Deadline: 18 July 2011
The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) is the UN headquarters in Africa and the representative office of the Secretary-General. UNON supports programme implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) globally, as well as other UN offices in Kenya, by providing administrative, conference and information services (www.unon.org). The post is located in the English Language Unit within the Editorial and Translation Section of the Division of Conference Services, United Nations Office at Nairobi.
Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Chief, Editorial and Translation Section, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:
• Editing complex or politically sensitive material, normally without revision, to ensure accuracy, clarity, cohesion and conformity with United Nations standards, policy and practice.
• Carrying out more extensive editing where required, including rewriting, abridging and restructuring texts for greater readability and better logical sequence.
• Consulting with author departments and carrying out research to clarify ambiguities and rectifying substantive errors.
• Producing the master copy of a text to be followed by a multilingual team of editors..
• Acting as head of team, organizing its work, determining and enforcing deadlines and providing guidance to its members.
• Assisting in drawing up guidelines for editors and in determining desk-top publishing standards and practices.
• Serving as focal point for issues relating to information technology. Providing advice to staff and management on the use of information technology.
• Training junior or short-term editors and revising their work.
• Assisting staff of substantive units and delegations with the drafting of documentation and providing advice on matters concerning editorial policy and practice.
• Acting for the Chief of Section in his/her absence.
• Performing other related duties as required.
Competencies
Professionalism - Possesses knowledge of editorial policies, practices and research techniques; demonstrates solid writing and analytical abilities with sensitivity to nuance; has the ability to spot errors and inconsistencies in a text; demonstrates a professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; remains calm in stressful situations.
Planning and Organizing - Plans his/her work and the work of others in team projects; identifies priority activities and assignments and adjusts priorities as required; demonstrates a proactive attitude in handling multiple concurrent projects and working under tight deadlines.
Teamwork - Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; places
team agenda before personal agenda; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts
joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients" and seeks to see things from client's point of view; identifies client's needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects.
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 English Language Editors.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of experience in editing is required, including three years of experience in editing within the United Nations. Knowledge of a broad range of subjects dealt with by the United Nations (political, social, legal, economic, financial and technical) is highly desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, a perfect command of English, which must be the candidate's main language, and excellent knowledge of another official language, as tested by the United Nations Competitive Examination for English Language Editors, are required.
United Nations Considerations
The United Nations shall place no restriction 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.
Assessment Method
Evaluation of qualified candidates for this position may include a substantive assessment which may be followed by a competency-based interview.
Special Notice
Staff members are subject to the authority of Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff 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 online as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided.
If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists, please send an email to recruitment@unon.org, quoting the job opening number in the subject header of your email.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSNG, TRAINING OR ANY OTHER FEES). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON BANK ACCOUNTS.
Duty Station: NAIROBI
Contact Information:
For inquiries: recruitment@unon.org
For submissions: apply here
Website: http://www.unon.org/