- 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.
These positions are located at Headquarters in the Arabic Interpretation Section, Interpretation Service, Department for General Assembly and Conference Services (DGACM). Under the general supervision of the Chief of Interpretation Service, the incumbent will provide interpretation for all inter-governmental and other meetings at the United Nations.
Within delegated authority, the Senior Interpreters will be responsible for the following duties:
Services up to seven meetings per week (exceptionally eight), usually of no more than three hours duration, of various United Nations bodies.
Arabic interpreters provide interpretation, as required, into Arabic of speeches or statements given in another official language.
Routinely assigned to sensitive meetings.
Routinely functions as team leader of all interpreters assigned to a given meeting.
Assists the Chief of Section or Service, as appropriate, in the screening, training and examining of prospective interpreters.
Serves as Week-end Duty Officer for the Interpretation Service and as Chief Interpreter on missions.
May be designated as Chief of relevant Interpretation Section.
May instruct and advise interpreter trainees.
May perform other related duties as required.
Professionalism: Ability to demonstrate a high level of concentration; split-second accuracy. Ability to work under continuous stress and deliver clear interpretation on an exceedingly broad range of subjects. 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.
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.
Commitment to Continuous Learning: Keeps abreast of new developments in own occupation/profession; actively seeks to develop oneself professionally and personally. Contributes to the learning of colleagues and subordinates; shows willingness to learn from others. Seeks feedback to learn and improve.
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.
Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.
A first level degree from a university. (Candidates for this position must have passed the United Nations Competitive Examination for Arabic Interpreter ).
A minimum of ten years of professional interpreting experience in international organizations, five of which would normally have been within the UN System or similar international organization is required. Relevant language experience within the UN System or in similar international organization may be taken into consideration in meeting the requirements of this post.
A perfect command of Arabic, normally expected to be the incumbent’s main language. Candidates must also possess a perfect command of English or French. Knowledge of other UN official languages would be an asset.
Evaluation of qualified applicants may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.
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, including but not limited to, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to, whether they have committed or are alleged to have committed criminal offences or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
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.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
The screening and 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, including but not limited to, their education, work experience, and language skills, according to the instructions provided on inspira. Applicants will be disqualified from consideration if they do not demonstrate in their application that they meet the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations. Applicants are solely responsible for providing complete and accurate information at the time of application: 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 a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.
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.