Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.
The United Nations is Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
This position is located in the Interpretation Section (IS) of the Conference Management Service (CMS), Division for Management (DM), United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).
The incumbent will report to the Chief of Section.
Within delegated authority, the Senior Interpreter 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.
• Provides interpretation into Chinese of speeches or statements given in English and/or French;
• Serve as Chief of the Booth and as Chief Interpreter on missions;
• 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;
• Manage and organise internships and liaise with interpretation training institutions;
• Participate when requested to the selection of material and screening of candidates for the LCE;
• Serves as Week-end Duty Officer for the Interpretation Service and as Chief Interpreter on missions;
• May be required to serve as OIC of the Interpretation Section;
• May function as Programming Officer;
• May instruct and advise interpreter trainees;
• May perform other related duties as required.
Core Competencies:
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.
-Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas 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 & 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
Managerial Competencies:
Vision:
-Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks.
-Clearly communicates links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals.
-Generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction
-Conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities
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 improvement; does not accept the status quo
-Shows the courage to take unpopular stands
A first level degree from a university. (Candidates for this position must have passed the United Nations Competitive Examination for Interpreters.)
A minimum of ten years of professional interpreting experience in international organizations five of which would normally have been within the UN System are required for this position. Relevant language experience within the UN System may be taken into consideration in meeting the requirements of this post.
A perfect command of Chinese, normally expected to be the incumbent's main language. Candidates for this post must also possess an excellent command of English and/or French.
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by 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.