The Position:

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the United Nations reproductive health and rights agency that expands the possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy and productive lives. It is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Rwanda is seeking an international consultant with expertise in editing to enhance the quality and consistency of its wide range of publications. The selected candidate will be engaged on a retainer basis, providing services on-call as requirements emerge throughout the contract period. The consultant will provide writing, copyediting, and proofreading services for a high volume of work to be completed by 31 December 2026.

The selected international consultant will work under the direction of the UNFPA Communications Analyst to write, edit and/or proofread English language documents, ensuring high quality content for publication purposes.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Rwanda is seeking an international consultant with expertise in editing to enhance the quality and consistency of its wide range of publications. The selected candidate will be engaged on a retainer basis, providing services on-call as requirements emerge throughout the contract period. The consultant will provide writing, copyediting, and proofreading services for a high volume of work to be completed by 31 December 2026.

You would be responsible for:

Substantive editing 

• Perform all the tasks for a light edit, in addition to the following:
• Rewrite text where necessary to improve flow
• Change text and headings to achieve parallel structures
• Ensure consistent style and tone
• Ensure previews and summaries reflect content
• Flag unclear or incorrect statements
• Monitor the overall structure for logical flow and balance and advise/consult on how to rectify if necessary
• Rewrite, reorganise, or shorten the text to improve logical structure or argument and make communication more effective
• Draft new text as needed
• Eliminate unnecessary and repeated material
• Make suggestions on layout, as appropriate
• Revise the material to take account of comments of reviewers and additional material supplied by the author(s).

Copyediting 

• Ensure consistency of editorial style
• Enter editorial changes to text and tables electronically using track changes
• Check grammar (verb–subject agreement, dangling participles, incorrect or unclear use of pronouns, etc.) and punctuation for correctness and consistency
• Check spelling for correctness, conformity to the UN Editorial Manual, and consistency
• Eliminate jargon, wordiness and inappropriate abbreviations
• Check references, cross-referencing, titles, names, captions, organizations, event titles, etc.
• Propose editorial changes in documents for greater clarity or impact
• Check and add web links as appropriate
• Ensure consistency in brand style 
• Check for proper sequencing (such as alphabetical order) in lists and other displayed material
• Prepare a list of proposed changes to figures or enter changes manually on a printed copy and scan the latter
• Eliminate abbreviations as far as possible and ensure that essential abbreviations are spelled out at the first mention
• Delete excessive italic, boldface, and quotation marks
• Check spelling and presentation of Member States’ names in accordance with the official list of Member State names
• Check proper names (for cities, international conventions, conferences, nongovernmental organizations, named individuals, etc.)
• Edit chapter titles, sections, subsections, lists and table, figure and text box captions for brevity, consistency and parallel construction, and check numbering
• Ensure that UN referencing style has been used for reference lists and bibliographies, and that the information for each reference is complete
• Check that the titles of references cited correspond to the subject matter in the text at the point of citation
• Check that any tables, figures, text boxes, annexes, and web annexes are correctly cited in the text
• Check for and eliminate or query discriminatory language
• Edit or prepare a table of contents
• Prepare instructions for the graphic designer, if needed
• Revise the material to take account of comments of reviewers.

Proofreading

• Ensure consistency of written and visual content in line with the UN online editorial manual as a style guide
• Review text files and page proofs and correct typographical or formatting errors
• Ensure that page numbers, chart labels and captions are error-free
• Ensure that changes made at the proof stage are accurately made by the designer.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

• A Master’s degree in English Language/Literature, Linguistics,Journalism, Media and Communication, or a related field.
   

Knowledge and Experience: 

•  At least 7 years’ relevant experience as a writer and/or editor international level; alternatively, a Bachelor's degree with 9 years of experience.
• Experience editing for United Nations agencies and/or intergovernmental organizations.
• At least 6 samples of relevant previous work submitted with application.

Languages: 

• Expert knowledge of English (as native language).

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity, 
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 
• Embracing cultural diversity, 
• Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.