About Us

The Secretariat for the Policy-Making Organs facilitates meetings and wider consultations between States Parties and the Technical Secretariat, ensuring substantive and operative support to the policy-making organs and their subsidiary bodies in their decision making processes, including the follow-up and implementation of their decisions.

In support of this, the Secretariat for the Policy-Making Organs is responsible for the setting of agendas, coordination and meeting support for all scheduled and unscheduled meetings, provision of internal guidance including language and document-processing support to ensure the timely circulation of official-series documents, and provision of reprographic services within the Organisation.

General Information

• Contract Type
  Fixed-term Professional
• Grade
  P4
• Total Estimated monthly remuneration depending on post adjustment and family status: USD
  10,045
• Closing Date
  23/05/2024

Responsibilities

Job Summary

The Language Services Branch provides the OPCW and its policy-making organs with linguistic support (editorial, interpretation, and translation services) to assist in their decision-making processes, as well as in the follow-up and implementation of their decisions.

Under the supervision of the Head, Languages Services, and in accordance with the OPCW Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism, and Respect for Diversity and Gender Equality, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties and responsibilities: provide overall editorial and linguistic support to the policy-making organs and subsidiary bodies of the OPCW and perform other related duties.

Main Responsibilities

Editing (55 %)

Carries out, under own responsibility, the full editing required for all official-series documents issued by the Secretariat, including Notes and reports by it and by the Director-General, decisions of the policy-making organs, the opening statement by the Director-General to each session of those organs, reports of the subsidiary bodies, and a number of major annual reports, including that of the OPCW and the Verification Implementation Report.

As required, decides whether official-series documents be accepted for editing, the key criterion being conformity with OPCW style (other than as regards formatting) and to established standards of readability, clarity, and grammatical correctness.

Identifies, and reformulates or deletes, material likely to have adverse consequences for the Secretariat or the OPCW, disambiguates unclear formulations, corrects substantive errors, checks references for both correctness and appropriateness, and generally ensures that edited text is clear, concise, grammatically correct, readable, idiomatic, and rhetorically and politically appropriate.

Establishes and revises editorial policy and guidelines.

Management, and supervisory responsibilities (30%)

As the final authority for editing and translation into the English language in the OPCW, plans, organises, supervises, and monitors editing, translation and revision work and terminology research within the English-language section, including contractual translations and contacts with outside experts and counterparts in other organisations to determine best practices. Allocate work to the section staff, assign staff to specific duties, and control the quality and quantity of output.

In consultation with the Head of the LSB, reviews and evaluates written material provided by contributors and makes recommendations regarding acceptability for issuance or publication in one or more languages.
Recommends deadlines for the editing of official-series and other documents.
Establishes and/or revises procedures for the management of the editing workflow.

Advice, guidance, training, and standards (15%)

Provides guidance on editorial matters.
Provides advice, on request, to linguists.
Provides training to staff on editorial matters.
Establishes and/or revises as necessary the editorial standards for the Technical Secretariat (“OPCW style”).
Establishes and/or revises as necessary, and in consultation with the office of the Secretary to the Policy-Making Organs, aspects of the layout and format of official-series documents.
Within the established deadlines, reviews and revises texts of the other editor(s), providing supervision as appropriate, and provides related training and guidance to other staff.
As required, decides whether official-series documents be accepted for editing, the key criterion being conformity with the established OPCW editorial standards and requirements.

Participates in linguistic research as required.

Qualifications and Experience

Education

Essential:

An advanced University degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline (e.g., in languages, humanities, political sciences or law). A first level university degree in combination with qualifying experience (minimum seven years) may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Required Certification (if applicable): NA

Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

Minimum of 7 years of work experience of clear relevance to this post, involving the editing, drafting, and/or correction of documents and/or publications, preferably within the United Nations system with an advanced degree (or 9 years with a first level degree). Experience in translation/revision into the English language is an asset. Experience in management is an asset.

Skills and Competencies

In order to succeed in this role, you have to have the following competencies:

1. An excellent command of written and spoken English, which must be a first language.
2. Effective management skills, with good planning and team building capacities.
3. Good interpersonal skills and ability to work harmoniously in a multi-cultural environment.
4. An understanding of international affairs. Thorough knowledge of the Chemical Weapons Convention and related disarmament and technical issues is desirable.
5. Computer literacy, including knowledge and ability to work with Windows-compatible word processing equipment and Share Point.
6. Tact, accuracy and respect for confidentiality.
7. Ability to work under stress.

Languages

Fluency in English is essential and a good working knowledge of one of the other official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is desirable.

Additional Information

This fixed-term appointment is for the duration of two years with a six-month probationary period, and is subject to the OPCW Staff Regulations and Interim Staff Rules.

The OPCW is a non-career organisation with limited staff tenure. The total length of service for Professional staff shall not exceed 7 years.

The mandatory age of separation at the OPCW is 65 years.

The Director-General retains the discretion to not make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description. Several vacancies may be filled.

Only fully completed applications submitted before the closing date and through OPCW CandidateSpace will be considered. Only applicants under serious consideration for a post will be contacted.

Fixed-term staff members participate in the OPCW Provident Fund. A monthly staff contribution is met with a doubled amount by the OPCW under the provisions for social security. As the OPCW is exploring membership of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF), staff participation in the Provident Fund may be replaced by participation in the UNJSPF effective 1 January 2025.

Applications from qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged.

OPCW General Terms and Conditions

Important notice for applicants who are currently insured under the Dutch Social Security system

Although headquartered in the Netherlands, the OPCW is not a regular Dutch employer but a public international organisation with its own special status. Please be advised that if you are currently insured under the Dutch Social Security system, you will be excluded from this system as a staff member of the OPCW. You will consequently be insured under the organisation’s system. The above also applies to your dependents unless they are employed by a regular Dutch employer, they are self-employed in the Netherlands, or are receiving Dutch social security payments.

Please refer to the website of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment for more information about the possible consequences for you and your dependents, such as exclusion from ‘AWBZ’ and ‘Zorgverzekeringswet’ coverage: ‘Werken bij een internationale organisatie’.