INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technologies, with the mission to connect the world. To achieve this, ITU manages the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits at the international level, works to improve communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishes global standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communication systems.
ITU applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. ITU is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. Achieving gender balance is a high priority for ITU.
Roster - Editing Consultant
Vacancy notice no: 2394
Sector: TSB
Department: OPD
Country of contract: Remote
Duty station: Home Based
Position number: [[positionNumber]]
Grade: [[PositionGrade]]
Type of contract: Roster
Duration of contract: six months
Recruitment open to: External
Application deadline (Midnight Geneva Time): 30 November 2026
ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT
The Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB) fulfils the objectives of the Union relating to telecommunication standardization, by providing secretariat support to groups studying technical, operating and tariff questions and facilitating the adoption of Recommendations in these areas with a view to standardizing telecommunications and information technology on a global basis. In order to achieve these objectives, the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau works in accordance with the instructions of the World Telecommunication Standardization Assemblies (WTSA), Telecommunication Standardization Study Groups and the Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group. TSB, headed by an elected Director, provides the technical, administrative and logistic support for the assemblies and for the meetings of the groups mentioned.
The Operations and Planning Department (OPD) is responsible for coordinating and planning support for the activities of the Telecommunication Standardization Sector. It does this through managing the Bureau's activities for organization and planning of assemblies and logistical support to meetings. The Department oversees document processing and provides IT services and solutions for electronic working methods and the development of ITU-T databases. The Department also provides administrative and secretarial support for intellectual property matters and manages the technical editing and final production of ITU-T Recommendations and publications as well as ISO/IEC common texts. The Department collaborates closely with the Departments of the General Secretariat and the Bureaux which are responsible for providing support services.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The purpose of this consultancy is to establish a roster of editing assistants to perform detailed editorial reviews of Recommendations and other ITU-T publications during the transition of the Editing Unit to an updated structure.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Under the guidance of the Head of the Editing Unit, the consultant will perform the following activities:
- Copy-edit in English ITU-T publications of a specialized and technical nature, mainly ITU-T Recommendations, and take all possible measures to improve the quality of the text.
- Check that the texts satisfy the editing norms established by ITU-T (Author's guide, English style guide and other rules for the presentation of ITU texts).
- Check the presentation and layout of textual and graphical material and indicate the corrections required to bring it into line with established presentation norms.
- Check consistency and language and suggest improvements for badly constructed passages.
- Ensure the correct use of upper and lower case and other typographical conventions and, in general, correct faults which impede readability, or points them out to the head of the Editing Unit.
- Ensure that the typographical characters and symbols used in tables, figures, formulas and other parts of the text are legible.
- Seek to obtain any clarification through consultation on ambiguities, technical inconsistencies, or other matters that require clarification.
CONCRETE DELIVERABLES
Copy-edited Recommendations prepared according to the editorial guidelines and agreed work assignments. Examples of edited documents can be found at https://www.itu.int/ITU-T/recommendations/index.aspx?ser=Y
COMPETENCIES
- Proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access, Internet applications and Access databases, etc.).
- Ability to work with remote facilities (e.g. using teleconferencing systems, Remote desktop, MS Teams and SharePoint libraries).
- Ability to collaborate remotely and in a team while ensuring effective communication with the relevant services.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
Education:
University degree in electrical engineering, telecommunications literature, journalism, communications, or a related field, OR education in a reputed college of advanced education, with a diploma in one of the fields above, OR a combination of complete secondary school education or complete equivalent technical studies with a diploma in the field of the Special Service Agreement (SSA), in combination with five (5) years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of a university degree.
Experience:
At least three (3) years of experience in the editing or drafting of technical telecommunication documents.
Experience in the copy-editing of Recommendations or other technical standards is desirable.
Languages:
Knowledge of English at advanced level. Knowledge of another official language of the Union (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) would be an advantage.
REMUNERATION INFORMATION
CHF 10,- per copy-edited page (each page has 330 words) in accordance with the assignment received.
INFORMATION ON RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the ITU Careers website. The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. ITU uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates. Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided. Messages originating from a non ITU e-mail account - @itu.int - should be disregarded. ITU does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.
