Editor, English, P4 at Department for General Assembly and Conference Management – DCS Nairobi

Responsibilities

• Trains other editors and revises their work, while meeting required workload standards and deadlines, and provides feedback that helps revisees become autonomous, self-revising editors.
• Edits, on a self-revising basis, documents, including texts of a specialized or technical nature and in particular those requiring experience and recognized proficiency, to ensure accuracy, clarity, cohesion and conformity with United Nations standards, policy and practice, including by correcting spelling, punctuation and grammar and ensuring that terminology is correct, and style is appropriate to the readership, while meeting required workload standards and deadlines.
• Carries out more extensive editing where required, including rewriting, abridging and restructuring texts for greater readability and better logical sequence, adapting proposals to the target audience and maintaining the technical or specialized language used, as appropriate.
• Translates texts covering a broad range of subjects dealt with by the United Nations, while meeting workload standards and deadlines.
• Drafts reports of meetings, either after attending meetings as part of a team and taking notes or using recordings, and/or compiles the report, while meeting workload standards and deadlines.
• Consults with author departments and carries out research to clarify ambiguities and rectify substantive errors, including verifying the accuracy of facts, figures, references and quotations.
• Provides authors with information on specific aspects of editorial policy and practice, in particular in relation to matters requiring experience and recognized proficiency, and assists them in the preparation of documentation.
• Contributes to the development of editorial policy and practice.
• Makes effective use of relevant language technologies and tools and assists the Chief in promoting their utilization.
• Identifies new terminology material, submits it for approval and contributes to the setting of terminology standards.
• Actively seeks to learn from feedback and develop own skills and knowledge relevant to the job, especially through self-study.
• Advises and assists editors and briefs them on procedures and practices, terminology and a broad range of subjects, as required.
• Coordinates the work of editors.
• Assigns individual tasks and supports the Chief with programming long-term work, if required.
• Performs quality control of documents produced externally and contributes to the establishment of quality control criteria and procedures.
• Acts as First Reporting Officer, if required.
• Undertakes cross-assignments to perform other language functions, if required.
• Serves as Officer-in-Charge in the absence of the Chief.
• Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Ability to demonstrate good writing skills; high standard of accuracy, consistency and faithfulness to the spirit, style and nuances of the original text with a good grasp of the subject matter; 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 use all sources of references, consultation and information relevant to text at hand; ability to work under pressure and maintain adequate speed and volume of output and deliver clear interpretation on a broad range of subjects; ability to show a high level of versatility, judgement and discretion; 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; ensures that requirements and background information used for data analysis are documented; takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• 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.
• CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education

• A first-level degree from a university or an institution of equivalent status is required.

Job - Specific Qualification

• Candidates for this position are required to have passed the relevant United Nations Competitive Examination for Editors or the relevant combined United Nations Competitive Examination for Translators/Précis-writers, Editors and Verbatim Reporters; this requirement will be waived for candidates who passed one of the relevant United Nations competitive examinations held before 2017 for Translators/Précis-Writers or Verbatim Reporters, subject to an assessment test to be conducted by the hiring manager as part of the Inspira selection process.

Work Experience

• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in editing or in another relevant language field, and in the use of relevant language technologies, is required, of which three years preferably should have been in the United Nations or a similar international organization.
• Proven experience in editing on a self-revision basis is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English, which must be the candidate's main language, and knowledge of at least two other United Nations official languages, as assessed in the relevant United Nations language Competitive Examination is required.