The Language and Communications Training Unit (LCTU) promotes linguistic balance and multilingualism within the Secretariat and improves the language abilities of staff, as mandated by the General Assembly in its resolutions 2480 B (XXIII), 43/224D and 50/11. To do so the LCTU offers language and communication skills courses in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish to staff members at UN Headquarters in New York and also in the Global Secretariat.
The Capacity Development Operational Training Service (CDOTS) provides operational training, including training on enterprise resource management system and leads as the main facilitator of business process management activities in the UN Secretariat.
The Department of Operational Support (DOS) was established to provide end-to-end operational support, advisory services and other solutions to operational entities across the Secretariat, including departments, offices away from headquarters, field missions and regional commissions.
Responsibilities
The duties of the Spanish Language Teacher are to promote multilingualism and to help staff develop more effective work-related communication skills in Spanish. These duties include, but are not limited to the following:
- Teaching Spanish as a foreign or second language courses (all levels, all skills) and specialized high-level communication skills courses to both native and non-native speakers.
- Developing and/or teaching face-to-face, blended, online Spanish language and communications skills courses.
- Developing and updating course curricula, materials and assessments (course projects, continuous assessment tasks, etc.), and correcting student homework.
- Designing and delivering communication skills courses tailored to the specific needs of United Nations offices, departments and agencies.
- Meeting with students to advise and provide individualized feedback.
- Attending meetings and participating in projects to meet the language and communication skills needs of United Nations staff.
- Administering and /or evaluating parts of the Spanish Language Proficiency Exam (oral interviews and written compositions).
- Responding to specific needs linked to the general objectives of the United Nations Language and Communications Programme.
- Performing other duties as required, including corresponding with students, maintaining attendance and grading records and other administrative tasks.
Competencies
Professionalism: Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work
Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others. Places team agenda before personal agenda. Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position. Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
Client orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems. Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects. Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or 5-year equivalent degree) in language area studies, language teaching, applied linguistics, communication or education/pedagogy or related area is required.
Degrees with special emphasis on the theory and practice of teaching Spanish as a second or foreign language to adult learners are desirable.
A minimum of 500 training contract hours (specific training courses, postgraduate courses, etc.), in addition to the hours accumulated to obtain the university degree, in the areas of teaching Spanish as a second or foreign language, technology language area studies, curriculum development for adults, language examination design, communication or education/pedagogy is desirable.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of experience, either full-time or part-time, teaching Spanish as a foreign or second language to adults in a multi-cultural setting (corporate, academic or other professional setting), is required.
At least three years of recent experience in curriculum development, language examination design, and/or teacher training for adults learning Spanish, is required.
Experience developing and teaching Spanish online courses including experience with a variety of web 2.0 tools, such as learning management systems and MOOCs (e.g., Moodle, Canvas, Schoology); online collaboration tools (e.g., Google Drive and Hangouts, WebEx, OneDrive) and social media platforms to teach Spanish as a foreign language is highly desirable.
Experience in teaching Spanish as a foreign language to learners with different levels of language competence, from beginners to advanced students (equivalent to levels A1, A2, B1 and B2 in CEFR, or UN Levels I, II and III) are highly desirable.
Experience teaching to learners at higher levels (equivalent to C1 or C2 in CEFR, or UN Level IV) and teaching preparation courses for Spanish proficiency examinations is desirable.
Experience in grading Spanish language proficiency examinations is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in Spanish is required. Knowledge of English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.
Assessment
Applications will be screened based on the criteria set forth above in regard to education, work experience and languages. All applications will be reviewed by an Assessment Panel.
If a large number of applications are received, an assessment exercise (written test) may take place. The Panel reserves the right to admit to a written test only the most qualified applicants based on a review of the qualifications that are over and above the minimum criteria set out above and an assessment of the work experience as a Spanish language teacher.
Applicants who are invited to sit for the written test will be informed in writing. The written test may cover any area related to second language acquisition, language teaching methodology and evaluation, and course design in regard to teaching Spanish as a second language in a professional setting.
Admission to the written test will not automatically give right to an appointment with the United Nations. Evaluation of qualified candidates may be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice
This position is temporarily available until 31st December 2021, due to the incumbent being on a temporary assignment. Further extension/s of appointment will be dependent upon the return of the incumbent who maintains a lien against this post. If the selected candidate is an internal staff member of the UN Secretariat, the selection will be recorded as a temporary assignment.
While this temporary job opening may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.
Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.
Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.
Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as “retirement.” Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.
This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. The United Nations is not responsible for costs incurred during any stage of the assessment or appointment.
The United Nations Language programme Operates on a trimester basis of three (3) thirteen-week terms that total 39 weeks a year. There is a summer recess of approximately eight weeks, and there are scheduled breaks between terms: approximately three weeks in December and two weeks in April. A normal work week at the United Nations in New York consists of five working days comprising of 36 working hours during seven consecutive days. A full-time teacher is required to teach for 15 hours per week, and spend an equivalent number of hours in the preparation of class work and in the correction of student assignments. In addition, full-time teacher are assigned six hours a week of pedagogical work.
At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.
Staff Members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.
United Nations Considerations
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.
Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.
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.
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