Responsible to: Manager, Translation and Interpretation Section.

GENERAL

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is an independent intergovernmental agency providing technical advice, assistance, training and research in the service of the 22 Pacific Island countries and territories of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. It currently has a staff of more than 230. SPC is officially bilingual, with English and French being the working languages.

The Translation and Interpretation Section provides linguistic services to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community to assist it in fulfilling its mandate as a bilingual organisation. The Section's main duties are to provide interpretation and translation services for regional conferences, meetings, seminars and workshops and to translate SPC's publications and other documents. The Section also manages a terminology database and provides assistance and advice on all the linguistic aspects of SPC activities. In regards to outside organisations, the Section collaborates with agencies such as the UN and EU on terminology and is a member of JIAMCATT.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1) Conference Services

Based on the team leader's general instructions, the interpreter/translator provides interpretation services at regional technical conferences in SPC's work areas and at the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations and the Conference of the Pacific Community. The Interpreter/Translator:

• provides simultaneous interpretation from a booth to approved standards from French to English and vice versa; and
• may be required to provide whispered or consecutive interpreting services outside plenary sessions.

At conferences held outside Headquarters, the Interpreter/Translator may be called on to translate documents into English.

Interpreters/Translators lead the team on a rotational basis.

2) Escort Interpreting

The Interpreter/Translator may occasionally be required to provide escort interpretation services in consecutive or whispered modes for dignitaries or experts.

3) Translation Services

The workload consists of extension publications; information bulletins for special-interest groups; technical reports and papers; correspondence; announcements and circulars for official SPC contacts, the representatives of governments and administrations and counterparts in other regional or international organisations; information brochures or posters for the general public; and texts for audio-visual productions. The various work areas match those of the SPC, e.g. fisheries and aquacultural activities, such as pearl oyster and fish farming; agriculture; forestry; animal health and stock production; pest control; health; demography; statistics; culture; rural development; renewable energies; women's and youth development; and information and communications technology.

• The Interpreter/Translator works in close collaboration with the English translator. These translations must be to a standard requiring little or no revision. As a general rule, the English Translator and Interpreter/Translator re-read or revise each other's texts.
• The Interpreter/Translator contributes to building-up the Section's terminology resources and acquiring reference documents.
• The Interpreter/Translator responds to requests for terminology information from SPC, other organisations or the general public.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Very important

• Excellent command of English (mother tongue) and thorough knowledge of French.
• University degree in interpreting, qualifications from a recognised school of interpreting or a university degree in a related field combined with extensive professional interpreting experience.
• Minimum of five years' professional interpreting experience in an international organisation or the public service or as a freelance interpreter working mainly with international organisations. Given that, due to the composition of member countries, most interpretation is into French, the incumbent should have English as Language A and French as Language A or very strong B.
• Translation experience in an international organisation or the public service or as a freelance working mainly with international organisations.

Important

• Demonstrated ability to interpret and translate often highly technical material accurately; excellent vocabulary coupled with a keen sense of semantics; thorough understanding of syntax and style.
• Ability to revise translations into English.
• This position requires initiative, good judgement and strong team spirit, along with the qualities required to fit harmoniously into a group comprising colleagues from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.
• Familiarity with and personal commitment to the objectives of international organisations.
• Ability to use a word processor and terminological data bases will be an advantage.
• Candidates should note that the Secretariat of the Pacific Community operates in a Microsoft Office computer environment.

SALARY, TERMS AND CONDITIONS

SALARY AND ALLOWANCE

The starting salary for this position will be SDR 3,234 per month (which is equivalent to CFP 538,429 francs at the prevailing reference exchange rate of 1 SDR = CFP 166.49 francs) in the SPC S1 salary grade. In addition, an Establishment Grant will be payable to non-residents of New Caledonia. SPC emoluments are not subject to income tax in New Caledonia at the present time. The international currency exchange rate at the time of writing is approximately USD 1.00 = 142 francs CFP.

TENURE

The appointment will be for a period of three years in the first instance, subject to a one-year probationary period. The contract may be renewed for a further three years subject to performance and continued funding availability.

DUTY STATION

Noumea, New Caledonia.

ACCOMMODATION

An SPC-owned house or flat will be made available, based on the following deductions from basic salary:

2 bedrooms - 11.5%

3 bedrooms - 12.5%

4 bedrooms - 15.0%

Housing is expensive in Noumea and, despite these standard salary deductions, the cost of housing is heavily subsidised.

LEAVE

Leave will accrue at the rate of 2.5 working days per calendar month of active duty.

SICK LEAVE

Thirty working days per annum.

MEDICAL BENEFITS

The SPC's Staff Medical Insurance, to which the appointee will contribute 1.5% of basic salary, reimburses doctors' fees, cost of prescribed medicines, surgical and hospital costs, etc. up to certain percentages and limits. Supplementary medical insurance is available to increase these percentage reimbursements and limits.

PROVIDENT FUND

The appointee will be eligible for membership of the SPC's Staff Provident Fund. Noumea-based staff contribute six per cent of basic salary to which SPC adds a matching contribution.

FARES AND REMOVAL EXPENSES

For an appointee recruited outside New Caledonia, air fares by the most direct/and or economic route for the appointee and recognised dependants, and reasonable removal expenses by sea of personal and household effects will be met by SPC on appointment and termination.

COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT

SPC has a standardised computing environment based on Microsoft Office running under Microsoft Windows.

SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENT

Smoking is not permitted in the work place.

COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT

SPC has a standardised computing environment based on Microsoft Office running under Microsoft Windows.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

SPC is an equal opportunities employer. Recruitment to SPC staff vacancies is based entirely on merit, but in cases where two shortlisted candidates are judged to be of equal rank by the Selection Committee, preference will be given to Pacific Island nationals.

ADDRESS

Applications should be addressed to the Director General, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, P.O. Box D5, Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia, to arrive by 15 October 2001. Applicants should provide full personal details, describe their qualifications and experience, and explain how these suit them for the specific requirements of the advertised position. Relevant previous appointments, present position and salary, and the names and addresses (including telephone, fax, e-mail contacts) of three referees should also be provided. Testimonials may be provided with the application, but are not considered a substitute for confidential referee's reports, which will be commissioned directly by SPC.

Applications may alternatively, or additionally, be submitted by email to , preferably in plain text or Rich Text Format (RTF).

More can be learned about SPC through the website http:/www.spc.int.