Principal Translator / Reviser (French) at African Development Bank - AfDB

Position Number: 50000496
Position Grade: PL4

The Complex

• The Vice-Presidency, Technology and Corporate Services (TCVP) is responsible for the design, development and delivery of efficient, client-oriented, corporate services and information-technology solutions to ensure overall institutional effectiveness in all aspects of the Bank’s corporate services.
• The Complex provides leadership in the formulation and implementation of the Bank’s strategies, policies, controls and approaches on organizational information technology systems, software applications, cyber security, IT support and infrastructure systems.
• The Complex is also responsible for management of the Bank’s real estate assets, institutional procurement, language services and business continuity.

The Hiring Department / Division

• The Language Services Department is responsible for ensuring quality translation of major Bank documents primarily into English and French, but also into Arabic and Portuguese, as well as other languages as required; providing high standard interpretation in English and French or Arabic and Portuguese, editing documents meant for publication and ensuring quality; analyzing and evaluating strategic choices and making relevant recommendations on the use of English and French within the Bank Group; reviewing, updating and implementing practical guidelines and procedures for the efficient delivery of language services; and assisting partner organizations eliciting the Bank’s assistance in establishing, restructuring or improving their language services; promote bilingualism so as to enhance communication among staff and with the Bank’s clients and partners.
• Within the Language Services Department, the mandate of the French and English Translation Division is to provide high-level translation services by ensuring quality translation of all Bank documents primarily into and from the Bank’s working languages (French from English), and occasionally Arabic and Portuguese, as well as editing key documents such as the Bank Group's Annual Report in English and French.

The Position

• Under the general supervision of the Manager, French and English Translation Division, and the technical supervision of the Lead Reviser, the Principal Translator/Reviser (French) helps the Division deliver its mandate by providing high-level translation and ensuring quality control of translation done internally or externally.

Key Functions
The Principal Translator/Reviser will:

• Contribute to achievement of the objectives of the French and English Translation Division in the Language Services Department and the Bank on translation and multilingualism.
• Translate from English to French, alone or as part of a team (with other in-house or freelance translators), using the Bank’s preferred computer-assisted translation tools, specialized and general dictionaries and glossaries, various documents (policy, administrative, budgetary, financial, legal and economic, social, technical, etc.) prepared or received by the Bank, as well as statements from Senior Management.
• Post-edit pre-translated texts using neural machine translation or other relevant artificial intelligence-enabled tools.
• Check texts to be translated to assess their difficulty and length, determine the reference documents and persons to be consulted, as well as the relevant tools to be used.
• Carry out related research and documentation, including consulting with authors and experts in relevant fields, for clarification, in case of difficulties.
• Revise translations of complex, technical and sensitive documents covering the full range of the Bank’s work, namely reports of an economic and financial nature, statements from Senior Management, audit reports, planning and programming documents, project appraisal reports, legal documents, etc.
• Review translations by junior colleagues and consultant translators to ensure conformity with the source texts.
• When translating and revising work by other colleagues and consultants, ensure a high standard of accuracy, faithfulness to the spirit, style, and nuances of the source texts.
• Observe established terminology and usage and ensure consistency in translation work involving several translators.
• In close collaboration with the Terminologist, create terminology files and glossaries on all areas of the Bank's activities.
• Contribute to the development and sharing of terminology within the Division.
• Perform quality control of aligned documents prepared for terminology extraction and text-base development for translation tools.  
• Coach, counsel, and assist less experienced translators
• Advise on language matters and propose improvements to the translation process.
• Participate in various working groups set up by the Bank to focus on specific issues pertaining to the Department or broader issues of interest to the Bank.
• Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Division Manager or the Lead Translator/Reviser.
• Coordinate translation assignments on Board documents or documents meant for publication, by ensuring that deadlines for distribution and publication are met.
• Where necessary, participate in the annual meetings of the AfDB Group as part of the translation team.

Competencies (Skills, Experience and Knowledge)

• At least a Master's Degree in Translation or in a closely related discipline.
• A minimum of six (6) years of practical experience in translation (particularly in economics, finance and/or law), four (4) of which should have been spent working in or with an international organization (preferably in multilateral development banks).
• Ability to fully use the Bank’s preferred translation and information technology tools in daily work.
• Ability to adjust rapidly to a complex multicultural environment.
• Ability to fit into a multilingual team and maintain seamless working relationships.
• Ability to work independently, with minimum supervision.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and handle sensitive and confidential documentation.
• Excellent writing skills and a sound mastery of various language standards.
• Ability to use all standard Microsoft applications deployed in the Bank and practical knowledge and optimal use of computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools.
• Adequate knowledge of emerging technological trends, especially in artificial intelligence and neural machine translation.
• Capacity to coach and monitor junior colleagues and oversee consultants.
• Demonstrated capacity to produce translations and revisions with a high level of accuracy, faithfulness to the spirit, to the letter, style, and nuances of the source texts.
• Ability to translate from Arabic, Portuguese or other languages to French would be an added advantage.
• Ability to communicate excellently (written and oral) in French and English.