Technical Editor

General Background 

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,400 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Background information - IPMG

UNOPS strategic focus places increased emphasis on national capacity development and sustainable approaches to project management, procurement and infrastructure services. A key objective is to be recognized as an organization that delivers world-class infrastructure and project management, which is both economically and socially sustainable, even in the most challenging environments. To achieve this goal, UNOPS has established the Infrastructure and Project Management Group (IPMG). 

Within UNOPS, it is IPMG’s objective to serve the organization’s personnel and partners by broadening their infrastructure and project management capabilities, while disseminating best practices in both of these areas. Through this work, the group helps facilitate the successful delivery of programs and projects around the world.

To achieve its objectives, IPMG has established three interrelated and interdependent technical streams, namely, Strategic Initiatives, Standards, and Engagement Assurance, that are supported by the Portfolio Support team. IPMG is managed overall by the Director of IPMG.

Background Information – Job specific

The Standards Team is overall managed by the Head of Standards in close collaboration with the Manager of Standards. The Technical Editor will report to the Manager of Standards and will be working on relevant assigned tasks. 

Working within the IPMG Standards team, the successful incumbent will be responsible for a variety of tasks associated with the delivery of work packages identified on the IPMG Standards work plan. The work packages include IPMG policies, standards, guidelines, template sets and online training courses. The visual designers (currently 2) will report directly to the Technical Editor. The role will also supervise the work of various personnel who are on retainer contracts (non-full-time contracts) and other arrangements that may be required to complete the tasks assigned.

S/he must have excellent communication, team management, stakeholder liaison, coordination and management skills as well as an excellent command of written English. S/he is expected to have a good understanding of data management and Google workspace tools and apps, as well as familiarity with visual design processes and tools. The successful incumbent needs to have the willingness and ability to learn and become familiar with all IPMG policies, standards, guidance and tools that cover a wide range of topics, including project and programme management, infrastructure management (design, construction and contract management).

Working in IPMG, the successful incumbent will be expected to be primarily responsible for providing technical expertise, team management and content coordination and management, as well as various tasks associated with the IPMG Standards annual work plan:

1. Technical expertise

• Provide expertise as a language editor,and/ or coordinate support to be provided by technical writing-focused personnel, for all IPMG Standards content, including, but not limited to, drafting written content (including policies, standards, guidelines, tipsheets, templates, training materials, FAQs, presentations and any other content), as well as structural editing, copy editing and proofreading.

• Provide advice to colleagues on flow, tone, quality of writing, and other aspects related to improving the quality of written content covering a wide range of topics.

• Ensure all IPMG Standards content complies with UNOPS writing and related standards.

• Ensure all IPMG Standards content is aligned with the UNOPS project management methodology and other relevant UNOPS standards and policies.

• Lead the continuous development of the team’s SOPs and guidance for written content and development approach based  identified areas of improvement and relevant on industry standards.

• Lead, motivate, and actively listen to the visual design team and ensure that performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately and timely.

• Provide management support to the visual design team and act as a facilitator, in order to help ensure that the team works collaboratively, defines the best user-focused solution, and applies a consistent approach to the visual design output.

• As needed, provide technical support and/or coordinate the work of other personnel such as interns or personnel on short-term assignments.S/he may have to lead the recruitment of additional specialised resources.
• Create, foster and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards and commitments.

• Manage the translation of IPMG Standards written content (including policies, standards, guidelines, tipsheets, templates, training materials, FAQs, presentations and any other content), primarily into French and Spanish, by coordinating with the colleagues in other units responsible for supporting the delivery of translations.

• Identify areas for improvement of IPMG Standards translated content, with a focus on creating fit-for-purpose and consistent translations.

• Manage or support the communication for release of IPMG Standards products, in coordination with and with the support of the Communications Senior Officer for IPMG.

• Coordinate with Portfolio Support team for the printing tasks and ensuring they are done as per organisational requirements.

• Identify areas for improvement in translation efforts, outreach and communication of IPMG Standards products as relevant. 

• Setting standards, personal and development objectives in Performance Evaluation Review;

• Responsible for monitoring and reporting on set objectives and performance standards against the agreed Performance Evaluation Review and the IPMG Standards work plan; reporting on own progress against work plan.

• Ongoing assessment of task completion, which meets quality expectations;

• Successfully meeting deadlines based on work plan; and 

• Completing progress reports as requested.

Education 

• An Advanced University Degree or a Master's degree is required.

• A first-level University degree or Bachelor's or equivalent with 2 additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master's degree requirement.

• Studies or certifications in a relevant subject area, such as international development, political science, architecture, engineering (civil/mechanical) or project management is an advantage.

Experience 

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in technical content development, such as technical writing, editing and content development team management, is required in combination with a Master’s Degree; 7 years of relevant experience in technical content development, such as technical writing, editing and content development team management, is required in combination with a Bachelor’s Degree.

• A minimum of 2 years of experience managing personnel is required. Managing or coordinating content development teams, creative design teams, multi-disciplinary teams, or teams in an international context is an advantage.

• Experience with Google Suite/Workplace tools and applications is required.

• Some experience or familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud applications, in particular Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator, is an advantage.

• Experience within the UN system or with UNOPS is an advantage.

• PRINCE2® or MSP® Foundation or Practitioner Certifications are an advantage.

Languages

• Fluency in English required; 

• Fluency (or proficiency) in Spanish and/or French is an advantage.