LANGUAGE SERVICE ASSISTANT

Contract

This is a G-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education. More about G-5 contracts.

Org. Setting and Reporting

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) was established by the Charter of the United Nations and is the principal judicial organ of that Organization. The Court is composed of 15 judges, each elected to serve a nine-year term of office by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. Judges are selected from among persons of high moral character, who possess the qualifications required in their respective countries for appointment to the highest judicial offices. One third of the Court is elected every three years. The Court has a twofold role: first, to settle, in accordance with international law, through judgments which have binding force and are without appeal for the parties concerned, legal disputes submitted to it by States; and, second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies. The Court is the only principal organ of the United Nations to have its own administration (Charter, Article 98). The Registry is the permanent international secretariat of the Court. Since the Court is both a judicial body and an international institution, the role of the Registry includes providing judicial support and acting as a permanent administrative organ. The activities of the Registry are thus administrative, as well as judicial and diplomatic. The Registry is headed by the Registrar, who is elected by the Members of the Court. This position is in the Department of Linguistic Matters and the incumbent reports to its Head.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Head of the Department of Linguistic Matters, the incumbent will perform the following duties: - Monitor incoming translation requests and distribute work among translators: manage the French translation inbox under the supervision of the Head of Department and/or senior revisers; ascertain availability of translators and revisers; assign tasks as appropriate; keep a record of distribution of work; monitor status of translations. - Maintain, update and create indexes in the Department’s terminology database (currently dtSearch); use tools such as AlignFactory to generate parallel bilingual texts for indexing in the database and clean files to ensure legibility; ensure users update their databases; respond to individual requests from translators and revisers to index specific documents; assist in the administration of the Department’s computer-assisted translation (CAT) tool; assist and help train new staff members in setting up and using these tools. - Provide general assistance and support to the translators and revisers: prepare texts for translation, in particular by converting PDF files into Word files; establish word counts; divide up large documents, such as written pleadings, to apportion among translators; create and maintain work distribution tables; assist in the creation of annotated lists of annexes to written pleadings. - Liaise with external translators: determine availability; prepare jobs for outsourcing, uploading reference material and texts for translators to access; monitor progress of outsourced translations; provide technical support; receive completed translations and forward for revision or further processing. - Manage individual contractors in the Court’s ERP system: create shopping carts and service entry sheets; liaise with relevant divisions for the issuance of contracts and payment of services. - Provide freelance interpreters with documentation in advance of the Court’s hearings and meetings. - Prepare the Department’s monthly workload statistics: collect individual statistics from in-house and external translators and revisers; collate and establish annual workload statistics. - Perform other related duties, as assigned.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of general office and administrative support, including administrative policies and procedures, records management and filing. Ability to research, select, organize and summarize data and information required for the preparation of reports and statistics. Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments 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. Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively. Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication. Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience. Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. 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. Technological awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology. Understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office. Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks. Shows willingness to learn new technology.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years’ experience in language services, general office support or related area is required. Experience working in the language services of an international organization is desirable. Experience in maintaining terminology and/or referencing tools is required. Experience in bilingual text alignment is required. Experience with computer-assisted translation tools is desirable. Experience using a standard suite of office software such as the Microsoft Office 365 Suite (Word, Excel) is required.

Languages

English and French are the official and working languages of the Court. For this position, an excellent command of French and a full working knowledge of English is required.

Assessment

The assessment of qualified candidates will include written test(s) and a competency and/or knowledge-based interview.

Special Notice

The Court is an equal opportunity employer and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, to apply to become a staff member. This post is subject to local recruitment pursuant to United Nations Staff Rule 4.4. All staff in the General Service and related categories are in principle recruited in the country or within commuting distance of the seat of the Court, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment is not eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. Candidates living outside the Netherlands or beyond commuting distance of the seat of the Court may apply for the position but will be regarded as local applicants and be subject to the same conditions. Candidates meeting the requirements of the position may be invited for tests and interview remotely or at the seat of the Court in The Hague. In the latter case, those candidates will be required to cover their own travel, accommodation and subsistence costs. Depending on professional background, experience and family situation, a competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. If the selected candidate is a staff member from an organization applying the United Nations Common System of Salaries and Allowances, the provisions of the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan shall apply. The selected candidate may be subject to security clearance, including verification of the information provided and a criminal record check. All candidates should be able to submit an electronic copy of their passport, recent performance appraisal reports, and all diplomas listed on their profile when requested. The Registrar reserves the right not to appoint any candidate to the post, or to appoint one at a lower level or on the basis of a modified job description. Suitable candidates not selected for this position may be placed on a reserve list for consideration in case a similar vacancy arises in the future.

United Nations Considerations

In accordance with the ICJ Staff Regulations and Rules, 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 ICJ 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. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, Inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on "Manuals" hyper-link on the upper right side of the Inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted based on the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable 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 in Inspira will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

ICJ does NOT charge any fees or request money from candidates at any stage of the recruitment process, nor does it concern itself with bank account details of applicants. Requests of this nature allegedly made on behalf of ICJ are fraudulent and should be disregarded.