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National Assembly for Wales Human Resources

Vacancies in the Translation and Reporting Service (5 posts) Information Pack AC-005-19

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Welcome from the Head of the Translation and Reporting Service

Mair Parry-Jones

“The Translation and Reporting Service plays a central role in the activities and proceedings undertaken across our bilingual Assembly.

If you are interested in the intricacies of language, current affairs and democracy, then joining the Translation and Reporting Service at our National Assembly would be the ideal job for you!

We are a team of over 40 staff members, including home workers based in mid and north Wales. The team includes text

translators, who translate legislation as required as well as the various documents produced by the Committee Services. Translating press releases and tweets for the Communications Service can also offer translators an alternative and possibly more creative challenge. The work of our editors involves digitally transcribing the words of Members and any witnesses who come before committees to give evidence. Editors are also required to attend committees in order to keep a log of what is said at the table.

Another fascinating area (for some, at least!) is interpretation. We provide an interpretation service from Welsh into English at all formal Assembly meetings as well as various informal meetings as required.

The Assembly has its own unique legislation for delivering all these services in our two official language. The Official Languages Team promotes and oversees this strand of work as do the Language Skills Team who teach Welsh within the Assembly.

Many members of the team alternate between editing and translation work, so there is plenty of variety on offer.

Why not give it a try? We would be very happy to consider your application to join our skilled, enthusiastic and friendly team.”

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Post Reference: AC-005-19

Job Title: Vacancies in the Translation and Reporting Service (5 posts)

Text translator (permanent) Editor (permanent) Text translator/Interpreter (permanent) Text Translator (temporary) Editor (temporary) Please indicate on your application form for which post(s) you wish to apply.

Salary: Management Band 2 (£31,046 - £37,647) plus recruitment and retention allowance (£3,434.67).

Candidates who lack relevant experience at this grade may be appointed at a lower grade, Management Band 3 (£24,164 - £28,999).

Promotion to Management Band 2 will occur after a training period of between 6 and 9 months, subject to performance.

Duration: Permanent / Temporary

Service: Translation and Reporting Service

Location: National Assembly for Wales, Tŷ Hywel, Cardiff Bay

Pattern of Working: These are full-time posts although flexible working arrangements will be considered, subject to meeting the business needs of the Assembly and its Members. However, successful candidates for the editor and interpreter roles will be expected to work at peak periods, namely Tuesday to Thursday and, occasionally, until 19:30 during the Assembly’s sitting weeks.

Security Clearance: This position has been assessed as requiring a ‘CTC’ level of security vetting. For candidates who do not currently possess this level of clearance, appointment would be subject to the successful completion of this level of security vetting.

Purpose of the posts:

The Translation and Reporting Service is vital in enabling the Assembly to realise its ambition of being a truly bilingual institution by facilitating the use of both official languages.

These are exciting and diverse roles that will put you at the heart of Welsh politics. You will provide a translation, editing and/or interpretation service to Commission staff, Assembly Members, their staff and the public at a fascinating time in Welsh politics. You will have excellent language skills, and you will need to develop strong working relationships with colleagues within your service area and beyond.

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This is an exciting time to work in the home of Welsh democracy within the Assembly’s Communications and Engagement Directorate.

About the role:

Rhys Morgan, Translator, Editor and Interpreter

“I joined the translation and reporting service in 2009, so I have now worked for the organisation throughout several Assemblies, and I have become used to its rhythms, from Dissolution and preparations for the next Assembly to the excitement of election time and beginning a new cycle of work.

I had some experience of taking minutes in my previous post, but the thorough programme of training that I received on joining the Assembly was vital in refining my language skills and becoming familiar with the technical vocabulary used in the Record of Proceedings and Assembly documents. The fact that you may not come from a ‘traditional’ background in terms of translation should not be seen as a barrier, because the support that you will receive here is second to none. I studied History of Art at university, and I feel that this has helped me in my current role, given that culture, heritage and the arts is a devolved subject. An interest in language and the way that people communicate, as well as the vocabulary that they use, is also an important part of the three strands that make up my work.

The varied nature of the role appeals to me very much. Interpretation is a challenging part of my job that brings a great deal of satisfaction, particularly the feeling of being at the heart of discussions about issues that really do affect the lives of the people of Wales and of facilitating conversations between individuals. Text translation also offers an opportunity to use different registers of Welsh and English to communicate with a range of audiences in Wales and beyond – after all, the Assembly is here to represent everyone.”

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Rhiannon Hincks, Editor and Interpreter

“I work for half the time as an editor and the other half as an interpreter in committees and internal events at the Assembly, which means that my role is a very interesting and varied one. I am very fortunate to learn new things every day and to have had a wide range of experiences through my work too.

I used to work as a translator in my previous role, and although I still undertake this type of work from time to time, transcription and editing are the main focus of my working day, which were both new skills to me when I started working here. In my opinion, the best thing about working on the Record of Proceedings is that every piece of work I do is a valuable contribution to the published document that is produced with the rest of the team. It’s great to know that your work is used as an important resource by politicians and that it’s also an important piece of democratic literature for the public. It’s a pleasure to use one’s linguistic skills to this end every day.

Interpreting is challenging but extremely satisfying work. The excitement you will feel before each meeting will certainly keep you on your toes. It will also enable you to expand your vocabulary a great deal, as well as your knowledge and understanding of Welsh politics. I think that this is one of the most exciting jobs at the Assembly!”

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Core Responsibilities:

Key tasks

Text translator / Temporary text translator

• translating text from English to Welsh and Welsh to English;

• working independently and as a member of a team to produce work to a high standard within tight deadlines;

• receiving guidance and advice from managers and undertaking any reasonable tasks as required;

• using the service area’s information technology systems and mastering relevant software.

Text translator / Interpreter

• translating text from English to Welsh and Welsh to English;

• interpreting from Welsh to English accurately, fluently and with confidence at Assembly meetings and events;

• working independently and as a member of a team to produce work to a high standard within tight deadlines;

• receiving guidance and advice from managers and undertaking any reasonable tasks as required;

• using the service area’s information technology systems and mastering relevant software.

Editor / Temporary editor

• transcribing and editing Assembly proceedings;

• working independently and as a member of a team to produce work to a high standard within tight deadlines;

• receiving guidance and advice from managers and undertaking any reasonable tasks as required;

• using the service area’s information technology systems and mastering relevant software.

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Job Specific skills and Competencies:

This section states which skills and experience are deemed to be essential for this role, and also which are considered desirable. You should refer to these in your application.

Job Specific criteria

Relevant to all posts:

1. Extensive experience in translating, interpreting and/or editing; 2. Excellent oral and written Welsh and English; 3. IT skills including the ability to use and master the relevant software; 4. The ability to work independently and as part of a team to produce high-quality

work within tight deadlines; 5. A degree or equivalent qualification.

Welsh language criteria:

The language skills for this post have been assessed as follows:

- Listening: Understand all spoken Welsh, including complex discussions. (Level 5) - Speaking: Able to speak at length about complex issues, present arguments and

lead discussions even on unfamiliar topics. (Level 5) - Reading: Understand all types of texts. (Level 5) - Writing: Able to write fluently, correctly and precisely, adapting style according to

the audience. (Level 5) These skills will be assessed as part of the selection process.

For further information on the Welsh language levels, please visit our website.

Desirable criteria:

The following qualities are not essential for these particular posts but have been deemed desirable. These will only be taken into account in the event of two (or more) candidates acquiring the same score in their application / assessment / interview. Relevant to all posts:

• An understanding of the Assembly’s work and current affairs and/or experience of working in a political environment

Relevant to the text translation; temporary text translation; text translation/interpreter post:

• Experience of translating legal documents; • Experience of using translation memory software and/or machine translation.

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Level Competency Areas and Behaviours:

These are the specific competencies that you will be expected to demonstrate in this role.

You should refer to these in your application form.

Leadership • challenge and be prepared to be challenged.

Working with and valuing others

• encourage and appreciate open and constructive feedback from others. Learning and improving

• look outwards to identify better ways of doing things and share good practice with others.

Delivering results to customers

• take responsibility for building productive relationships with customers. Applying expertise

• work independently and as part of a team to produce high-quality and timely work.

Development Opportunities Offered by the Post: This post will allow the successful candidate to develop his/her skills in the relevant area(s) of work within a national institution. The individual will be given an opportunity to work towards membership of the Association of Welsh Translators as well as playing a key role in the Commission's integrated teams providing excellent bilingual services to members.

For further information about these positions please contact:

Sarah Roberts, Senior Translator Sarah’s number: 0300 200 6390 Meinir Gooch, Managing Editor Meinir’s number: 0300 2006397.

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Benefits:

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Our Values:

Our values are part of everything we do. Together, we’ve created a set of values that celebrate the way we work together, and remind us of who we are and what we stand for.

RESPECT

We are inclusive, kind, and value each other’s contributions

in delivering excellent services

PASSION

We are purposeful in our support of

democracy and pull together to make a difference for the people of Wales

PRIDE

We embrace innovation and celebrate our achievements

together as a team

WE ARE ONE TEAM

We look forward to seeing how your values align with ours, so you can help nurture a positive and inclusive culture with us.

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Our official languages (Welsh and English):

We are fully committed to continuously enhancing and improving our exemplary bilingual services and to being a truly bilingual organisation so that Assembly Members, the public and staff can choose to work or communicate naturally in either or both of our official languages, with the use of both languages proactively encouraged and facilitated.

Though we do not require all our staff to be fluent in both our official languages, our expectation is that they are all committed to the delivery of services in both our official languages. To that extent, we expect all Assembly appointees to have, or to acquire during an agreed period, courtesy-level skills in Welsh. All posts are assessed in the context of the service area’s ability to deliver bilingual services to our customers and some posts, therefore, require a higher level of Welsh to facilitate that, such requirements are expressed above.

Diversity and Inclusion:

We want to foster an inclusive organisational culture, attracting and retaining the widest range of talent and ensures that all our employees realise their full potential, irrespective of their background. We want our workforce to be more representative of all sections of society at all levels in the organisation.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of people, from all backgrounds and with many different skills, experience and perspectives. We particularly encourage applications from disabled people and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, who are currently under-represented in our workforce. Find out more about our approach to diversity and inclusion on our website.

All appointments will be made on merit.

Apply now!

Details of the Selection Process: Candidates are required to complete an application form addressing the job specific criteria and key competencies.

Closing Date for applications: 10:00, 13 September 2019

Candidates who are successful in the initial sift will be invited to sit translation and editing tests. Invitation to an interview will depend on the results of those tests.

Completed application forms must be sent to Jobs@assembly.wales by the closing date.