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Qualifications

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT

This requisition is for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

The Publications team (PUB) positions PAHO as a public health leader, a catalyst for change, and an authoritative source of health information in the Region of the Americas and beyond. Through its expertise, PUB advises the PAHO Publications Committee to ensure publications align with the Organization’s strategic priorities. The team collaborates with technical departments and country offices to develop multilingual high-quality, high-impact information products that respond to the needs of PAHO audiences. To this end, PUB enforces rigorous editorial standards; leads worldwide dissemination of publications; establishes partnerships and co-publication agreements; promotes Open-Access initiatives and safeguards PAHO’s intellectual property.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the direct supervision of the Advisor, Publication Services (PUB), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

a)   Assess the submission and editing quality of Spanish texts of considerable complexity submitted by the Organization’s entities; provide editorial, production, and other types of scientific and technical publishing support and coordination to Headquarters, Representative Offices, and Collaborating Centers, including:

− Respond to in-house queries about publishing, editing, and writing from technical staff;

− Analyze proposed publications submitted by technical programs and recommend the most cost-effective and efficient format, treatment, and appropriate product type;

− Provide guidance on cost and time estimates for typesetting, printing, or electronic processing, and provide guidance and coordination on editing and production workflows;

− Assist technical programs in establishing terms of reference for working with freelancers and commercial vendors;

− Negotiate deadlines and terms with originating technical entities, when appropriate;

− Provide guidance to authors and administrative support staff on how to work with freelance editors;

− Review scientific and technical manuscripts to ensure that the style, terminology, organization, and presentation of the Organization’s publications conform to established product typologies, style norms and quality standards for timeliness, accuracy, editorial consistency, and readability; − Provide editorial support during times of public health emergencies; − Provide training where necessary to technical staff on in-house publications software usage, and relevant manuscript content development.

b)   Provide guidance to the Organization on editorial and publishing matters:

− Assist in the development of and adherence to the Organization’s publications policy;

− Assist in the development and implementation of style guidelines;

− Prepare, update, and maintain guidelines governing the work of editors.

c)    Coordinate the external network of Spanish freelance editors in order to ensure that the Organization’s editing and production processes are cost-effective and timely, and adhere to the highest standards of quality:

− Establish working relationships with regional partners to strengthen the network of freelance editors and broaden its geographical scope;

− Recruit and vet candidates for the freelance editors’ network on an ongoing basis; evaluate the work of freelance editors; provide guidance and recommendations for assigning editing tasks to the most appropriate freelancer based on standard criteria; − Review freelancers’ work to ensure quality standards and adherence to internal style;

− Resolve freelance editors’ queries or work with requesting technical entity to resolve issues;

− Approve edited texts before submitting to requesting technical entities.

d)   Collaborate in the development and maintenance of the Organization’s Publications portal;

e)   Perform other related duties, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Essential: A bachelor’s degree in languages, communication, journalism, international studies, business administration, social sciences or a health related field from a recognized university.

Desirable: Specialization in publishing or a master’s degree in public health or a related field would be an asset.

In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position.  WHO, only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org and College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process.

Experience:

Essential: Seven years of combined national and international professional experience in writing and editing scientific and technical material, publications production, and other related publishing activities.

Desirable: Editorial and publishing experience with an international organization or an international nongovernmental organization, preferably in the field of public health, medicine, or international development, including supervisory experience, would be an asset.

SKILLS:

PAHO Competencies:

·       Overall attitude at work: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to the Organization’s mandate and promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.

·       Teamwork: Collaborate and cooperate with others/Deal effectively with conflict – Creates team spirit; promotes collaboration and open communication in the team; proactively supports others; welcomes team responsibilities and drives team results; promotes knowledge sharing in the team. Proactively identifies conflicts and facilitates their resolution in a respectful manner; tactfully resolves conflicts between or with others and takes action to reduce any possible tension; effectively builds a rapport with individuals and teams, establishing good personal and professional relationships, as well as minimizing risk of potential conflict.

·       Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences: Relate well to diversity in others and capitalize on such diversity – Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.

·       Communication: Express oneself clearly when speaking/Listen/Write effectively/Share knowledge – Foresees communication needs of audience and targets message accordingly. Facilitates open communication; encourages others to share their views openly and takes time to understand and consider their views. Writes down ideas in a clear, structured, logical and credible way; drafts and supports the development of guidelines, policies and procedures. Shares relevant information openly and ensures that the shared information is understood; considers knowledge sharing as a constructive working method and demonstrates awareness of the Organization.

·       Producing Results: Work efficiently and independently/Deliver quality results/Take responsibility – Prioritizes work, monitors own progress against objectives and adapts plans as required; communicates adjustments as necessary. Acts proactively and stimulates action as needed; handles problems effectively and constructively. Produces high-quality results and workable solutions that meet clients’ needs. Works independently to produce new results and sets own time lines effectively and efficiently. Shows awareness of own role and clarifies roles of team members in relation to project’s expected results. Makes proposals for improving processes as required and takes responsibility for own work and/or actions, as necessary. Demonstrates positive attitude in working on new projects and initiatives. Demonstrates accountability for own success, as well as for errors; learns from experience.

·       Moving forward in a changing environment: Propose change/Adapt to change – Actively supports Organizational change initiatives and demonstrates personal commitment to them, including when faced with new demands; proposes workable solutions to challenging situations. Engages in positive responses to a changing environment and promotes workable solutions to achieve own and team’s results. Welcomes, and actively seeks to apply, new ideas, approaches and working methods and technologies in order to improve own and/or team’s work processes and results; demonstrates commitment to Organizational change initiatives.

Technical Expertise:

·       A high degree of specialization in Spanish editing.

·       Theoretical and practical knowledge in writing, editing, and manuscript assessment for style, content, and organization; editorial and production processes, including typesetting, printing, and e-publishing.

·       Full command of all the skills involved in editing documents, including the use of terminology databases, research tools, and post editing of raw machine-translated output.

·       Excellent knowledge and skills for the development, organization, and coordination of complex scientific and technical publication projects.

·       Familiarity with public health, international development, and other related fields. − Ability to manage multiple issues and tasks in a complex organizational environment and to reprioritize actions at short notice.

·       Excellent organizational and analytical skills, complemented by excellent communication and interpersonal skills, combined with the ability to write, speak, and present in a clear, concise, diplomatic, tactful, and courteous manner.

Languages:

Excellent command, both idiomatic and technical, of Spanish as mother tongue, and thorough knowledge of English. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset.

IT Skills:

Demonstrated ability to effectively use a computer and utilize software programs such as Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Outlook. Other IT skills and knowledge of other software programs in publishing software and hardware for print and online publishing would be an asset.

REMUNERATION

Annual Salary: (Net of taxes)

USD $64,121.00 post adjustment

Post Adjustment: 70.2% 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.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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

Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual.

For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org

PAHO/WHO is an ethical organization that maintains high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities.

PAHO/WHO also promotes a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior. PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of abusive conduct.

PAHO/WHO personnel interact frequently with people in the communities we serve. To protect these people, PAHO has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoing will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution.

PAHO/WHO is committed to workforce diversity. PAHO/WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

PAHO/WHO offers an attractive compensation package including an annual net salary and post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station and exchange rates (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance).  Other benefits include: 30 days annual leave, dependency benefits, pension plan and health insurance scheme. Benefits for internationally recruited staff may include home leave, travel and removal expenses on appointment and separation, education grant for dependent children, assignment grant and rental subsidy.

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

All applicants are required to complete an on-line profile to be considered for this post.

Candidates will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. A written test and/or interview will be held for this post.  The post description is the official documentation for organization purposes.