Result of Service
– Edited and finalised materials, including politically sensitive or complex documents, are accurate, cohesive, and aligned with United Nations standards, policies, and practices. – End-products such as publications, leaflets, brochures, newsletters, videos, and presentations are completed, approved, and sent for printing or published online according to the projects’ work plans. – Relevant sections of the UNICRI website are updated accurately and in a timely manner, using the designated content management system (CMS). – New information materials are designed, finalised, and aligned with editorial and branding standards, enhancing UNICRI’s outreach efforts. – Files for all produced materials are systematically stored in accessible and retrievable formats for ease of future use. – Editorial guidelines, desktop publishing standards, and templates are developed or updated to improve the efficiency and quality of future outputs.
Expected duration
6 months (minimum)
Duties and Responsibilities
The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) is a United Nations entity established in 1968 to support countries worldwide in advancing justice, crime prevention, security, and the rule of law in support of peace, human rights and sustainable development. UNICRI is mandated to assist intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organizations in formulating and implementing improved policies in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. UNICRI’s goals are: • to advance understanding of crime-related problems; • to foster just and efficient criminal justice systems; • to support the respect of international instruments and other standards; and • to facilitate international law enforcement cooperation and judicial assistance. UNICRI regularly produces public information materials that are disseminated and made available to relevant stakeholders and the general public to promote knowledge sharing, raise awareness of priority issues, and generate interest in the Institute’s activities. Producing and disseminating high-quality public information materials is essential to enhancing UNICRI’s image and sustaining the engagement of the public, potential partners, and donors. UNICRI is seeking the services of a consultant with expertise in editing, content creation, and proofreading. The selected candidate will be responsible for editing and proofreading materials, particularly publications to ensure they are accurate, coherent, and aligned with UNICRI’s style, objectives, and editorial standards. The incumbent will also support the production of high-quality content such as articles, reports, presentations, speeches, website updates, and social media posts. This role requires a strong ability to research, write, and adapt content for diverse audiences and platforms, as well as attention to detail to produce polished final outputs. Specific tasks to be performed by the Content Editor: Under the supervision of the Associate Public Information Officer, the individual contractor will carry out the following tasks: – Edit complex or politically sensitive materials, to ensure accuracy, clarity, cohesion, and conformity with United Nations standards, policies, and practices. – Ensure all materials are factually accurate, consistent, and aligned with UN editorial guidelines. – Carry out more extensive editing when required, including rewriting, abridging, and restructuring texts for greater readability and logical sequence. – Perform final checks to correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors. – Research, write, and adapt content for various platforms and audiences, maintaining clarity, relevance, and engagement. – Update UNICRI website sections using the designated content management system (CMS). This includes creating, editing, and publishing content; managing multimedia uploads such as images, videos, and documents; maintaining consistent formatting and layout in line with UNICRI’s branding standards; and ensuring proper categorisation and tagging for ease of navigation. The consultant will also collaborate with technical teams for more complex updates, and suggest improvements to enhance the website’s functionality and user experience. – Assist staff of substantive units with the drafting of documentation and provide advice on matters concerning editorial policy and practice. – Collaborate with authors and translators to clarify ambiguities and rectify substantive errors. – Conduct research to ensure the accuracy and coherence of content. – Assist in drawing up guidelines for editors from other teams or partners and determining desktop publishing standards and practices. – Advise and collaborate with graphic designers on standard pagination, layout, and formatting to ensure alignment with editorial and publishing standards. – Collaborate with team members to align content with strategic priorities and provide input on effective messaging and delivery. – Perform other work-related duties as required.
Qualifications/special skills
Education: An advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) in English, Linguistics, Translation, Communication, Journalism, Law, International Relations, or other related field, such as Social Sciences or Political Sciences, is required. A first level university degree (Bachelor or equivalent) in the same fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master degree. Work experience: A minimum of five (5) years of experience in writing, editing, and preparing communication materials, including complex research, policy, and programmatic information, presented in reader-friendly formats and styles is required. Computer literacy: Demonstrated proficiency in standard software applications, including MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) is required. Experience with content management systems (CMS), along with basic knowledge of web publishing tools, is required. Experience with editing complex, web-based, or multilingual publications, as well as publishing production techniques and standards, is desirable. Experience in designing templates and tools for communication materials is desirable. Previous relevant work experience within the United Nations System or similar large international organizations is desirable. Experience in specific CMS platforms, such as Drupal, WordPress, Joomla, Adobe, or similar systems, is considered desirable. Experience with design tools such as Adobe Creative Suite (e.g., InDesign, Photoshop) and Canva, is desirable.
Languages
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of at least one other official United Nations language is desirable.
Additional Information
Not available.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.