In accordance with paragraph f. of Article 44 of the General Standards, the official languages of the Organization are English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.  No candidate for a position in the General Secretariat subject to the competition requirement shall be contracted until he/she has passed language proficiency exams administered by the DHR in at least two of the official languages. Nevertheless, i) Any candidate, including staff member whose native language is one of those four languages shall only be required to demonstrate proficiency on an exam in one of the others; and (ii) Persons applying for G-1 and G-2 positions at Headquarters and G-3 driver/clerk positions in those Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States where the language requirement unduly restricts the recruitment of otherwise qualified staff shall be exempt from this language proficiency requirement for as long as they occupy those positions. Subsequently, in order to be eligible to compete for a higher-level position, any staff member who has benefited from this exemption must demonstrate proficiency in a second official language of the Organization. (iii) A person selected as the best candidate may receive a fixed-term contract, which will be considered to have lapsed in case the person does not pass the required language examination within the 36 months following the appointment. 
                                   

Duties and responsibilities:

The Officer/Editor is located in the Editorial Services Unit of the Secretariat to the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation and the Permanent Council. The incumbent reports to the Chief of Staff, Office of the Assistant Secretary General, via the Senior Editor of the Unit under whose immediate guidance s/he works.

The objective of the Unit is to edit the OAS documents and publications and produce the Minutes of the meetings of the General Assembly, Permanent Council, the Preparatory Committee of the General Assembly and the Meetings of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. The Editor is responsible for editing the Minutes of the meetings of the above-mentioned bodies and other documents and publications of the Organization.

Duties and responsibilities:

1.     Edit the verbatim Minutes of the meetings of the General Assembly, the Permanent Council, the Preparatory Committee of the General Assembly and the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs as well as the summary minutes of the committees of the General Assembly, if needed, to produce a clear and accurate permanent record of the meeting, within prescribed deadlines.

The editing is done by:

·       Listening the audio of the meetings and checking the audio against the transcribes texts;

·       Revising the text, making grammatical and stylistic corrections required;

·       Analyzing the text, clarifying the ideas being expressed, if need be, or maintaining intentional ambiguities on the part of the speakers;

·       Verifying the accuracy of facts, dates, statistics, quotations, and citations;

·       Revising text format, accuracy, and consistency of content;

·       Restructuring text for clarity and better logical sequence, if necessary;

2.     Edit other OAS documents and publications as necessary.

3.     Review the work of other/freelance editors for content, format and style, as needed; provide training and guidance to new English editors and transcribers on OAS editorial style, and respond to internal queries on grammar and editorial-related matters.

4.     Assist in carrying out administrative tasks as necessary for the production of minutes and to expedite the Unit’s work.

5.     Participate in the implementation of the ongoing technological modernization of the Editorial Services Unit.

 

qualifications:

Education & Experience: 

Essential: First University Degree (Bachelor’s) in Communication, languages, journalism, humanities or a related area and 4 years of relevant experience in similar positions including professional experience in editorial and/or translation work at the national and/or international level OR Advanced University Degree (Master’s) in one of the fields listed above and 2 years of relevant experience.

Desirable: Experience or knowledge of the OAS mandate and priorities, OAS project management and oversight system as related to the area of work and/or the dynamics of the Inter-American agenda and system.

Computer Skills: Ability to effectively work using Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Oracle, Visio, Access, and SharePoint, as well as software relevant to the area of work.

Languages:

Essential – Proficient in at least two of the following languages: English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish (read, write and communicate). Language proficiency examination will be required.

Desirable – Working knowledge of other two OAS official languages

 

Interpersonal Competencies: Excellent verbal and written communication skills; tact, discretion, and diplomacy; strong presentation abilities; proven experience in teamwork and collaboration; adapt at multitasking and managing multiple projects simultaneously.

The GS/OAS embraces equality, diversity and inclusion. Thus, the GS/OAS, in accordance with its rules and regulations, is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, achieving a diverse staff, and will take into account a wide geographic representation, as well as gender equity and equality, in the selection of candidates. 


 

Please note that the mandatory retirement age for staff members at the General Secretariat of the OAS is 65 years. Please note that the mandatory retirement age for staff members at the General Secretariat of the OAS is 65 years.