Chief Interpreter (French) - CHLS2 at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) - Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries).

The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth. In order to sharply focus the objectives of the Ten Year Strategy (2013 - 2022) and ensure greater developmental impact, five major areas (High 5s), all of which will accelerate our delivery for Africa, have been identified for scaling up, namely; energy, agro-business, industrialization, integration and improving the quality of life for the people of Africa.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Chief Interpreter (French) - CHLS2

Reference: ADB/18/108
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL3
Position N°: 50001497

The Complex

• The Vice-Presidency, Human Resources and Corporate Services (CHVP) is instrumental in implementing the Bank’s development agenda and strategic focus. CHVP leads efforts to ensure the competitiveness of the Bank as the employer of choice and is responsible for providing leadership in the formulation and implementation of Bank's strategies on people, IT, general services and institutional procurements, business continuity, health and safety, and language services.

The Hiring Department

• The primary role of the Language Services Department is to ensure and facilitate, as required by the Bank's Agreement,  written and verbal communication in the working languages of the Bank (English and French, and on occasion Arabic and Portuguese) on all issues submitted to the Senior Management and governing bodies of the Bank in furtherance of the its mission.
• In this regard, the Department accords high priority to ensuring an accurate and effective flow of communication within the Bank, and also between the Bank, its shareholders, development partners and the public at large, by providing the highest quality of translation, interpretation and terminological services to the Institution
• It also seeks to promote multilingualism to enhance communication among staff and with the Bank’s clients and partners.

The Position

• Under the general supervision of the Interpretation Division Manager, the Chief Interpreter (French) will provide high quality interpretation services (simultaneous and consecutive) at high-level meetings, events and functions of the Bank and contribute to the design and implementation of quality control mechanisms for Interpretation into French.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide  high-quality interpretation at meetings of the Bank, especially at statutory meetings (BOG, BOD, Bank Group Annual Meetings, ADF Replenishment, GCI) and other high-level events;
• Lead large teams of interpreters at high-level flagship events such as the AEC, CoP Meetings, High Level Panels and Summits;
• Monitor and evaluate the performance of all French booth freelance interpreters recruited by the Bank and present periodic reports to the Division Manager thereon for consideration during the annual updating of the roster of freelance interpreters, as part of his/her quality control function;
• Participate in the selection of freelance interpreters in the French booth in accordance with the Guidance Note on the recruitment of consultants for Language Services;
• Serve as quality control focal point for interpretation into French;
• Monitor the work of Principal and Senior Interpreters in the French booth and contribute to their performance evaluation at the end of the year;
• Participate in the recruitment of Principal and Senior Interpreters in the French booth;
• Coach and mentor Senior Interpreters in the French booth as well as new interpreters on the freelance roster;
• Lead and chair working groups tasked with reviewing various issues related to interpretation services, policies and guidelines, drawing on industry best practice;
• Evaluate reports from team leaders regarding issues concerning the French booth arising from meetings and propose  necessary follow-up actions;
• Work closely with the Conference Services of the Bank to ensure that booths and other meeting facilities are in line with industry standards;
• Work closely with the Division manager, as may be necessary, in the coordination of French interpretation activities at Bank Group Annual Meetings;
• Sit, as and when necessary, on the examination panels of Interpretation Schools with particular focus on the performance of graduating students in the French booth;
• Represent the Division on various committees as determined by the Division Manager, especially in preparation of high-level events, and perform any other duties as may be required;
• Act for the Division Manager, as and when necessary. In that capacity, plan, organize and supervise the activities of the Division.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

• A minimum of a Master's Degree or its equivalent in Conference Interpreting, or any other related discipline;
• At least 7 (seven) years of professional experience in a similar organization, with increasing levels of responsibility. Relevant and practical experience in an international organization will be an asset.
• 3  Ability to work under pressure, with calm and serenity, setting priorities and managing multiple tasks simultaneously;
• Capacity to lead, supervise and motivate teams of interpreters in a complex multicultural environment;
• Ability to contribute to strategic thinking with a view to improving interpretation and other business processes of the Language Services Department;
• Ability to evaluate interpreters objectively and give appropriate feedback;
• Ability to coach and mentor less experienced interpreters with a view to enhancing their performance
• Ability to multitask and manage complex interpretation requests and scenarios.

Application Closing Date
21st July, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online