PROOFREADER/PRODUCTION EDITOR, ENGLISH

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Content Services Unit, Meetings Support Section, Meetings and Publishing Division, of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management. The Content Services Unit provides publishing services and plays an active role in producing United Nations documentation and publications in multiple and accessible ways through print and digital publishing methods. Its team consists of proofreaders/production editors, desktop publishers, graphic designers and printers. The incumbent reports to the Chief of the Meetings Support Section.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Proofreader/Production Editor will be responsible for the following duties:
• Conducts proofreading and production editing for a range of content in English, including United Nations publications, in accordance with the established standards and practices.
• Develops templates, technical specifications and style sheets for the formatting and production of English content.
• Assures continuity of style, accuracy of content, and conformity with established United Nations grammar, style and typography. Acts as the final arbiter on the content produced in English.
• Utilizes advanced publishing software in the production of all content, including (but not limited to) graphical elements, tables, pictures, and logos.
• Performs quality control and prepares final output for print and/or digital publication publishing, web posting and archiving.
• Counsels and assists proofreaders/production editors, and desktop publishing assistants, and briefs and/or trains them on and proofreading, production editing, and on the procedures and practices pertaining to proofreading and production editing, as required.
• Performs extensive research on substantive issues related to publication, using electronic glossaries, terminology databases and internal and external Internet resources.
• Provides guidance on English production editing and proofreading to DGACM and Secretariat publishing entities.
• Monitors workflow and maintain records of all work assigned.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Ability to demonstrate a high level of concentration and attention to detail. Ability to be flexible and adaptable and handle a wide 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.

• 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

Education

A first-level degree from a university or institution of equivalent status. Candidates must have passed the relevant combined United Nations Competitive Examination for English language Translators/Précis-Writers, Editors, Verbatim Reporters and Copy Preparers/Proofreaders/Production Editors or relevant United Nations language competitive examinations held before 2017.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of experience in production editing, including copy-preparation, layout, formatting and proofreading of a broad variety of content such as text, infographics, tables and figures, for reports, publications, books or websites, is required.

Experience with publishing software, including proficiency in Adobe InDesign, is required.

Experience in collaboration with language professionals and creative teams is required.

Experience with content management systems is desirable.

Languages

For this position, fluency in English, which must be the candidate's main language (i.e. mother tongue or main language of education), is required. Fluency in one of the other official languages is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This is a language post.

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.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Internal Applicants – when completing the PHP, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you.

Individual Contractors and Consultants who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for or be appointed to any professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions, within six months of the end of their current or most recent service. For such positions, at least six months need to have elapsed between the end of a consultancy or individual contract and the time of application and consideration for an appointment as a staff member under the Staff Rules and Regulations of the United Nations.

At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira "Need Help?" link.

United Nations Considerations

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. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations 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. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

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.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully 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 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 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 on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

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.