Field Language Assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Office of Head of Field Office of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Central Equatorial State (Juba/Yei). The Field Language Assistant will work under the supervision and overall guidance of the Head of Field Office or his/her designate.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities Under the supervision of the Head of Field Office (HoFO) or his/her designate, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties: • Provide accurate, timely and factual daily and weekly reports to the Head of Field Office (HoFO) or his/her designate on activities within the area of responsibility. • Ensure that the concerns and perceptions of the local population are effectively communicated to the Head of Field Office (HoFO) or his/her designate and other Mission components as directed; • Participate in Patrol/Field missions (long, medium and short) and meetings and in support of other UNMISS sections including uniformed and civilian actors as directed; • Provide local level facilitative support to UNMISS uniformed components, and civilian substantive components based on need and capacity as directed; • Support uniformed components to engage with local communities and enable effective monitoring and other peace-keeping activities, including information gathering and more general interaction with local populations; • Provide confidence-building, dialogue, understanding and cooperation between UNMISS actors and local level stakeholders; • Act as a language and cultural interface for UNMISS staff as directed, making local level introductions and helping provide clarity in respect to local level dynamics relevant to the UNMISS mandate; • Assist in the coordination of UNMISS meetings and activities with local level stakeholders; • Maintain local level contact with relevant stakeholders to enhance Mission situational awareness; • Assist as necessary with VIP visits; • Perform other duties as directed by supervisor.

Competencies

Competencies Professionalism: 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. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of peace operations. 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. Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job – Specific Qualification

Have a valid Driving license is desirable. Relevant training in conflict management, community work, project monitoring, Administrative/Education issues or a related field is desirable.

Work Experience

At least (3) years of relevant experience in providing interpretation/translation services, administration or related field is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to 1 for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience working with other international bodies is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of languages spoken in South Sudan an added advantage.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. Qualified women that meet the requirements of this job opening are particularly encouraged to apply and will be given full consideration in accordance with the United Nations efforts to increase women participation in its workforce. This post is located in Juba/Yei. Please note that anyone selected will be required to report for duty in that location on the agreed date and will also be expected to arrange their own accommodations. There is no UN provided accommodation. If the selected candidate is unable to report to the identified Duty Station, the contract will be considered void.

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. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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.