Translation and Interpretation Assistant

Do you have the dedication, skills, knowledge and experience to help us improve the life of Palestine refugees? The United Nations Relief and Works Agency offers challenging opportunities for professionals interested working in a results-driven and diverse environment. If you are then we
would like to hear from you.
UNRWA is the United Nations agency responsible for the protection, care and human development of a population of some 4.6 million Palestine refugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Syrian Arab Republic. The Agency is committed to assisting Palestine refugees in maintaining a decent standard of living, acquiring appropriate knowledge and skills, enjoying the fullest possible extent of human rights, and leading a long and healthy life. UNRWA is by far the largest UN operation in the Middle East with over 29,000 staff. Most of the staff members are refugees themselves, working directly to benefit their communities – as teachers, doctors, nurses or social workers.
 

Location Gaza Field
Type of Appointment Fixed Term
Deadline for Application 22 December 2010
Vacancy Announcement Number 05-12-2010
Grade 10
Department/Division Legal Office
 

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
In accordance with Agency policy and procedures, the ideal candidate:
-Translates correspondence, reports and other materials from English into Arabic and vice versa;
-Acts as Arabic/English interpreter when required;
-Assists in preparing for visits to various Locations in the Gaza Strip and in receiving visitors and discussing their requests;
-Assists Front Office as required in translating Arabic and English correspondence;
-Acts as a secretary at meetings and takes minutes accordingly;
-Establishes and maintains a cross-referenced database for archives of translation;
-The incumbent may be required to work beyond the regular working hours.
-Performs such other duties as may be assigned.

PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES
-At least two years diploma in English language, translation or a related field
-At least five years experience in translation work and interpretation in Arabic/ English and vice versa.
-Excellent command of written and spoken Arabic and English.
-Ability to work independently on translation tasks with little supervision;
-Good communicator in both spoken and written English, including ability to draft/edit a variety of written reports and other studies;
-Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others in a team environment and with people of diverse backgrounds, culture and nationalities;
-Sound judgment on importance/ priority/ confidentiality of issues
-It is desirable to have a university degree in English language or other related field for a native Arabic speaking candidate OR a university degree in Arabic language or other related field for a native English speaking candidate.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

-Basic Salary: Monthly basic salary $806.50; plus monthly dependency allowance up to $123.25
-Contract Duration: Three years including 1 year probation period
-Leave: 30 days annual leave
-Pension: Provident Fund contribution
-Other conditions of service and benefits may apply.

EQUIVALENCY
When the minimum requirements are not fully met, the Director of Human Resources, in consultation with Director of UNRWA Operations-Gaza, may exceptionally substitute part of the unmet requirements with a combination of relevant academic qualifications, additional professional training and progressive relevant work experience.
NB: Work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered an acceptable combination.

 

Where there are two or more equally qualified candidates, selection preference will normally be given to internal candidates, Palestine Refugees and candidates of the under-represented gender. An internal candidate with a temporary-indefinite or fixed-term appointment selected for this post will retain his/her current contractual status and entitlements in accordance with current letter of appointment and applicable Area Staff Rules. With their prior agreement, candidates who are approved as suitable for appointment but are not the selected candidate for this vacancy, will be placed on the Agency’s roster of pre-approved candidates for a period of up to one year, and may be considered for future vacancies in the same position.
The Agency maintains the discretion to fill future vacancies for this position from the roster without readvertising the vacancy.

HOW TO APPLY
If you have got the skills and experience required above, and want to make an active and lasting contribution to improving the lives of Palestine refugees, then register on http://jobs.unrwa.ps by creating a personal profile and completing the UNRWA Personal History Form. Only applications received through this website will be considered. Please note that UNRWA only accepts degrees from accredited educational institutions.
Candidates may also be invited to take a technical exam in order further evaluate their qualifications for the post. Due to a high volume of applications received, only short-listed applicants will be contacted. The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. The United Nations does not concern itself with information on bank accounts.