Copy-Editor (English) Jobs

Organizational Setting

The war in Ukraine has placed the entire Ukrainian agrifood system at risk, with significant consequences for food security both in Ukraine and globally. The destruction or damage to agricultural infrastructure and markets, and the disruption of food supply chains is threatening the food security of already vulnerable populations. Agriculture-based livelihoods, a key source of income for 30 percent of the population, are severely impacted. While many Ukrainians are fleeing their communities and/or the country, a significant proportion of the population is staying, facing extreme challenges and thus requiring multisectoral humanitarian assistance.

In this context, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is uniquely positioned in Ukraine to implement a multidimensional and innovative strategy to sustain and restore agrifood systems at scale.
Capitalizing on its technical expertise and in-country experience, in 2023, the strategic approach of the Organization will focus on restoring food security and self-sufficiency in front-line communities (Pillar 1); restoring critical agricultural production and value chains (Pillar 2); and enhancing coordination and technical support to the functioning of critical food system services (Pillar 3). FAO has expanded its presence in Ukraine and established a strong multidisciplinary team. FAO’s country office remains in Kyiv, with field offices in Lviv and Dnipro.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the Regional Representative and of the de-facto Head of the Office/Budget Holder, the Designated Responsible Officer in Ukraine, and the direct supervision of the FAO Ukraine Communication Coordinator and the technical guidance of the REU Communication Officer for Europe and Central Asia, Copy-Editor (English) will contribute to raising the visibility of FAO’s ongoing work in Ukraine, working in accordance with FAO’s corporate communications policies and practices

Technical Focus

Text fully copy-edited in English and delivered to the Supervisor.

Tasks and responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Regional Representative and of the de-facto Head of the Office/Budget Holder, the Designated Responsible Officer in Ukraine, and the direct supervision of the FAO Ukraine Communication Coordinator and the technical guidance of the REU Communication Officer for Europe and Central Asia, Copy-Editor (English) will contribute to raising the visibility of FAO’s ongoing work in Ukraine, working in accordance with FAO’s corporate communications policies and practices, and will perform the following tasks:

• Checking cross-references and consistency of references in the text against the bibliographic reference list;
• Ensuring consistent and correct use of currency symbols and numbers;
• Checking against available on-line resources (FAO house style; FAO terminology portal http://www.fao.org/faoterm, FAO country names portal http://termportal.fao.org/faonocs/appl/, Publishing at FAO – Strategy and guidance, etc.);
• Delivering edited text, in Word in track-changes mode as well as a clean version including: all objects (tables, figures, boxes, photos, etc.), their numbering and cross-reference in text (use of Word captions/cross-reference function for automatic renumbering of objects) ; document structure (heading levels to be clearly differentiated using heading styles, to allow proper layout by the graphic designer); references and bibliography (verify accuracy and make corrections); list of acronyms ; numbers in general (use of non-breaking space for thousands, etc.);
• Performing two rounds of corrections following divisional quality checks.
• Improving style, flow, clarity and quality of the language and readability;
• Correcting grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and typos;
• Ensuring that FAOSTYLE has been applied;
• Flagging any problems that require decisions relating to the substance of the work;
• Checking appropriateness of photos (including captions and copyright) used in the document, bearing in mind relevance to content, gender and geographical balance;
• Ensuring that country names are correct (as per FAO NOCS) and in the correct order (alphabetical if no specified order or ranking);
• Checking internal consistency of the text, data, figures (including maps), tables and boxes;

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Familiarity with layout and design software.
• Excellent knowledge (mother tongue) of the FAO language of the manuscripts to be copy-edited;
• University degree (or higher if specifically required) or relevant technical training/qualification;
• 2 years of experience in the related field(s);

FAO Core Competencies

• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
• Communication
• Results Focus
• Teamwork

FAO Core Competencies

• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Results Focus

• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted. http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/.
• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances. Subject to certain exemptions, vaccination against COVID-19 will in principle be required. Vaccination status will be verified as part of the medical clearance process.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, visit the FAO employment website:
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help, or have queries, please contact: [email protected]

• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/

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