2015-lce English Language Translator/PrÉcis-writer, P2/P3

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Posting Title:

2015-LCE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR/PRÉCIS-WRITER, P2/P3, P3

Job Code Title:

TRANSLATOR, ENGLISH

Department/ Office

Department for General Assembly and Conference Management

Duty Station

VIENNA; NAIROBI; NEW YORK; GENEVA

Posting Period

15 February 2015-14 April 2015

Job Opening number

15-LAN-DGACM-40081-L-MULTIPLE D/S (L)

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

Special Notice

The purpose of the present job opening is to invite applications from candidates who wish to take the Competitive Examination for English-language Translators/Précis-Writers, to be held in three parts: (1) written tests conducted online and remotely, to be taken at the time of the candidate's choosing between midnight on 13 April and midnight on 15 April 2015, New York Time ; (2) written tests held at designated testing sites in New York, Geneva, and at other sites determined by the number and location of qualified applicants and the availability of technical and logistical support, on 8 July 2015 and (3) interviews (see "Assessment method" below). Each stage is eliminatory: only those successful in part 1 will be invited to sit part 2; only those successful in part 2 will be interviewed (part 3), and only those successful in part 3 will be placed on the roster for recruitment.

Candidates successful in parts 1, 2 and 3 will be placed on a roster from which current and future vacancies for English-language Translators/Précis-writers will be filled, subject to the requirements of the recruiting department or office, including expertise and language combination.

Rostered candidates may be selected to fill vacancies in the language services of United Nations duty stations in New York, Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Santiago. After recruitment or placement, rostered candidates are expected to serve for at least five years in language posts, provided they complete successfully their two-year probationary or trial period, as appropriate, before they may be assigned to, or selected for, a post other than a language post. During that period, they may be reassigned to language posts at other duty stations and may be called upon to work outside normal working hours, including weekends and holidays, according to the needs of the Organization.

Applications must be submitted online via the United Nations Secretariat online recruitment system, Inspira, using the "Apply Now" link on this page. AS THE COVER NOTE TO THEIR APPLICATIONS, APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A WRITTEN EXPLANATION OF APPROXIMATELY 150 TO 250 WORDS, IN ENGLISH, OF WHY THEY WISH TO WORK AS AN ENGLISH-LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR/PRÉCIS-WRITER AT THE UNITED NATIONS.

All applications will be reviewed by the Board of Examiners. In instances where a large number of applications are received, the Board of Examiners reserves the right to admit to the examination only the most qualified applicants, based on a review of qualifications over and above the minimum criteria. All applicants will be notified in writing of the Board's decision with respect to their application. The Board's decisions are final.

Candidates who are successful in the second written portion of the examination will be invited to take the oral component of the examination, a competency-based interview (https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=AYI) to assess whether they possess the competencies required for the position. The interview will include the translation on sight of a short text from any of the candidate's source languages and is an integral part of the examination. Candidates invited for an interview should therefore not assume that they will be automatically placed on a roster or offered an appointment.

Rostered candidates who are offered an appointment are strongly encouraged to accept it, as declining two offers will result in a change in the candidate's roster status from "active" to "inactive".

Candidates selected from the roster to fill vacancies are normally offered an initial two-year fixed-term appointment at the P-2 level. Upon satisfactory completion of this probationary period, their appointment may be converted to a continuing appointment and they may be promoted to the P-3 level. The fixed-term appointment of English Translators-/Précis-writers whose performance proves unsatisfactory will not be extended. Fully qualified translators with several years of internationally recognized professional language experience and demonstrated ability to perform high-quality work may be recruited at the P-3 level (information on United Nations salary and entitlements may be found on the United Nations website: http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/salaries_allowances/index.html

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. No extensions of the application deadline (the date and time - local time at United Nations Headquarters, New York - specified in the Inspira staff-selection system) will be granted.

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR INTERNAL CANDIDATES

The purpose of the present job opening is to invite applications from staff members of the United Nations Secretariat at the P-3 level and below who wish to take the competitive examination for English-language Translators/Précis-writers in 2015, in accordance with the provisions of ST/AI/1998/7 and ST/AI/2000/1, as amended by ST/AI/2003/1.

The examination is open to staff members of the United Nations Secretariat at the P-3 level and below who meet the eligibility requirements, as well as qualified external candidates.

The assignment of staff members of the United Nations Secretariat who are successful in the examination and are selected to fill vacancies will be subject to the following conditions:

1. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat selected to fill vacancies will be assigned as English-language Translators/Précis-writers for a trial period of two years. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat below the P 2 level or in the General Service category will receive a special post allowance to the P-2 level. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat at the P-2 and P-3 levels will be assigned at their respective levels.

2. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat with a special post allowance to the P-2 level and those already at the P-2 level who successfully complete the trial period and are recommended by the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management and the Office of Human Resources Management may be promoted to the P-3 level. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat already at the P-3 level who successfully complete the trial period will be confirmed in their functions at the P-3 level. After two years of satisfactory service on a fixed-term appointment, the candidate will be considered for a continuing appointment. This means that the candidate will have to demonstrate within that time that he or she possesses the requisite qualifications to serve as a career staff member of the United Nations in order to receive such an appointment. Staff members who do not successfully complete the trial period will be reassigned to posts at their previous levels, and the special post allowance, if any, will be discontinued.

Staff members from subsidiary organs of the United Nations and staff members whose service is limited to a particular organ, fund or programme of the United Nations or to special missions are considered external candidates for the purpose of this examination. Such candidates, if successful in the examination, will be offered a new appointment with the United Nations, subject to normal United Nations recruitment procedures and standards.

On the basis of the overall results of the examination, the Board of Examiners will recommend to the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management the names of candidates who qualify for inclusion in the roster. All examinees will be informed in writing of the Board's final recommendation in respect of their candidature. The Board's recommendations are not subject to appeal. The Board does not release individual scores or results.

Staff members selected to fill vacancies will be recruited as English-language Translators/Précis- Writers in accordance with the staff rules in force.

Organizational Setting and Reporting

These positions are located at United Nations Headquarters in the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM) and in the Geneva, Nairobi and Vienna Offices of the United Nations, as well as in four of the five regional commissions: the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA, www.uneca.org) in Addis Ababa, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC, www.cepal.org) in Santiago, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA, www.escwa.un.org) in Beirut and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP, www.unescap.org) in Bangkok. These positions are under the general supervision of the Chief of the English Translation Service at Headquarters or of the respective Chief of Section/Unit at duty stations away from Headquarters. Further details can be found in the language careers section of the DGACM language careers portal (www.unlanguage.org).

Responsibilities

The Translator/Précis-writer will be responsible for the duties described below (these descriptions are generic and may not apply to all Translators/Précis-writers)

Translating, subject to revision, documents covering a broad range of subjects dealt with by the United Nations, including political, social, legal, economic, financial, administrative, scientific and technical matters;

Attending meetings (alone or as part of a team) and preparing a draft summary record of the proceedings;

Performing other related duties, as required.

Competencies

Candidates who are successful in the written portion of the examination will be assessed for the following competencies at the oral examination (interview) stage: professionalism; communication; teamwork; and commitment to continuous learning.

Professionalism: Knowledge of a broad range of the subjects dealt with by the United Nations, including political, social, legal, economic, financial, administrative, scientific and technical subjects; pride in work and in achievements; professional competence; diligence and efficiency in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; persistence in the face of difficult problems or challenges; remains calm under stress; and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others; correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and in keeping people informed.

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.

Commitment to Continuous Learning: Keeps abreast of new developments in own occupation/profession; actively seeks to develop professionally and personally; contributes to the learning of colleagues and subordinates; shows willingness to learn from others; seeks feedback to learn and improve.

Education

Minimum of three-year first-level degree or equivalent qualification from a university or institution of equivalent status in which English is the language of instruction.

The above-mentioned requirement for a university degree or equivalent from a university or institution of equivalent status may be waived for staff members of the United Nations Secretariat who, in the judgement of the Board of Examiners, have adequate post-secondary educational qualifications from a university or institution of equivalent status and adequate secondary educational qualifications from an establishment at which the principal language of instruction is English, in addition to five years of continuous service with the United Nations Secretariat by 31 December 1989.

Work Experience

No work experience is required.

Languages

Candidates must have English as their main language (understood to be the language in which the candidate is best able to work);

Candidates must also have an excellent knowledge of at least two of the other official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish). Applicants' claims to knowledge of official languages must be supported by relevant documentation attached to their application. Further evidence of degrees/diplomas, knowledge of languages and/or relevant experience may be required prior to convocation to sit the examination;

Assessment Method

AS THE COVER NOTE TO THEIR APPLICATIONS, APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A WRITTEN EXPLANATION OF APPROXIMATELY 150 TO 250 WORDS, IN ENGLISH, OF WHY THEY WISH TO WORK AS AN ENGLISH TRANSLATOR/PRÉCIS-WRITER AT THE UNITED NATIONS.

Applications will be assessed and screened on the basis of the eligibility criteria listed above and only those applicants deemed to be qualified will be invited to take the examination.

Part 1 of the examination will consist of (i) a translation into English of a general text in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish and (ii) a multiple-choice reading comprehension test based on a text in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish. Candidates must do the translation from one language and the reading comprehension test in another. The test will be administered on line. Candidates must have access to a computer and the Internet. They will be able to take the test during the two hours of their choosing between midnight 13 April and midnight 15 April 2015 New York Time. Details will be sent to those who qualify to take the examination.

Only those candidates who are successful in Part 1 (the remote online computer-based test) of the examination will be invited to take Part 2 (the on-site computer-based test)

Part 2 of the examination will be held at different locations on 8 July 2015 and consist of three papers:

(a) Translation into English of a general text in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish (approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes). This paper is eliminatory. Only candidates who are successful in this paper will have their other papers marked.

(b) Translation into English of a specialized (economic or legal) text in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish (approx. 1 hour and 15 minutes). The language of the text translated in paper (b) must not be the same as the language of the text translated in paper (a).

(c) Summary in English of the text of a statement in any of the candidate's source languages (approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes).

Sample papers and details of any changes to the format of the test will be posted on the LCE section of the United Nations careers portal (https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=LE) in due course. Please check it regularly.

The three papers of Part 2 of the examination will be done on a computer. Full details of arrangements for this will be provided to candidates who are successful in Part 1 of the examination.

Part 3 of the examination will be an oral examination (interview). Only those candidates who are successful in part 2 of the examination will be invited to part 3, which will consist of an on-sight translation test and questions from a panel of interviewers designed to gauge the interviewee's ability to demonstrate the competencies defined for the job.

United Nations Considerations

Job openings posted on the Careers Portal are taken off at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.

Applications are automatically pre-screened according to the published evaluation criteria of the job opening on the basis of the information provided by applicants. Applications cannot be amended following submission and incomplete applications shall not be considered. The selected candidate will be subject to a reference checking process to verify the information provided in the application.

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" on the upper right side of the browser on Inspira.

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.

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.

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.

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