Translator (French), Geneva

Closing date: Wednesday, 25 March 2015

The mission of WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.

Vacancy Notice No: HQ/15/DGD/FT109

Title: Translator (French)

Grade: P3

Contract type: Fixed-Term Appointment

Duration of contract: Two years (Renewable subject to satisfactory performance and continued need for the post)

Date: 4 March 2015

Application Deadline: 25 March 2015

Duty Station: Geneva, Switzerland

Organization unit: HQ/DGD Offices under the Director-General (HQ/DGD) /

HQ/GBS Dept for Governing Bodies and External Relations (HQ/GBS)

HQ/TRA Translation Service

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

Within the Office of the Director-General (DGO), Department of Governing Bodies (GBS), the Office of Language Services (LNG) provides high-quality, timely and cost-effective translation, interpretation, editing, official records, word-processing and graphics services for the governing bodies, the communications department and technical programmes of WHO, so as to make health policy and technical documentation from WHO accessible to its target readerships in the official languages of the Organization.

Description of duties

1. To translate into French from English a wide variety of highly technical texts dealing with medicine, public health and other scientific subjects (reports, publications, position papers, etc.);
2. To contribute to the establishment of accurate terminology in French and to promote the TRA terminology data base;
3. To perform other related duties, as required.

In order to undertake the above activities the incumbent is called upon to: a) apply linguistic and analytical skills to produce elegant, concise and accurate translations; b) undertake reference and terminology research work as required; c) consult with originator or competent units to clarify ambiguous points and solve problems relating to terminology or meaning; d) draw attention to any errors or inconsistencies in texts to ensure that they are corrected in the original and in other language versions as appropriate; e) advise on French usage on request.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• First university degree in a scientific area (such as biology, pharmacy, medicine) and a first university degree in translation or languages.
• WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an accredited institution.

Skills: Essential

• Advanced knowledge of translation.
• Ability to work in a team.
• Tact and discretion.
• Knowledge of international development issues.
• Ability to use computer equipment.

Desirable

• Familiarity with health- related subjects.

WHO Competencies

1. Producing results
2. Communicating in a credible and effective way
3. Fostering integration and teamwork
4. Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

Experience

Essential

• At least 5 years of experience translating (self-revised) into French.

Desirable

• Three years of experience at the international level, preferably within the UN system.
• Experience in terminology or in applications of computer science to translation.

Languages

Essential

• Expert knowledge of English and French.

Additional Information

WHO's salaries are calculated in US dollars. They consist of a base salary and a post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station and exchange rates. Other benefits include: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, home travel, education grant for dependent children, pension plan and medical insurance.

Candidates appointed to an international post with WHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WHO: http://www.who.int (To learn more about WHO's operations ), and http://icsc.un.org Click on: Quick Links > Salary Scales > by date

Annual salary: (Net of tax)

USD 56,766 at single rate

USD 60,813 with primary dependants

Post Adjustment: 99 % of the above figure(s). This percentage is to be considered as indicative since variations may occur each month either upwards or downwards due to currency exchange rate fluctuations or inflation.

This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level.

Online applications are strongly encouraged to enable WHO to store your profile in a permanent database. Please visit WHO's e-Recruitment website at: www.who.int/employment. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.

All applicants are encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the vacancy has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the vacancy announcement.

WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.