Chief, Documents and Language Services, SEC

ID

32597

Location

ROME

Date of issue

12/16/2025

Close Date (Midnight, Rome Time)

01/19/2026

Organizational Unit

Office of the Secretary

Full/Part Time

Full-Time

Regular/Temporary

Regular

Assignment Duration

2 Years

Grade

P-5

Organizational Setting

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.

The Office of Legal and Governance (OLG) leads IFAD's governance dialogue with Members and provides strategic leadership and authoritative advice at the institutional level on all aspects of IFAD's work. In this manner, OLG guides the Fund's high-level strategic, corporate and operational policy discussions and decisions, protecting the institution and maximizing the impact of IFAD's investments. OLG is led by the Chief Legal and Governance Officer (CLGO) and is comprised of two divisions: the Office of the General Counsel (LEG) and the Office of the Secretary (SEC).

The Office of the Secretary of IFAD (SEC) is headed by the Secretary of IFAD and is responsible for IFAD's governance and promoting effective relationship between IFAD and its Member States. SEC is composed of the Front Office, Documents and Languages Services (DLS), Conference and Meeting Services (CMS) and Governance and Membership Services (GMS). The corresponding services work together in support of the Fund's institutional governance, organizing formal and informal sessions of IFAD's governing bodies, from the Governing Council to the Executive Board and subsidiary bodies, through the provision of a series of services and interactions ranging from official contact with Member States and potential Member States, provision of documentation for Governing Bodies in the four official languages of the Fund, organization of formal and informal governing body meetings and safeguarding multilingualism through the provision of translation and interpretation services.

The Chief, Documents and Language Services (DLS) works under the direct supervision of the Secretary of IFAD.

Job Role

The incumbent has the principal responsibility to lead the delivery of highest editorial and linguistics standards of all IFAD documentation and related language services including editing, translation, terminology and interpretation. They are also responsible for the overall planning of all aspects related to documentation for formal and informal meetings of IFAD's governing bodies and for leading the team of language professionals and assistants working in the four official languages of IFAD: Arabic, English, French and Spanish. They will also be responsible for identifying, implementing and managing the use new digital tools to support language services delivery, including workflow platforms, translation management systems, machine-assisted translation and AI-enabled solutions, while assuring quality output within a restricted financial envelope.

Key Functions and Results

1. STRATEGIC CHANGE AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: The incumbent will:

2. Ensure SEC-DLS acts as a proactive unit in the identification and implementation of strategic changes, building the reputation and image of SEC and SEC-DLS as a strategic and innovative partner.

3. Be responsible for monitoring ongoing practices and designing, developing and executing changes in SEC-DLS in line with IFAD's evolving corporate strategies and market best practices.
4. Provide guidance and consultation to the Director to ensure change and knowledge management in SEC-DLS are inform and are be informed by the overall SEC strategy and activities.
5. Keep under review the impact of change in SEC-DLS.

The Chief of the Documents and Language Services Unit (SEC-DLS) is responsible for promoting multilingualism and plays a key role in the exchange of information between IFAD and Member States with regard to IFAD's commitment to multilingualism. This includes the commitment to ensure consistency of messaging across languages, and providing advice and guidance on language matters, including managing risk (e.g. reputational, compliance) in multilingual communications.

1. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF DOCUMENTS AND LANGUAGE SERVICES OPERATIONS: The incumbent is responsible for all aspects related to documents and language services operations, including editing, translation, revising, proof-reading, post-editing, to ensure high-quality, timely and cost-effective service delivery of documents in the four IFAD official languages, i.e. Arabic, English, French and Spanish. This includes, but is not limited to:

2. Oversee all aspects of documents and language services operations including document differentiation, workload planning, workflows, budgeting, staffing, vendor contracts, training, performance metrics, consistency across languages, and quality assurance.

3. Develop and implement templates, manuals, policies, procedures, standards, and best practices for documents and language consistency across IFAD.
4. Develop the work programme of SEC-DLS, including the detailed assignment and review of priorities.
5. Analyse, modify and update roles, responsibilities and activities of the unit ensuring alignment of SEC-DLS with IFAD's evolving corporate strategic objective. Manage the implementation of all change and development-related plans agreed for the units; review, refine and amend these plans as necessary.
6. Set standards and establish quality assurance mechanisms fully utilizing the skills and roles of the language specialists. Ensure that suitable candidates are identified and tested as viable external language specialists.
7. Develop and monitor the effectiveness of operational procedures, ensuring that standards of efficiency, quality and timeliness are maintained in the execution of activities undertaken.
8. Identify and incorporate changes to current work methods to better address workload demands.
9. Develop a strong professional relationship with colleagues inside and outside the Organization.
10. Develop and strengthen technical collaboration, exchange of experience and methodological approaches with IFIs, other United Nations agencies and intergovernmental organizations.

11. Keep under constant review the need for change and development of SEC-DLS, making recommendations for, and managing the implementation of, improvements as appropriate.

12. FOSTER INNOVATION AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY: The incumbent fosters innovation and use of technology (e.g. translation tools, translation management systems, workflow solutions and platforms, terminology databases, machine-assisted translation and AI-enabled solutions) to improve efficiency and quality.

13. STRATEGIC PLANNING, MONITORING AND REPORTING: The incumbent supports the Director in divisional strategic planning, as well as monitoring the Divisional Management Plan, the Divisional Mid-Term Plan and the budgetary resources under their purview. They also perform other monitoring and reporting activities to enhance the Division's performance and facilitate the strategic decision-making process. This includes but is not limited to:

14. Identify areas of high and low results through data analytics, and benchmarking against other IFIs and International organizations.

15. Outline a roadmap for the short- and long-term management of activities and changes, related to the operations of IFAD's documents and language services.
16. Monitor and report on divisional and corporate key performance indicators, analysing trends, identifying changes required, mitigating actions to be taken and making strategic recommendations.
17. Develop the annual budget for DLS and manage the effective use of the funds allocated.
18. Proactively support the Secretary of IFAD in strategic planning and oversight activities and resource allocation analysis.

19. Liaise with documents and language services of sister organizations and IFIs with a view to identifying best practices and opportunities for streamlining and enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of the services.

20. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The incumbent manages a team of internal staff and external language specialists and is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources and assumes management responsibility for the operations of SEC-DLS in terms of human and financial resources, ensuring conformity with defined outcomes and objectives. This includes:

21. People management through recruitment, performance and career management of staff while meeting the needs of IFAD. Lead, manage and motivate staff, evaluating performance, mentoring, coaching and ensuring professional development and that staff members' competencies are developed. Oversee and ensure the use of human resources; assess their adequacy; and recommend changes, if and as required, to the Secretary of IFAD.

22. Resource management by providing strategic and technical advice and ensuring that best practices are continuously identified, documented and made available to colleagues.
23. Information technology management by leveraging process management functionality for improved business results, simplification of transaction and reporting processes and improved client service.

Key Performance Indicators

The impact of this role is both conceptual and managerial. The actions of the incumbent include delivering results that affect core corporate services to IFAD's governing bodies and are crucial to IFAD as a whole. Their actions are recognized throughout the organization and establish corporate standards.

The key performance indicators for incumbent includes leadership in analysis and development of these services, strategic recommendations of a managerial nature and decisions on major operational questions concerning the approach to the delivery of the services provided by the Documents and Language Services Unit.

Working Relationships

The incumbent is focused on serving as a credible and innovating voice in the Fund providing authoritative technical expertise and recommendations on the delivery of core corporate services. They are required to liaise regularly with specialized networks of IFIs and UN organizations at the global level (including RBAs) and international associations representing language services providers for updates, sharing of knowledge and expertise and negotiations on working and contractual conditions.

Job Profile Requirements

Organizational Competencies:

Level 2:

• Building relationships and partnerships - Builds and maintains strategic partnerships internally and externally
• Communicating and negotiating - Acquires & uses a wide range of communication styles & skills
• Demonstrating leadership - Leads by example; initiates and supports change
• Focusing on clients - Contributes to a client-focused culture
• Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating - Challenges, innovates & contributes to learning culture
• Managing performance and developing staff - Manages wider teams with greater impact on others and on the organization
• Managing time, resources and information - Coordinates wider use of time, information and/or resources
• Problem-solving and decision-making - Solves complex problems and makes decisions that have wider corporate impact
• Strategic thinking and organizational development - Staff in management and/or strategic leadership roles
• Team working - Fosters a cohesive team environment

Education:

• Level - Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) from an accredited institution in a technically relevant area. The advanced university degree may be substituted by a relevant first university degree and a specialized professional certification.
• Areas - Linguistics, communications, language studies, business or public administration, social sciences or related fields.

Degree must be an accredited institution listed on .

Experience:

• At least ten (10) years of progressively responsible professional experience.
• Three (3) years- experience in leading management operations in a multi-lateral development bank or international financial institution, investment bank or United Nations organization providing support on a global scope.
• Professional experience in managing support to governing bodies, with a particular focus of organizing documentation for multilateral meetings, conference and seminars, and in language services.
• Proven experience in planning, managing human and financial resources as well as organizational change.
• Knowledge of Machine-Assisted-Translation tools and other related technologies is highly desirable.
• Experience in handling multiple tasks with tight deadlines and often changing/conflicting priorities.
• Proven negotiation skills with different clients and within different contexts.
• Experience with technological tools related to Language Services.

Languages:

• Required English (4 - Excellent)
• Desirable: French, Spanish, or Arabic (3 - Good)

Skills:

• Advocacy: Ability to leverage IFAD knowledge and/or communication materials to maintain and promote constructive dialogue around IFAD`s vision and strategic priorities to external actors
• IFAD governance & mandate: In depth knowledge of IFAD`s governance structure, mandate, strategic priorities and technical work
• Languages: Strong technical know-how and professional expertise related to Arabic, English, French, Spanish translation of official written documents and correspondence on a wide variety of topics, accurately, consistently and faithfully to the spirit of the original meaning and style.
• Policy dialogue: Know-how in the representation of IFAD as a trusted and strategic partner; effective consultations with IFAD counterparts - like ministries and governmental bodies at all administrative levels, donors, civil society
• UN and IFI documentation & processes: Knowledge of the relevant policies, rules, regulations and guidelines on document processing and distribution within the UN and other IFIs
• Risk management (e.g. reputational): Identification and assessment of potential liabilities and risks in IFAD's activities, particularly vis-à-vis third parties; ability to handle risks via contingency and mitigation strategies
• Stakeholder management: Strong alignment capabilities and consultation skills, building on effective interactions and relationships with different stakeholders (e.g. for the co-creation of communication material with member states) and ability to build and maintain a strong network (e.g. with journalists, media outlets, etc.)
• Change management: Role modelling, anticipation of key risks & conflicts and formulation of contingency plans/solutions, action-oriented
• Client orientation: Strong critical thinking combined with communication skills to liaise between the business and technologies to understand business problems and needs, document requirements and identify solutions
• Confidentiality & Discretion: Establishes self and division as trusted advisor to internal stakeholders by maintaining high level of discretion and confidentiality in assignments; demonstrates sound judgement when dealing with sensitive and/or confidential matters; drives good governance and is a "Culture Carrier" demonstrating IFAD institutional conscience through his/her work.
• Leadership: Group thought leader, sought out by others and providing mentorship and effective guidance to others; Ability to build trust, inside and outside the organization by acting as a role model for IFAD's core values and competencies, and to provide a clear sense of direction, mentorship and effective guidance to the team, strategizing the IFAD's goals, giving the vision, empowering the team and ensuring a positive environment for all.
• Political acumen: Ability to conduct sound political analysis and understand complex environments, providing options and advice
• Verbal communication: Clear, succinct and convincing verbal communication; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language
• Written communication: Clear, succinct and convincing written communication in the language needed for specific role; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language (e.g. for drafting of position papers, briefings, etc.)
• Programme/Project development, management: Know-how in Programme/Project development, implementation, management

Other Information

Representatives or alternate representatives of Member States on the IFAD Executive Board, Governors or alternate governors to the IFAD Governing Council and other Member States Permanent Representatives and their Alternates to IFAD (collectively ''IFAD Member States Representatives'') who apply for or take up any type of employment with IFAD may do so only after a twelve-month period has elapsed after the effective date of cessation of their IFAD Member States Representatives responsibilities as established in the notification of termination of functions communicated through the official channels.

IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD. In accordance with IFAD's Human Resources Policy, the President can decide to assign them to any of the activities of the Fund. All International Professional staff members are required to be geographically mobile and positions in the professional category are subject to changes in location at any time in line with strategic priorities and reform initiatives in IFAD.

IFAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic, social or political background, colour, nationality, religion, age, gender, disability, marital status, family size or sexual orientation in line with its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy and the Policy to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse.

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