Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located at Headquarters in the Spanish Translation Service, Documentation Division of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM). The Documentation Division facilitates the deliberation and decision-making processes of intergovernmental and relevant expert bodies and United Nations conferences by providing efficient and effective conference-servicing support while ensuring effective multilingual communication and the equal treatment of all official languages. The incumbent reports to the Chief of the Spanish Translation Service.

Responsibilities

Within limits of delegated authority, the Senior Language and Desktop Publishing Assistant will be responsible for the following duties: • Under the leadership of the Chief, serves as team leader and supervises daily activities with respect to desktop publishing and archiving of documents on the relevant DGACM systems, i.e. establishes priorities, issues special instructions as needed for the production of print-ready documents for publishing and storage of final text and evaluates the performance of staff supervised. • Monitors programming of work, including by ensuring the equitable distribution of work, efficient and effective processing of documentation and capacity utilization, in close collaboration with the Programming Officer or equivalent. • Facilitates the professional development of supervisees and monitors progress while providing constant guidance. • Collaborates with other language teams in order to maximize resources, including by sharing workload, methodologies and best practices, as applicable. • Trains staff to align bi-texts in order to support the production of high-quality translation memories and related workflow improvements. • Leads the development and adoption of new working methods and procedures in the framework of modernization processes, including by demonstrating commitment to and implementing change and encouraging others to do the same. • Performs other modified desktop publishing functions developed through workflow reviews. • Trains staff to perform all desktop publishing, page layout and/or graphic design functions, as well as administrative tasks. • Collects and verifies data and assists the Chief with preparation of data presentations and reports for information-sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision-making. • Supervises staff by identifying and resolving issues, monitoring performance, participating in and overseeing training. • Stores final text on the relevant systems by the mandated deadline. • Conducts final verification for machine-readable documents. • Performs quality evaluations and provides feedback to contribute to the creation of a culture of accountability and two-way feedback. • Performs pre-translation functions, as needed. • Oversees the full range of office management and administrative support functions, when required. • Handles queries, maintains attendance and keeps records as needed. • Oversees the creation, updating and maintenance of macros, templates and models. • Provides assistance to the Chief, as required. • Works effectively in in-person, remote or hybrid teams, as needed. • When needed, performs all desktop publishing, page layout and/or graphic design functions for documentation and publications. • When needed, performs proofreading functions. • Actively seeks to learn and develop own skills and knowledge relevant to the job, being able, afterwards, to share the knowledge gained. • Stays available for assignments and shifts, depending on the exigencies of service, including outside normal working hours. • At the request of the Chief, acts as hiring manager to ensure sufficient capacity to meet the requirements of the team. • Supervises the provision of desktop publishing and proofreading services to the Security Council, General Assembly and other bodies, when required. • Contributes to the ongoing integration of the front desk functions of the Service. • Performs other related work as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of United Nations structure and rules of procedure of various organs. Advanced knowledge of all aspects of the work of the unit, including typographic standards, with special emphasis on technological applications leading to processing efficiencies. Advanced proficiency in United Nations editorial practices in the language of the unit. Highly developed ability to enhance the skills and monitor the performance of staff within the unit, with emphasis on change management in the area of technological innovation. Demonstrates initiative, ability and creativity to effectively attain objectives. 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. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work. • Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. • Planning and 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. • Managing Performance. Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly. • Judgement / Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required. Additional formal training in desktop publishing is desirable.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

Ten years of experience in desktop publishing or a related field, including draft typing, copy editing, formatting, proofreading, graphic design, and creating typographical layouts, is required. Supervisory experience is required. Knowledge of the documentation workflow processes and tools used in the United Nations or similar international organizations is desirable. Knowledge of general office and administrative support is desirable. One year or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in Spanish, which must be the candidate’s main language, is required. Fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. Selected candidates/staff members will be responsible for any costs related to their travel and relocation in the context of onboarding to report for duty. If the selected candidate/staff member does not already have the right to work in the duty station, appointment is contingent on issuance of a visa from the local authorities. Staff members are subject to the authority of the 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. Passing the Verbal Reasoning Test (VRT) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration for the Editorial and Desktop Publishing Assistant positions in the United Nations Headquarters. Applicants who have not passed the VRT at the time of application may be invited for the test after submitting an application.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.