Editor (French) P-3, Fixed Term, Global Content Strategy Section, Division of Communication, UNICEF NYHQ #16331 (537558)

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the Head of Publishing, the French Editor translates and revises French texts and publications for print, Web and other digital outputs and coordinates the roster of French translation services and LTA holders. The French Editor contributes to the daily and long-term planning of French translation work of DOC and other UNICEF HQ divisions and country/regional offices and is responsible for ensuring that all French content produced by the Unit is of the requisite high standard and conforms to UNICEF’s Editorial guidelines.

• Revise texts dealing with a wide range of subjects in UNICEF’s areas of expertise, including documents of a sensitive or technical nature, making substantive and structural corrections and redrafting passages where necessary to ensure that translations are accurate, of high quality, and employ consistent, sector-appropriate terminology.
• Translate especially important, complex, technical and urgent texts, producing French versions that are the equivalent of the original text and adapted as necessary to the intended target readership.
• Proofread French content at all stages of production, including publications and final in-context review of Web content.
• Review localization of graphics, data visualizations, maps, Web elements and other digital content including numeric, date, time and currency formats; symbols and icons; titles and nomenclature; Web and social media links; subtitles.
• Verify concordance of French text with the texts in other official languages to ensure conformity.

• Contribute to the daily and long-term planning of French translation work of DOC and other UNICEF HQ divisions and country/regional offices, as prioritized by the supervisor.
• Maintain the roster of French language services: recruit, test and evaluate potential translators, revisers and proofreaders;
• Contribute to the unit’s tender and contracting processes and to the development and management of Long-Term Agreements; evaluate performance of suppliers and consultants.
• Apportion work and monitor schedules and workflows, coordinating resources to ensure optimum capacity utilization. React and adjust plans where necessary in response to changes affecting the scope or schedule of French translation jobs.
• Provide backup and temporarily assume supervisory duties of the Arabic and Spanish editors where needed.

• Provide and update translation guidelines and French editorial guides. Advise on United Nations specific guides and resources.
• Compile, develop and maintain uniform French terminological databases suitable for translation of UNICEF documentation in all core areas, taking into account the subject-specific professional, scientific or technical terminology in use in the organizations of the United Nations system.
• Provide authoritative and comprehensive answers to queries from translators; liaise with UNICEF authors and conduct supplementary research to resolve problems of terminology and meaning; consult with substantive units concerning manifest or possible inconsistencies or errors in the original text.
• Carry out quality-control checks of French translators’ work, provide feedback, guide and develop translators and revisers to assure continuity of style, accuracy of content, and conformity with established UNICEF usage.

• Participate in further integrating SDL Trados CAT and terminology tools into the work of the Publishing Unit, providing feedback and recommendations for their application and development.
• Create and share new projects within the SDL Trados system and convert and when necessary migrate existing multilingual translation memories to share with LTA holders and translators to improve consistency across translated outputs.
• Develop usage of the SDL editor to incorporate a greater range of filetypes into translation workflows, including MS Office filetypes (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), PDF, InDesign and Interchange files.

• Provide information and brief staff members and others when requested on French translation and editorial practices of the Publishing Unit.
• Propose solutions to specific questions related to French terminology/translation and conduct research and consultations to this end.

Education: 

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in a degree in translation, linguistics or a related field with a professional qualification.
• Having passed the United Nations Competitive Examination for French Translators or Editors is an asset.
• *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

• A minimum of five (5) years of professional and progressively responsible experience in English-to-French translation and revision is required, including at least three (3) years within the United Nations system or for international development organizations or national governments.
• Experience in the translation of long-form documents and reports in at least two of UNICEF’s main areas of competence is required: health, education, nutrition, human rights, early childhood development, migration and refugees, child protection, humanitarian assistance, gender equality, water and sanitation, climate change.
• Language-related management experience at the international level is desirable.

• Good knowledge of international development issues and of UNICEF priority areas.
• Excellent computer skills: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Acrobat Professional.
• Experience with CAT – SDL Trados or similar.
• Training ability is required to facilitate orientation of contractual writers and translators.
• Good interpersonal skills; demonstrated ability to negotiate with, organize and motivate those under her/his supervision and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and professional backgrounds
• Self-motivated and proactive: capacity to work independently, to manage multiple concurrent projects, and to proactively communicate with team regarding deadlines and potential obstacles.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.