office at Nairobi
• Country: Kenya
• City: Nairobi
• Office: United Nations Office at Nairobi
• Grade: P-5

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT NAIROBI
Nairobi, Kenya 00200
Tel: +254 20 7621234

Closing date: Saturday, 22 August 2015

Posting Title: Chief of Translation Unit, SENIOR REVISER, ARABIC, P5

Job Code Title: SENIOR REVISER, ARABIC

Department/ Office: United Nations Office at Nairobi

Duty Station: NAIROBI

Posting Period: 23 June 2015-22 August 2015

Job Opening number: 15-LAN-UNON-43327-R-NAIROBI (R)

United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Special Notice

Staff members are subject to the authority of Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff members are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided.

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Organizational Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) is the UN headquarters in Africa and the representative office of the Secretary-General. We support programme implementation of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) globally, as well as other UN offices in Kenya, by providing administrative, conference, security and information services. This post is located in the Translation and Editorial Section of the Division of Conference Services (DCS), UNON, under the broad supervision of the Chief of the Section. Senior Reviser will supervise staff in the Arabic Language Translation Unit.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Senior Reviser will be responsible for the following duties

· Managing, supervising and monitoring the performance of all staff in the Unit. Carrying out programmatic/management and administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Unit and Section, including evaluation of staff performance (PAS).

· Revises translations including those dealing with subjects of an exceptionally sensitive, complex or technical nature.

· Translates texts of an exceptionally sensitive, complex or technical nature.

· Directs the conduct of terminological research within the translation Unit concerned.

· Counsels and assists revisers and translators/and editors and report writers, where applicable, at and away from Headquarters in addition to performing all or some of their functions.

· Assists the Chief of Section in the preparation of terminology materials to meet the needs of the Unit concerned.

· Assists the Chief of Section in the preparation of instructions.

· Assists the Chief of Section in monitoring the quality of in-house and contractual translations.

· Trains junior language staff.

· Programmes daily and long-term work of the Unit.

· Assists the Chief Section in selecting texts for United Nations competitive examinations, in marking candidates' scripts and in evaluating results.

· Serves as officer-in-charge in the absence of the Chief of Service/Section.

· Performs other related duties as Chief of Unit, arranges and organises the work of a team of external translators, including quality control and performance monitoring.

Competencies

Professionalism

· Ability to demonstrate excellent writing and analytical skills.

· Ability to maintain the highest standard of accuracy, consistency and faithfulness to the spirit, style and nuances of the original text.

· Knowledge of terminological and reference research techniques with ability to use all sources of information.

· Knowledge of a broad range of subjects dealt with by the United Nations, i.e. political, social, legal, economic, financial, administrative, scientific and technical.

· Ability to demonstrate the highest level of versatility, judgment and discretion, tact and negotiating skills.

· Familiarity with the range of issues relating to management of the Translation Services.

· Shows pride in work and in achievements;

· demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter;

· is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;

· is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges;

· remains calm in stressful situations.

Teamwork

· Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals;

· solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise;

· is willing to learn from others;

· places team agenda before personal agenda;

· supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position;

· shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Planning & Organizing

· Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies;

· identifies priority activities and assignments;

· adjusts priorities as required;

· allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work;

· foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning;

· monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary;

· uses time efficiently.

Leadership

· Strong managerial/supervisory skills;

· tact and negotiating skills, good judgment and decision-making skills.

· Demonstrated flexibility in leadership by performing and/or overseeing the analysis of complex administrative management policy and programme issues.

· Demonstrated ability to provide leadership and take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives into substantive work;

· commitment to the goal of achieving gender balance in staffing.

Managing performance

· Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority;

· makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member;

· monitors progress against milestones and deadlines;

· regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff;

· encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative;

· actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff;

· appraises performance fairly.

Education

· A first-level degree from a university or institution of equivalent status.

· Candidates for this position must have passed the United Nations Competitive Examination for Translators in the primary language of the post.

Work Experience

· A minimum of ten years of experience in translation, self-revision, revision and use of relevant computer software, electronic tools and databases.

Languages

· English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

· For the post advertised perfect command of Arabic which must also be the candidate's primary language, is required as well as an excellent knowledge of English and at least one other official language of the United Nations, as tested by the appropriate United Nations Competitive examination.

Assessment Method

· Evaluation of qualified candidates for this position may include a substantive assessment which will be followed by a competency-based interview.

United Nations Considerations

Candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position. The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on 'The Application Process' and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on 'Manuals' hyper-link on the upper right side of inspira account-holder homepage.

Applications are pre-screened by the system according to the published requirements of the job opening on the basis of the information provided in the application. In relation to the requirements of the job opening, applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their qualifications, including their education, work experience, and language skills. Each applicant must bear in mind that submission of incomplete or inaccurate applications may render that applicant ineligible for consideration for the job opening. Initial screening and evaluation of applications will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted. Applications cannot be amended following submission. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS' BANK ACCOUNTS.