Division Chief (Language Services) - CSF

Work for the IMF. Work for the World.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is seeking a forward-looking, innovative leader to head its Language Services Division (LS) of the Corporate Services and Facilities Department (CSF) in the IMF headquarters located in Washington, D.C. Under the supervision and guidance of the Deputy Director of the Corporate Services and Facilities Department (CSF), the Division Chief (DC) will lead and oversee the Language Services Division (LS). In this role, the DC is responsible for the division’s overall management and delivery of demand-driven interpretation, translation, terminology, editorial, and related services in multiple languages. Core languages include Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and provides services in approximately 40 additional languages on an as-needed basis.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Plans, organizes, and oversees all operational interpretation, translation, terminology and editorial activities in the division.

Leads, manages and supervises the work of the Chief Interpreter, Chief Translator, all Section Chiefs and team leads, identifies and addresses their training needs, and monitors and evaluates their performance.

Supports the supervision of staff by contributing to their performance evaluations and assessment of training and development needs and recommends personnel actions to the Deputy Director and the Department’s Strategic HR partner.

Leveraging a hybrid service delivery model that draws on staff, contractual, and a global pool of external freelance/vendor service providers, ensures that the division delivers high-quality outputs within available resources by optimizing human, linguistic and technological assets and by applying and monitoring efficiency standards. Consults closely with senior management on the budgetary and financial implications of the division’s operations and provides policy advice to departmental and Fund management on multilingual communication, as needed.

Assumes strategic responsibility for ensuring that language services are aligned with the institution’s broader communications objectives.

Promotes the sharing of best practices across translation, interpretation and editorial functions and advances AI literacy among language professionals.

Maintains institutional ownership of language services policies and applicable procedures and guidelines and advises the department and LS staff on translation and interpretation-related policies and operational issues.

Monitors best practices in the industry, including technological, organizational, and governance developments, and, as appropriate, liaise with counterparts in other organizations.

Keeps abreast of developments in language technology, including AI, to incorporate technological advances as applicable to streamline workflows and improve productivity of language services at the Fund. In that respect, the DC must have a strong understanding of technology to provides strategic oversight and informed guidance on the use of large language models (LLMs), machine translation, speech recognition, and other AI‑enabled technologies relevant to translation, interpretation, terminology and editorial services, along with computer‑assisted translation (CAT) and computer‑assisted interpretation (CAI) tools and systems, including terminology management, translation memory, workflow management, and interpretation support technologies.

Works closely with relevant internal stakeholders to ensure that the adoption and use of AI‑enabled language technologies align with institutional policies on quality, confidentiality, data protection, ethics, and information security.

Encourages staff awareness and skills development in language technologies, digital tools, and evolving industry practices, in coordination with training and knowledge‑sharing initiatives.

May perform translation, revision, review, or interpretation, when appropriate and consistent with managerial responsibilities.

May represent LS and CSF, as needed, in Fund-wide working groups or other fora.

Qualifications and Experience

The successful candidate should have an advanced university degree in linguistics, translation, interpretation, or a related field and at least 15 years of progressively responsible professional experience, including supervisory or managerial experience. Alternatively, a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, supplemented by a minimum of nineteen (19) years of relevant professional experience, including supervisory or managerial experience, is required preferably in a complex, multinational organization.

• The role requires demonstrated agility, intellectual leadership, and the ability to lead and motivate a highly diverse team of language professionals. 
• Prior managerial experience in overseeing the operations of a complex, multi-functional language services unit is highly desirable. A high level of written and spoken proficiency in one or more of the core languages covered by the division is required. Knowledge of additional languages would be an asset. 
• Substantial proven experience in interpretation or translation and revision preferably in a field related to the Fund’s work.
• Strong knowledge of and experience with technological tools supporting language services operations, including AI applications, and vision for how these will impact the delivery of language services. Experience in digital, print, and web publication production workflows would be a plus.
• Demonstrated familiarity with current developments in the Fund’s areas of work. Strong management and supervisory capacity, as well as excellent interpersonal and communications skills.
• Significant experience in managing and successfully supervising units with a high volume of work and very short deadline requirements, balancing internal resources and freelance workforce to achieve optimal efficiency. The successful candidate will have demonstrated strong leadership skills: ability to lead, supervise, assess, and develop a team of professionals and support staff, delegate effectively, motivate performance and foster teamwork.
• Ability to work under pressure and to handle multiple priorities simultaneously. Sound judgement and decisiveness, including the ability to set, adjust, and reprioritize quickly and resolve resourcing needs.
• Ability to establish and maintain professional networks with language services counterparts in other organizations.
• Ability to communicate effectively and diplomatically with Fund staff and officials at all levels in a multicultural setting.
• Agility including responding to a rapidly changing environment.

This vacancy shall be filled by a 3-year Term appointment in accordance with the Fund’s new employment rules that took effect on May 1, 2015. This position requires Review Committee/Senior Review Committee Approval.
 

Managerial vacancy appointments/selections at Grades A14/A15-B3 require Review Committee/Senior Review Committee approval, with exceptions to (i) intra- and inter departmental lateral selections with no change in grade except for economist's positions advertised using the Grade Band A14/A15 & A13-A15 and the selection is at A14, (ii) MAPs and SWAPs, and (ii) candidates who are currently included on the Review Committee List.

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The IMF is guided by the principle that the employment, classification, promotion, and assignment of staff shall be made without discrimination against any person. We welcome requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities during the selection process. Information on how to request accommodations will be provided during the application process.