Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). The Interpreters report to the Supervisor of the Conference Services Unit. Successful candidates will be placed on the ECLAC Roster as Portuguese/Spanish interpreters and will be granted temporary appointments under the When Actually Employed (WAE) modality or under the Individual Contractor modality. ECLAC is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations. It was founded in 1948 with the purpose of contributing to the region's economic and social development.
Its mission includes the design, monitoring and evaluation of public policies and the provision of advisory services, expertise and training to Governments, as well as support for regional and international cooperation and coordination activities. Please visit our website at www.eclac.org for further information.
Responsibilities
Duties and responsibilities depend on the Service/Section and duty station in which the temporary position is located and include:
Providing interpretation into Portuguese of speeches given in Spanish.
Occasional assignment to sensitive meetings and possibly functioning as a team leader of all interpreters assigned to a given meeting.
Competencies
PROFESSIONALISM: Has knowledge of a broad range of subjects dealt with by the United Nations, including of a political, social, legal, economic, financial, administrative, scientific or technical nature; is able to work under stress and to deliver high quality interpretation; shows pride in work and in achievements; 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 challenges; remains calm in stressful situations; and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work.
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.
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 decisions, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
Education
A first-level degree or equivalent qualification from a university or institution of equivalent status, preferably one at which Spanish or Portuguese are the principal languages of instruction. In addition, a Master's degree in interpretation, or a Master's degree in translation and/or a post-graduate diploma in Conference Interpretation of at least one academic year of full-time study is desirable. In the absence of an advanced degree in interpretation, a first-level university degree in combination with a minimum of 50 proven days of work in conference interpretation into Portuguese may be accepted as qualifying experience.
Job - Specific Qualification
Residence in Chile is required. Official test certificate for the second language is required. Please attach it to your application. In case you don't have it, please explain how you can provide proof of the language level requirement.
Work Experience
A minimum of 50 proven days of work in conference interpretation into Portuguese is desirable only in the absence of a Master's degree in translation and/or a post-graduate diploma in Conference Interpretation of at least one academic year of full-time study. Pleases explain how you can provide proof of such experience, if needed. Experience in booth interpretation is required. At least two years of experience in a language position or language related job is required.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, either English or French is required. Spanish and Portuguese are required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).
Required Languages
Language | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking
Spanish | UN Level IV | UN Level IV | UN Level IV | UN Level IV
English | UN Level II | UN Level II | UN Level II | UN Level II
French | UN Level II | UN Level II | UN Level II | UN Level II
Portuguese | UN Level IV | UN Level IV | UN Level IV | UN Level IV
Assessment
The Language Roster examination will be conducted entirely online, using a dedicated platform, as follows: Technical test will consist of:
Simultaneous interpretation into Portuguese from recordings of speeches in Spanish (approximately 8 to 10 minutes each). Details regarding the exact timing and arrangements will be sent to the candidates invited to sit the examination. The testing window will be open for a limited time during which candidates will be asked to record their interpretations. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the examination process, when requested and indicated in the application. Applicants will be notified in writing of the Assessment Panel's decision in respect of their application. These decisions are final and not subject to appeal. The Panel does not release individual scores or results.
Special Notice
Applicants' claims to knowledge of any of the official languages of the United Nations must be supported by relevant documentation attached to their application. Further evidence of degrees or diplomas, knowledge of languages, and relevant experience may be required prior to any invitation to sit the pre-selection exam. The purpose of the present advertisement is to invite applications to the Roster examination for interpreters. The aim is to expand the number of qualified interpreters on the roster for employment on temporary appointments.
As indicated in ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1, temporary appointments may be granted for a single or cumulative period of less than one year to meet seasonal or peak workloads and specific short-term requirements. Temporary appointments for interpreters are governed by agreements with the Association internationale des interprètes de conférence (AIIC), whereby a temporary appointment may be granted for a maximum of 729 days (or 521 working days) within a 27-month period at the same duty station. Those granted temporary appointments usually need to work on United Nations premises.
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. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2
(a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2.
(c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.