Job Purpose
- Leading the Section towards optimum delivery of top-quality language services to the satisfaction of the clients, while ensuring (i) alignment with the overall Language Services Division’s strategy and plans as set by the Manager in consultation with the three Section Associate Managers; (ii) evolution and observance of best practices and standardization measures, (iii) ongoing development and maintenance of the Division and Section’s knowledge base, technology utilization, and roster of external language service providers; (iv) advancement of Section members talents, skills, and wellbeing; (v) continuous coordination with the other two Division’s Sections as appropriate; and (vi) efficient and effective reporting.
- Undertaking all managerial, administrative and leadership functions at the Section level under the supervision of the Division Manager
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Management/Administration
- Advising and coordinating with the Division Manager on workload distribution and flow within Section
- Contributing to all stages of in-house staff recruitment campaigns as appropriate
- Identifying the Section’s outsourcing needs
- Identifying, assessing, and recruiting external freelance/institutional language service providers
- Assisting and advising the Division Manager
- Substituting the Division Manager as required
- Planning, monitoring, and reporting and recommending to Division Manager on all the Section’s financial aspects, including budgeting and payment of external Language Services Providers’ fees
- Verifying payment requests for external Language Service Providers and submitting to the Division Manager
- Reviewing Section-specific personnel-related matters and submitting recommendations to the Division Manager accordingly.
Planning
- Annual plan for Section and its members
- Assisting and advising the Division Manager with/on the Division’s plan
- Individual performance plan
Monitoring & Supervision
- Monitoring Section and individual plans
- Reporting progress to the Division Manager
Leadership
- Instilling team spirit at Section level
- Mentoring and assisting Section members
- Developing a work setting that is conducive to unleashing full potential in an atmosphere free of any form of anxiety, apprehension, or negative drives
- Ensuring all measures are taken to recognize and equitably reward outstanding performance and to spur improvement in case of underperformance
- Undertaking and guiding reconciliation and dispute resolution efforts at Section level
Standardization
- Planning, monitoring, coordinating, and maintaining at Section level
- Coordinating with peer Section Associate Managers
- Advising/reporting to the Division Manager
Editing
- Classifying source documents into three levels based on rubric of complexity and linguistic quality and judgement as input to coordination, planning and assignment
- Enhancing source documents of high importance and/or seriously inferior quality before translation
- Communicating with source document originators (editing, translation, revision, and proofreading) for necessary clarifications/inquiries
- Main editor for major editing projects
- Assigning and supervising minor editing projects
- Quality assessment. The Section Associate Manager bears the main responsibility for the quality of output documents. Practically, this is undertaken by (1) designing a quality matrix for editing tasks and (2) enforcing/supervising the application of the said matrix. The Section Associate Manager is also responsible for mainstreaming/supervising established quality assessment standards and procedures across the Section.
Translation
- High-level monitoring, supervision, and guidance. Practically, this is undertaken through reviewing revisers' outputs on translators' work. Occasionally (20%), the Section Associate Manager will also engage directly with translators by sampling and commenting on their work, and by conducting specialized workshops, seminars, questionnaires, one-on-one meetings, etc. Additionally, the Section Associate Manager’s major role in translators' performance and development plans and assessment contributes to this function. This function shall also be applicable as appropriate to external language service providers.
- Quality assessment. The Section Associate Manager bears the main responsibility for the quality of output documents. Practically, this is undertaken by (1) designing a quality matrix for translation tasks and (2) enforcing/supervising the application of the said matrix. The Section Associate Manager is also responsible for mainstreaming/supervising established quality assessment standards and procedures across the Section.
Revision
- Monitoring, supervision, and guidance. Practically, this is undertaken through reviewing revisers’ outputs and by conducting specialized workshops, seminars, questionnaires, one-on-one meetings, etc. Additionally, the Section Associate Manager’s major role in revisers’ performance and development plans and assessment contributes to this function. This function shall also be applicable as appropriate to external language service providers.
- Quality assessment. The Section Associate Manager bears the main responsibility for the quality of output documents. Practically, this is undertaken by (1) designing a quality matrix for revision tasks and (2) enforcing/supervising the application of the said matrix. The Section Associate Manager is also responsible for mainstreaming/supervising established quality assessment standards and procedures across the section.
Proofreading
- Monitoring, supervision, and guidance. Practically, this is undertaken through reviewing proofreaders’ outputs and by conducting specialized workshops, seminars, questionnaires, one-on-one meetings, etc. Additionally, the Section Associate Manager’s major role in proofreaders’ performance and development plans and assessment contributes to this function. This function shall also be applicable as appropriate to external language service providers.
- Quality assessment. The Section Associate Manager bears the main responsibility for the quality of output documents. Practically, this is undertaken by (1) designing a quality matrix for proofreading tasks; and (2) enforcing/supervising the application of the said matrix. The Section Associate Manager is also responsible for mainstreaming/supervising established quality ass
Interpretation
- Monitoring, supervision, and guidance. The Section Associate Manager designs and administers a regular process whereby samples of interpretation output are compared against transcripts of the respective source discourse. Additionally, the Section Associate Manager conducts weekly interpretation drills following the same process. In all cases, monthly one-on-one and collective meetings are held to discuss feedback, challenges, needs, etc. • Interpreting in crucial meetings/shortage
Annual Meetings
- Main coordinator for Annual Meetings translation and interpretation services
- Planning for requirement assessment, sourcing, interactions, implementation, monitoring, reporting, etc. for language services provided prior to and during the Annual Meetings
- Organizing internal and external teams
- Scheduling Annual Meeting interpretation sessions
- Supervising implementation of Annual Meetings service plans at Section level
- Consulting/advising/reporting to the Division Manager
Development
- Assessing the needs of Section members
- Advising and assisting Section members on/with individual development plans
- Preparing Section collective development plans
- Assisting/advising the Division Manager with/on Division development plans
- Preparing own individual development plan
Knowledge acquisition and dissemination
- Researching sources of language and technology-related knowledge
- Selecting and engaging appropriate sources of knowledge at the Section level in consultation with the Division Manager
- Implementing and monitoring agreed knowledge acquisition and dissemination incidents at Section level
- Suggesting Section specific knowledge acquisition and dissemination incidents. Implementing, monitoring and reporting on selected incidents
- Encouraging and assisting Section members to seek and disseminate knowledge
- Active participation in knowledge acquisition and dissemination incidents as appropriate
- Coordinating implementation of knowledge acquisition incidents at Division level
- Overseeing and monitoring implementation of internships
Technology
- Keeping up with and research relevant technology enhancements and developments
- Selecting and proposing appropriate technology enhancements and developments
- Overseeing the implementation of and monitoring approved technology enhancements and developments at Section level and reporting thereon to the Division Manager
Academic and professional qualifications:
- Master’s degree in applied languages, linguistics or literature; or bachelor’s degree in applied languages, linguistics or literature coupled with a relevant professional post-graduate diploma, certificate or certification.
- Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in editing, translating, revising, interpreting, or teaching applied languages, of which 3 years in a managerial/supervisory role.
- Ability to adapt to changing business circumstances to maintain effective performance of the Section
- Ability to draw actionable steps from IsDB overall strategy
- High degree of confidentiality and protection of sensitive information
- Ability to maintain a rational and objective demeanour when faced with difficult situations
- Ability to carry out performance evaluations at the Section and direct report levels
- Ability to plan and prioritize tasks effectively
- Ability to guide and mentor Section members, identify basis for compromise, and reach agreement in case of disagreement
- Ability to identify risks and implement necessary mitigation measures
- Ability to maintain and promote high standards and identify means to improve current working practices and processes
- Strong command of two to three of IsDB languages
- Excellent and comprehensive understanding of requirements, techniques, assessment, and quality enhancement in the field of language services
- Advanced hands-on information technology skills, particularly translation technology tools (terminology databases and translation memories) and productivity tools such as MS Office suite
- Organization skills
- Attention to detail, accuracy and consistency
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