The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) is the UN headquarters in Africa and the representative office of the Secretary-General. We support programme implementation of UN Environment (UNEP) and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) globally, as well as other UN offices in Kenya, by providing administrative, conference, security and information services. This post is located in the Translation and Editorial Section of the Division of Conference Services (DCS), UNON, Nairobi duty station. The incumbent will, within delegated authority and under the broad supervision of the Chief of Section, perform the following duties:

Responsibilities

• Manage, supervise and monitor the performance of all staff in the unit. Carry out programmatic/management and administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the unit, including evaluation of staff performance. 
• Programme the daily and long-term work of the Unit. 
• Oversee the editing of texts of an exceptionally sensitive, complex or technical nature. Provide general guidance and specific instructions, as necessary, to resolve editorial problems and ensure that documents are edited in accordance with established policy and practice.
• Lead teams of editors, report-writers, and text-processors at meetings held in and outside Nairobi.
• Train junior and short-term editors and revise their work.
• Direct the conduct of terminological research within the Unit. 
• Assist the Chief of Section in the preparation of terminology materials to meet the needs of the Unit. 
• Assist the Chief of Section in the preparation of instructions. 
• Assist the Chief of Section in selecting texts for United Nations competitive examinations, in marking candidates’ scripts and in evaluating results. 
• Serve as officer-in-charge in the absence of the Chief of Section. 
• Perform other related duties as Chief of Unit.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of editorial policies, practices and research techniques. Solid writing and analytical abilities with sensitivity to nuance. Ability to spot errors and inconsistencies in a text. 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 decisions, 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 the 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. 
• 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 improvements; does not accept the status quo; Shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. 
• Managing Performance: Delegates the 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.

Education

A first-level degree from a university or institution of equivalent status. Candidates for this position must have passed the United Nations competitive examination for English -Language Editors.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in editing is required, including five years of experience of editing within the United Nations.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, a perfect command of English normally expected to be the candidate's main language and excellent knowledge of French and Spanish is required.

Assessment

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

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, including but not limited to, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to, whether they have committed or are alleged to have committed criminal offenses or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. 

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.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the Inspira account-holder homepage.

The screening and 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, including but not limited to, their education, work experience, and language skills, according to the instructions provided on Inspira. Applicants will be disqualified from consideration if they do not demonstrate in their application that they meet the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations. Applicants are solely responsible for providing complete and accurate information at the time of application: 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 a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.