INTERPRETER, ARABIC

Organizational Context

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) serves as the UN headquarters in Africa, supporting UNEP, UN-Habitat, and the Resident Coordination System globally. It provides essential administrative, security, conference, and information services. This role is situated within the Arabic Interpretation Unit of the Division of Conference Services at UNON.

Job Purpose

The Interpreter is responsible for providing high-quality interpretation services for UNON meetings, typically servicing up to eight meetings per week. This involves interpreting speeches and statements between Arabic, English, and French, often covering sensitive discussions. The role may also include functioning as a team leader for interpreters, assisting in the screening and training of new interpreters, and potentially performing programming duties. The primary goal is to facilitate effective communication and understanding across different language groups within the UN system, ensuring the smooth operation of international conferences and meetings.

Responsibilities

The Interpreter will service up to eight meetings weekly, providing interpretation between Arabic, English, and French for speeches and statements. This includes covering sensitive meetings and often acting as the team leader for interpreters assigned to a specific meeting. Responsibilities may extend to serving as a Team Leader on missions, assisting in the screening, training, and examination of prospective Arabic interpreters, and providing guidance and coaching to junior interpreters. Additionally, the role may involve functioning as a Programming Officer and performing other related duties as required to support the Division of Conference Services.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of professional interpreting experience within international organizations is required. Experience in providing accurate interpretation on a wide range of UN subjects is desirable. Additional desirable experience includes training and coaching junior interpreters, grading interpretation exams, and assessing freelance colleagues' performance.

Skills

• Professionalism: High concentration, split-second accuracy, ability to work under stress, mastery of subject matter, efficiency, and persistence. • Communication: Clear and effective speaking and writing, active listening, appropriate response, and information sharing. • Teamwork: Collaborative approach, valuing colleagues' input, willingness to learn, prioritizing team goals, and accepting group decisions.

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