Pipeline - Freelance Language Specialists (Translators/Revisers/Editors/Précis-writers) - (PIP-MTCD-011)

Organization: MTCD-Division of Conference and Document Services

Primary Location: Field (i.e. outside regular IAEA duty station)

Other Locations: Austria

Job Posting: 2025-09-03, 11:52:09 PM

Closing Date: 2025-09-17, 4:59:00 PM

Organizational Setting

The Department of Management (MT) provides a ‘platform of services’ that serves as a foundation for the successful delivery of the IAEA’s scientific and technical programmes. Its mission statement is as follows: “MT is a partner and a business enabler that champions change and efficiency, leveraging a common purpose”. Thus, among other support activities, it assists a scientific manager in recruiting the right expert, helps a technical officer coordinate the purchase of radiation equipment, and ensures that all Board documents are translated and distributed on a timely basis to Member States.

One of the main functions assigned to the IAEA by its Statute is to foster the exchange of scientific and technical information and the dissemination of knowledge in the nuclear field among Member States. To facilitate the effective exchange and dissemination of information relevant to the IAEA's work and mandate, the Division of Conference and Document Services coordinates and supports the implementation of these activities for its users and clients, both internal and external, by organizing meetings and conferences, issuing documents in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish, and editing, printing and distributing publications.

The MTCD Language Services Section (LSS) is responsible for coordinating, managing and delivering language services for the Agency. The Section promotes multilingualism and maintains language standards of the organization through editing and translation of Policy-Making Organ (PMO) documents, incoming and outgoing Secretariat documents and correspondence, web articles and advocacy material, Agency publications and other content.

IAEA Talent Pipeline

The purpose of this pipeline announcement is to enhance the Agency’s roster of highly specialized language specialists (translators, revisers, editors and précis-writers). Under the guidance of the Language Service Head, the incumbent language specialist translates or revises a range of administrative, legal, economic, scientific and technical texts, specifically in the fields of nuclear technology and applications, nuclear safety and security, safeguards and verifications, physics and engineering; edits such documents; and/or drafts official records of Policy-Making Organ meetings.

How does the Talent Pipeline work?

The talent pipeline is open to enable language specialists to express their interest in freelance employment with the IAEA.

The expression of interest received will be reviewed by responsible officers with a view to:

Sourcing candidates for temporary or freelance, home-based opportunities

The engagement duration of the language specialists may be ongoing. Contractual hiring will be in accordance with the rules and regulations of the UN system and, where appropriate, the AITC Agreement. The respective compensation policy will be applied depending on the type of agreement comprising short-term or paid-per-word contracts.

Note: Registration in one of the Talent Pipelines does not guarantee employment with the IAEA.

Please do no re-apply if you are already on the roster.

Talent Profile

The language specialist provides accurate, timely and stylistically appropriate translations/revisions of texts from Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish into English or from English into one of the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish; edits such documents to ensure consistency of style and terminology, as well as clarity of content; and/or drafts official records of Policy-Making Organ meetings. Occasionally, the translation/revision of texts from German or other languages into English is required. The incumbent's work may be checked in-house before being finalized for distribution to Member States and/or members of the Secretariat. Language specialists will be granted access to relevant reference material and to the IAEA terminology database, IAEAterm.

Key Results Expected

To translate a broad range of administrative, legal, scientific and technical texts ensuring that translations are equivalent in meaning and style to the original content: from English into one of the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish, or from Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish, along with German and other languages, into English.
To edit a broad range of administrative, legal, scientific and technical content.
To draft summary records of official Policy-Making Organs (PMO) meetings.
To research terminology to assist in the development of the central terminology database.
To perform any other linguistic duties, as required.

Education, Experience and Language Skills

University degree in languages or a related field; degrees in other fields will be considered, as appropriate.
Excellent oral and written command of official United Nations languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish) with a profound knowledge of their grammar, style and usage, or other languages, is essential.

Relevant experience in translating, revising, editing and/or drafting scientific and technical texts into these languages, specifically in the nuclear field and/or in an international organization, is a strong asset.
A sample of your work of approximately three pages in length, indicating details on the specific type/s of work done and referring to the name/s of the organization/s for which the work was done should be attached to your application in the source and target language.
Knowledge and experience in using Microsoft Office software and IT translation tools, in particular Trados Studio and Multiterm, is required.
Familiarity with the IAEA and its operations is an asset.

Organizational Core and Functional Competencies

Core competencies

Planning and organization
Teamwork
Achieving results
Communication

Functional Competencies

Knowledge sharing and learning
Judgement/decision making
Commitment to continuous process improvement
Client orientation

Applications from candidates from developing countries are encouraged

Applicants should be aware that IAEA staff members are international civil servants and may not accept instructions from any other authority. The IAEA is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. As part of the United Nations common system, the IAEA subscribes to the following core ethical standards (or values): Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for diversity. The IAEA retains the discretion not to make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade or with a different contract type, or to make an appointment with a modified job description or for shorter duration than indicated above. Testing may be part of the recruitment process.