Organizational Setting

The IAEA is the world’s centre of cooperation in the nuclear field. It was set up as the world’s “Atoms for Peace” organization in 1957 within the United Nations family. The Agency works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technologies. The IAEA Secretariat, a team of 2300 multi-disciplinary professional and support staff from more than 100 countries, is headquartered at the Vienna International Centre in Vienna, Austria.

The Department of Management (MT) provides a ‘platform of services’ that serves as a foundation for the successful delivery of the IAEA’s scientific and technical programmes. Its mission statement is as follows: “MT is a partner and a business enabler that champions change and efficiency, leveraging a common purpose”. Thus, among other support activities, it assists a scientific manager in recruiting the right expert, helps a technical officer coordinate the purchase of radiation equipment, and ensures that all Board documents are translated and distributed on a timely basis to Member States.

One of the main functions assigned to the IAEA by its Statute is to foster the exchange of scientific and technical information and the dissemination of knowledge in the nuclear field among Member States. To facilitate the effective exchange and dissemination of information relevant to the IAEA’s work and mandate, the Division of Conference and Document Services coordinates and supports the implementation of these activities for its users and clients, both internal and external, by organizing meetings and conferences, issuing documents in the six official United Nations languages, i.e. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish, and occasionally from and into other languages, editing, printing and distributing publications.

The six Translation Sections in the Division provide translations of a broad range of documents and publications into the official languages. High quality translations are required, and often short deadlines must be met.

IAEA Talent Pipeline

The purpose of this pipeline announcement is to build the Agency’s current roster of highly specialized translators and revisers. Under the guidance of the Section Head, the incumbent translator/reviser translates or revises a range of administrative, legal, economic, scientific and technical texts, specifically in the fields of nuclear technology and applications, nuclear safety and security, safeguards and verifications, physics and engineering. The incumbent applies his/her analytical, linguistic, and drafting skills to translating and revising texts covering all aspects of the IAEA’s activities.

How does the Talent Pipeline work?

The talent pipeline is open to enable translators/revisers to express their interest in freelance employment with the IAEA.

The expression of interest received will be reviewed by responsible officers with a view to:

• Sourcing candidates for temporary or freelance, home-based opportunities

The duration of the translators/revisers engagement may be ongoing. Contractual hiring will be in accordance with the rules and regulations of the UN system and the AITC Agreement. The respective compensation policy will be applied depending on the type of agreement comprising short-term or paid-per-word contracts.

Note: Registration in one of the Talent Pipelines does not guarantee employment with the IAEA.

Talent Profile

The translator/reviser provides accurate, timely and stylistically appropriate translations/revisions of texts written mainly in English. Occasionally, the translation/revisions of texts from the official languages, German and other languages into English is required. The incumbent’s translations/revisions are normally checked in-house before being finalized for distribution to Member States and/or members of the Secretariat. Translators/revisers will be granted access to relevant reference material and to the IAEA terminology database, IAEAterm.

Key Results Expected

• To translate a broad range of administrative, legal, scientific and technical texts and to ensure that translations are equivalent in meaning and style to the original texts: from English into Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish (and occasionally into German and other languages), and from Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish, along with German and other languages, into English.
• To research points of terminology, language and subject matter to assist in the development of the central terminology database and reference archive.
• To perform any other translation, self-revision, or revision duties normally carried out by the members of a translation section in an international organization.

Education, Experience and Language Skills

• University degree in languages, translation, or in a technical, scientific or closely relevant field.
• Excellent oral and written command of official United Nations languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish) with a profound knowledge of their grammar style and usage, or other languages is essential along with relevant experience in translating scientific and technical texts into these languages, specifically in the nuclear field.
• Experience in providing translation or revision for an international organization would be a strong asset. A sample of work of approximately three pages in length, details on the specific type/s of work done, and the name/s of the organization/s for which the work was done should be submitted to email address: [email protected] to complete your application.
• Proficiency in the use of web-based terminology and reference tools and knowledge and experience in using Microsoft Office software and IT translation tools, in particular SDL TRADOS Studio and SDL TRADOS Multiterm, is required.
• Familiarity with the IAEA and its operations is an asset.

Organizational Core and Functional Competencies

Core competencies

• Planning and organization
• Teamwork
• Achieving results
• Communication

Functional Competencies

• Analytical thinking
• Knowledge sharing and learning
• Judgement/decision making
• Technical/scientific credulity
• Commitment to continuous process improvement
• Partnership building
• Client orientation
• Persuasion and influencing
• Resilience

Applications from candidates from developing countries are encouraged

Applicants should be aware that IAEA staff members are international civil servants and may not accept instructions from any other authority. The IAEA is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. As part of the United Nations common system, the IAEA subscribes to the following core ethical standards (or values): Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for diversity. The IAEA retains the discretion not to make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade or with a different contract type, or to make an appointment with a modified job description or for shorter duration than indicated above. Testing may be part of the recruitment process.