Registrar, Judicial Certified Translation and Interpretation at Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Role Overview

• Under the supervision of the Deputy Chief Registrar, the Registrar Judicial Certified Translation and Interpretation shall be responsible for the coordination, supervision, monitoring and of the activities of the   udicial Certified Translation and Interpretation Division. 
• S/he shall ensure efficient  interpretation, translation and  revision of all administrative and legal documents relating to the work of the court.  S/he shall provide direct supervisory role to Interpreters, Revisors and Translators.

Role and Responsibilities

• Ensure the smooth operation of the division, ensure that assignments are delivered on time.
• Verify the quality of all assignments before submission.
• Ensure that all Verbatim Reports are available in the three ECOWAS Languages.
• Submit each court’s session Verbatim Report in the three languages to the Judges, the Chief Registrar, the Deputy Chief Registrar,the Registrar Case Management, the Registrar, Judicial Records, Archives and Publications, the Library and all relevant stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain a roster of staff  onsite and offsites assignments.
• Monitor the regular transmission of reports of assignments carried out by Revisors, Interpreters and Translators.
• Ensure that the Court has the relevant technological tools to facilitate its work.
• Ensure the creation and usage of a dedicated e-mail address for all translation work.
• Make sure that the division has an up-to-date glossary that is relevant to the Court’s terminologies
• Ensure the maintenance of highly competent Translators and Interpreters
• Provide supervisory role to all supervisees.
• Performs any other related tasks as may be assigned by supervisor.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Translation/Interpretation from a recognized university/institution. A certificate in law would be an advantage.
• 10 years of experience in translation or interpretation, at least 4 of which should have been revision experience or as a staff interpreter.
• Demonstrated experience in the use of relevant computer assisted translation software/ tools.
• Demonstrated understanding of how to “weigh” interpretation teams.
• Demonstrated professional competence and mastery of subject matter.
• Demonstrated comprehension of every imaginable accent, in addition to coping issues of speed and style.
• Ability to find proper cultural equivalents and take cultural context into account through knowledge of both languages and culture.
• Exhibit highest standards of accuracy, consistency and faithfulness to the style and nuances of the original text/source language(s).
• Ability to maintain the highest standards of confidentiality.
• Knowledge of terminological and reference research techniques with ability to use wide variety of references and information.

Age limit:

• Be below 45 years old.
• This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

ECOWAS Key Competencies:

• Ability to lead in assigned programmes and projects by providing the necessary managerial and operational expertise required for the fulfilment of the organization’s mandate.
• Ability to lead by example and organize teamwork to encourage cooperation to achieve targeted results, champion and build momentum for change and to bring about employee engagement.
• Develop and implement internal controls for the pilot program to manage potential barriers to implementation.
• Ability to respect the chain of commands in an appropriate manner.
• Excellent self-management skills, demonstrating ethics and integrity, confidentiality and displaying due regards for internal controls of rules, delegations and transparency.
• Ability to bring together complementary skills/expertise, assess individual contributions and recognize/address accomplishments and shortcomings in a manner that brings continued success to the organization.
• Knowledge of program management at the level usually acquired from a certification in program management.
• Ability to research benchmarks and trends to bring about the best recommendations for the development and improvement of programs/projects that will best serve the community/organization.
• Well-developed networking and interpersonal skills to seek feedback, information and data from a network of professionals from multiple countries/sectors/organizations and to identify and prioritize the most critical community requirements.
• Ability to manage and coordinate client management initiatives and make recommendations.
• Ability to develop and implement best practices in client services.
• Ability to develop and implement stakeholder management plans, programs and initiatives to obtain buy-in on new initiatives, to better understand dissenting views, to obtain resources and to increase perceptions of success.
• Ability to be diplomatic, tactful, and respectful of other people from varied backgrounds, understanding diverse cultural views especially within West Africa with the ability to convert diversity into opportunities to improve program/operational outcomes.
• Ability to create a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths bringing together innovative practices.
• Ability to remain objective in managing conflict regardless of cultural differences /positions, gender differences, and encourage other staff to overcome cultural and gender bias and differences.
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Ability to serve the interest of culturally diverse multinational teams/organizations/communities and people with disabilities without prejudice and bias.
• Understanding of the ECOWAS organizational structure, associated dynamics and expectations as required to collaborate, participate, contribute and lead effectively.
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political, and social situation and trends in member states, as pertains to own scope of work.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS best practices, program management approaches and research techniques to lead and/or contribute to the development or assessment of programs, projects, or initiatives.
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS rules and procedures in order to appropriately interpret and apply directive text, provide technical advice, coach others and assess performance.
• Ability to analyze a situation by using indicators to assess the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success, in making decisions.
• Ability to pull together information from different sources to identify the cause of problems, consequences of alternative causes of action, potential obstacles and ways to avoid the problem in the future.
• Ability to break down very complex situations/information into simple terms to explain recommendations and conclusions aimed at solving problems or improving operations/programs/projects.
• Ability to develop new insights into situations, apply innovative solutions to problems and to design new methods of addressing issues or disconnects where established methods and procedures are inapplicable or no longer effective.
• Ability to communicate with impact, clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner conveying credibility & confidence when making presentations, setting expectations and explaining complex issues.
• Ability to listen intently and correctly interpret messages from others and respond appropriately.
• Accomplished technical writing and editing skills.
• Exhibit active listening skills to encourage stronger communication amongst team members, to show care and make them feel valued and to drive employee engagement in all institutions and agencies.
• Ability to give constructive feedback, provide recognition, address shortcomings, and motivate direct reports to work at peak performance.
• Proficiency in information communication technologies (ICT).
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
• Organizational and project/program management skills with significant experience identifying timelines, targets, costs and resources necessary to deliver on operational/program/project outputs in line with result-based management approach.
• Ability to set effective goals and targets for self, others, and the work unit and adjusting work or project priorities in response to changing circumstances.
• Ability to use participatory approach in project planning and identify gaps affecting the achievement of program/project expectations and to design and implement intervention plans required to build the desired task.
• Ability to implement rigorous monitoring and evaluation practices and to set in place regular reporting schedules relevant to key outputs.
• Ability to plan, organize, control resources, and to comply with policies, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.
• Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.

ECOWAS Work Environment:

• ECOWAS provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and a healthy work-life balance.
• We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore, we encourage women to apply for positions that suit their competencies. Individuals from minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are also highly encouraged to apply.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of ECOWAS’s workforce.