Org. Setting and Reporting

These positions are located at United Nations Headquarters in New York in the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM). They are under the general supervision of the Chief of the German Translation Section. Further details can be found in the language careers section of the United Nations Careers Portal (https://www.un.org/dgacm/en/content/careers) and on the website of the German Translation Section (https://www.un.org/german).

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include: Translating, subject to revision, documents covering a broad range of subjects dealt with by the United Nations, i.e., in the political, social, legal, economic, financial, administrative, scientific and technical fields.

Competencies

Professionalism: Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; 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 difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations; takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. 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 decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. Technological Awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.

Education

Applicants must hold at least a first-level degree or an equivalent qualification in translation, interpretation, modern languages or another relevant subject, such as law, economics or international relations, from a university or institution of equivalent status at which German is the principal language of instruction, or hold at least a first-level university degree from a recognized school of translation. Completion of an advanced degree (Master’s or postgraduate diploma) or PhD in translation, interpretation, modern languages or another relevant subject is preferred.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

No experience is required but relevant work experience may be taken into consideration. Two or more years of practical experience in translation or a related field is desirable.

Languages

Assessment

Applications will be assessed and screened on the basis of how well applicants meet the education, work experience and language requirements listed above, and only those applicants deemed qualified will be convoked for the first part of the examination. The first part of the examination, which will be conducted entirely online using a dedicated platform, is likely to be proctored (invigilated) and will probably consist of the following exercises: (a) Translation into German of a general text in English (approx. 90 min.). It should be noted that this exercise may be eliminatory; (b) Translation into German of a specialized text in English (on an economic, legal or international relations subject) (approx. 90 min.). During this first part, candidates may only have limited access to dictionaries, glossaries or other resources, as determined by the Board. Details regarding the exact timing and arrangements will be sent to the candidates convoked for this first part of the examination. Details of any changes to the format of the test will be posted on the “Competitive examinations for language professionals” section of the United Nations Careers Portal (https://careers.un.org/competitive-examinations-for-language-position?language=en). Please check it regularly. Tips for preparing for the exam can be found on the DGACM website at https://www.un.org/dgacm/en/content/exams-translators-verbatim-reporters-editors. On the basis of the results of the first part of the examination, the Board of Examiners will invite selected examinees to take the second part, which will include a proctored (invigilated) remote test, in which all candidates will probably be required to: (a) Translate a text in English into German; (b) Complete a post-editing exercise; (c) Translate a text in French or Spanish, OR a specialized text in English, into German. During this second part, candidates may only have limited access to dictionaries, glossaries or other resources, as determined by the Board. On the basis of the results in the second part, the Board of Examiners will invite selected examinees to the third and final part, which will comprise a competency-based interview and possibly other additional exercises. The interview is to assess whether the candidate possesses the competencies required for the position (listed above under “Competencies”) and is an integral part of the examination. Examinees who are invited to take the third part should not assume that they will be automatically placed on a roster or offered an appointment. All candidates will be informed by e-mail of the Board's final recommendation in respect of their candidature. The Board's recommendations are final and not subject to appeal. The Board does not release individual scores or results.

Special Notice

The purpose of the present job opening is to invite applications to sit the competitive examination for German-language Translators, which will be held in three parts (see “Assessment” below). Each part of the examination is eliminatory. Only those successful in part one will be convoked to part two, and only those successful in part two will be convoked to part three, and only those successful in part three will be placed on the roster for recruitment. The first part of the examination is tentatively scheduled to take place on 27 March 2026 and will be carried out entirely online. Applicants wishing to sit this competitive examination must submit an application through Inspira, the United Nations Secretariat’s online recruitment platform. Please start this process by clicking on the “Apply Now” button in the electronic version of this Job Opening or the “Postulez” button in its French version. Applications must be submitted in English except for the motivation statement which must be submitted in German. The application process is described in the United Nations careers portal (https://careers.un.org/home). When filling out their applications in Inspira, applicants should write a motivation statement (step 5) of up to 150-200 words in German explaining how their experience, qualifications and competencies match the position(s) for which the examination is being organized. Applications that are incomplete, including those submitted without the required evidence of language skills in "Other information" in step 6 or without the motivation statement requested in step 5, respectively, of the Inspira application form, and applications that are submitted or received after the deadline specified in Inspira will not be considered. Please note that the Staff Rules provide that "an appointment shall not be granted to a person who is the father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister of a staff member" (Staff Rule 4.7 (a)). Applicants must have been born in or after 1970, i.e. be 56 years old or younger at the end of 2026. This requirement is based on the Organization's need to recruit staff who can serve for a reasonable period of time before reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65 years. All applications will be reviewed by the Board of Examiners. In instances where a large number of applications are received, the Board reserves the right to admit to the examination only the most qualified applicants based on a review of qualifications over and above the minimum criteria (see education, work experience and language requirements). All applicants will be notified by email of the Board's decision in respect of their application. The Board's decisions are final. On the basis of the overall results of the examination, the Board will recommend to the official with the delegated authority the names of examinees who qualify for inclusion in a roster of successful candidates. Present and future vacancies for German Translators will be filled from the roster of successful candidates, subject to the requirements of the German Translation Section in terms of, but not limited to, expertise and language combinations. There are German Translator posts in the Documentation Division of the United Nations Secretariat in New York. Successful candidates selected from the roster to fill vacancies are normally offered an initial fixed-term appointment at the P-2 level for a trial period of two years. Upon satisfactory completion of this trial period, they may be promoted to the P-3 level. Fully qualified translators, editors or other language professionals with several years of internationally recognized professional language experience and demonstrated ability to perform high-quality work may be recruited at the P-3 level. After two years of satisfactory service on a fixed-term appointment, the candidate will be considered for a continuing appointment. Fixed-term appointments of those whose performance proves unsatisfactory will not be extended after the trial period of two years. It should be noted that successful candidates are expected to serve a minimum of five years in a language post. It should also be noted that, in accordance with the needs of the service/section/unit, they may be called upon to work outside normal working hours, including weekends and holidays. It should further be noted that, by the end of the probationary period, successful candidates will be expected to translate on a self-revising basis while meeting the required workload standards and deadlines. Successful candidates who receive an offer of appointment are strongly encouraged to accept it, as declining may affect their prospects of receiving a subsequent offer. SPECIAL NOTICE FOR INTERNAL CANDIDATES The combined competitive examination for German Translators in 2026 is open to internal applicants at the P-3 level and below who meet the eligibility requirements, as well as qualified external candidates, in accordance with the provisions of ST/AI/2020/3. It should be noted that the requirement for a university degree or its equivalent from a university or institution of equivalent status (set forth in “Education” below) may be waived for staff members who, in the judgment of the Board of Examiners, have adequate post-secondary educational qualifications from a university or institution of equivalent status and adequate secondary educational qualifications from an establishment, preferably one at which the principal language of instruction is German, in addition to five years of continuous service with the United Nations Secretariat by 31 December 2026. The assignment of staff members of the United Nations who are successful in the examination and are selected to fill vacancies will be subject to the following conditions: Staff members selected to fill vacancies will be assigned as a German Translator for a trial period of two years according to the staff rules in force. Staff members below the P-2 level or in the General Service category will receive a special post allowance to the P-2 level. Staff members at the P-2 and P-3 levels will be assigned at their respective levels. Staff members with a special post allowance to the P-2 level and those already at the P-2 level who successfully complete the trial period and are recommended by the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management and the Office of Human Resources Management may be promoted to the P-3 level. Staff members already at the P-3 level who successfully complete the trial period will be confirmed in their functions at the P-3 level. After two years of satisfactory service on a fixed-term appointment, the candidate will be considered for a continuing appointment. This means that the candidate must demonstrate within that time that he or she possesses the requisite qualifications to serve as a career staff member of the United Nations in order to receive such an appointment. Staff members who do not successfully complete the trial period will be reassigned to posts at their previous levels, and any special post allowance will be discontinued. Staff members from subsidiary organs of the United Nations and staff members whose service is limited to a particular organ, fund or programme of the United Nations or a special mission are considered external candidates for the purpose of this examination. Such candidates, if successful in the examination, will be offered a new appointment with the United Nations, subject to normal United Nations recruitment procedures and standards. Staff members selected to fill vacancies will be recruited as German Translators according to the staff rules in force.

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.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.