Head, Editorial and Publishing Unit (P-4)
Vienna
- Organization: CTBTO - Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
- Location: Vienna
- Grade: Mid level - P-4, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
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Occupational Groups:
- Communication and Public Information
- Translations and Languages
- Scientist and Researcher
- Managerial positions
- Closing Date: 2026-01-05
| VA ID: | 2363 | |
| Grade Level: | P-4 | |
| Division: | Legal and External Relations Division | |
| Section: | PMO Secretariat Support Section | |
| Unit: | Editorial and Publishing Unit | |
| Type of Appointment: | Fixed Term Appointment | |
| Date of Issuance: | 4 December 2025 | |
| Deadline for Applications: |
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| Vacancy Reference | VA285-2363-2025 | |
| Reporting Date: | As soon as possible |
| Please note that all candidates should adhere to CTBTO Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity. Qualified female applicants and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. A roster of suitable candidates may be established for similar positions at the same level as a result of this selection process for a period of two (2) years. |
Organizational Background
The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization with its headquarters in Vienna, Austria is the international organization setting up the global verification system foreseen under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which is the treaty banning any nuclear-weapon-test explosion or any other nuclear explosion. The Treaty provides for a global verification regime, including a network of 337 stations worldwide, a communications system, an international data centre and on-site inspections to monitor compliance.
Organizational Setting
This position is located in the Editorial and Publishing Unit, Policy Making Organ (PMO) Secretariat Support Section, Legal and External Relations Division.
Reporting Lines
Under the supervision of the Chief, Policy Making Organ Secretariat Support Section, to:
Duties and Responsibilities
- Plan, organize, and oversee the management of activities related to the editing, design, publishing, and document control of Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS) official documents, publications, and other texts;
- Edit, review, and proofread official documents, including complex or politically sensitive material, to ensure accuracy, clarity, consistency, and conformity with established editorial standards and practices, and provide recommendations on document content, presentation, and the degree of editing required;
- Work collaboratively with colleagues in the Section to achieve organizational goals and deliver quality outputs in a timely, professional, and efficient manner, and in full alignment with documentation processing policies;
- Advise submitting officers and senior management on editorial style, policy, and practice; monitor document submissions and liaise with submitting officers to clarify ambiguities and rectify substantive errors, as well as ensure timely submission and issuance of documents in accordance with established procedures;
- Ensure proper quality control of documents and provide final editorial clearance for all edited texts prior to their release for printing and publication;
- Keep the editorial guidelines for the PTS up to date to ensure consistency in editorial practices, and provide advice to all PTS areas on editorial procedures and practices; keep abreast of developments in the official documentation system and the Document Management System, including workflow, dissemination via the Experts Communication System (ECS), archiving, and search functions;
- Ensure that official documentation and reports prepared in the PTS for presentation at meetings, for posting on the ECS, or for other purposes are in conformity with standard PTS editorial practices;
- Pursue opportunities for new digital and electronic publishing alternatives and, together with the Publications Assistants, keep abreast of relevant software that could make the publishing process more efficient; monitor and apply acceptable solutions implemented by other UN bodies;
- Manage the human resources of the Unit, providing guidance, supervision, performance management, and mentoring to support high-performance and results, and ensure sound and timely service delivery;
- Train the editorial team in the editing of official documentation, ensuring continuous development of skills and capacities within the Unit;
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Education
- Advanced university degree in English or in a related field; a first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree;
- With an advanced university degree - a minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible and relevant working experience in the area of editing of documentation, including technical texts, is essential. With a first-level university degree - a minimum of nine (9) years of progressively responsible and relevant working experience in the area of editing of documentation, including technical texts, is required. Work experience in an international organization is an asset;
Work Experience and Qualifications
- Experience in planning and coordinating the production of documents and manuscripts is required;
- Strong writing and analytical skills, with sensitivity to nuance, are required;
- Ability to spot errors and inconsistencies in a text quickly is essential;
- Familiarity with software applications for editing procedures is required;
- Knowledge and experience of editorial policies, practices, and research techniques are highly desirable;
- Proven experience in managing teams in a complex and dynamic environment that requires multitasking among multiple concurrent projects is essential;
- Demonstrated ability to show initiative, political sensitivity, tact, and excellent judgement, including strong analytical skills and ability to interpret rules, policies, and procedures;
- Strong ability to communicate effectively in a multicultural environment is essential;
Languages
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English at the level of mother tongue are essential;
- Knowledge of other official CTBTO languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is desirable.
Competencies
- Professionalism - 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;
- Communication - Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from other 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;
- Planning and organizing - Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; 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;
- Team work - Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organisational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; builds consensus for task purpose and direction with team members; supports and acts in accordance with final group decisions, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings;
- Accountability - Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honors commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable;
- Creativity - Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches;
- Client orientation - Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive relationships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress and setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to clients;
- 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;
- 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.
Managerial Competencies
- 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.
- 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.
- Empowering Others - Delegates responsibility, clarifies expectations, and gives staff autonomy in important areas of their work; encourages others to set challenging goals; holds others accountable for achieving results related to their area of responsibility; genuinely values all staff members’ input and expertise; shows appreciation and rewards achievement and effort; involves others when making decisions that affect them.
- Building Trust - Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion; manages in a deliberate and predictable way; operates with transparency; has no hidden agenda; places confidence in colleagues, staff members and clients; gives proper credit to others; follows through on agreed upon actions; treats sensitive and confidential information appropriately.
- Managing Performance - Delegates 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.
- Judgment/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 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 that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.
Remuneration
CTBTO offers an attractive compensation and benefits package in accordance with the policies of the International Civil Service Commission. For more information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, see link: Salary Scale. The salary offered may be subject to deductions to the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund and/or Health Insurance Scheme.
Additional Information
- All applications must be submitted through the CTBTO e-Recruitment system before the deadline stated in the vacancy announcement.
- Incomplete applications and submission of employment history in formats other than the CTBTO Employment Information Form will not be considered.
- The CTBTO Preparatory Commission retains the discretion not to make any appointment to this vacancy; to make an appointment at a lower grade, in particular if the candidate has less than the qualifications required; to make an appointment with a modified job description, or to offer a contract term for a shorter duration than indicated in the vacancy announcement.
- Please note that the CTBTO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list.
- The CTBTO reserves the right to undertake correspondence only with shortlisted candidates.
- Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.