EFTA - European Free Trade Association
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is an intergovernmental organisation set up for the promotion of free trade and economic integration to the benefit of its four Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The EFTA Secretariat provides services to the EFTA Member States. In Brussels this entails support in the management of the EEA Agreement, in particular in ongoing decision making for the continuing evolution of the EEA Agreement.
The EEA Coordination Division consists of currently 17 staff members and is responsible for the overall coordination of general policy and legal EEA related activities, i.a. servicing the EEA Council, EEA Joint Committee and Standing Committee of the EFTA States.
We are looking for a highly motivated and qualified candidate who is willing to take on a challenging post in a dynamic environment.
Head of Translation and Publication, Senior Officer
Scope:
Under the supervision of the Division Director the successful applicant will be responsible for managing and organising the work of the Translation and Publication team, currently consisting of two translators, one administrative coordinator and a publication officer. The successful candidate will also have full line management responsibilities for the team.
The candidate will be responsible for coordinating the overall preparation and organisation of texts to be published in the EEA Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ). Such texts are provided in English ready for translation into Icelandic and Norwegian and are of a legal, financial, scientific or technical nature. Close cooperation and coordination with the EFTA States, the relevant services of the
European Commission and the EEA institutions is required of the role to ensure the timely and correct publication of these texts. Regular contact with the translation services in Reykjavik and Oslo in order to prepare for translation and publication of legal acts adopted by the EEA Joint Committee is also of the essence.
The EEA Supplement is published every week of the year and there are approximately 85 publications annually, which require constant supervision, resource planning and proofreading. In addition, the role requires active cooperation and coordination with external contractors in order to guarantee timely publications, resolve technical issues and maintain quality control. The team uses new technology to solve translation and publication-related challenges, and are looking into making their processes and tasks
more efficient in the coming years.
Qualifications:
University degree in one or more of the following: languages, project management or communication science.
Experience:
- Relevant Project Management experience;
- Line management experience is an advantage;
- Sound knowledge of the EEA Agreement, the EEA Institutions and their
procedures; - Working experience within the publication or translation area.
- Ability to lead and coordinate a team of highly qualified professionals;
- High degree of motivation and initiative;
- High degree of organizational skills and responsibility in a situation with tight deadlines and heavy workload;
- Self-reliance, autonomy and aptitude for close teamwork in a task-oriented environment;
- Result-oriented approach and a productive and co-operative attitude;
- Ability to set priorities and to change/adapt priority settings when necessary;
- Ability to edit legal, financial, scientific and technical texts in English;
- Ability to draft reports in English;
- Attention to details, thoroughness and the ability to work very accurately;
- Comprehensive IT-skills. Work experience with Trados Studio and CAT tools would be an advantage.
- Native level of the languages published in the EEA Supplement to the OJ, i.e.
Icelandic or Norwegian is mandatory; - Excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
- Knowledge of another EU language would be an asset.
Employment Terms:
EFTA has a dynamic and diverse work environment with the opportunity to work in a team of highly qualified people. Here you will be part of an organisation based on professionalism, cooperation, trust, responsibility and respect.
EFTA also offers:
- International career and learning opportunities.
- An inclusive environment with high regard for cultural differences.
- Competitive benefit package.
Annual starting salary: EUR 130,620.24
Appointments are made at the first step of the grade. The Secretary-General reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a level different from that advertised. Through its recruitment policy, the EFTA Secretariat wants to ensure diversity in terms of gender, age and culture.
EFTA is an international organisation and the salaries and related payments are normally exempt from income taxation by the EFTA States and the host states of the EFTA duty stations. Depending on the candidate’s family status, benefits and allowances may apply.
Please note the following indicative timeline for the selection process:
- Application deadline: 22 June 2025
- Automated video interview: Shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit apre-recorded video interview during the week of 30 June 2025
- Written assignment: Candidates progressing to the next stage will be asked to complete a written assignment during the week of 7 July 2025
- Online interview (via Microsoft Teams): Interviews will be held between mid and end of August 2025
This position is open to nationals of all the EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland). Applicants must apply via the EFTA e-recruitment tool. Please note that only applications received via our web tool will be considered.
Arbeitsort: 1000Brüssel
For further information on this post, please contact:
On substance:
- M. Thordur Jonsson, Deputy Secretary-General, thordur.jonsson@efta.int
On process:
- HR.support@efta.int
Deadline for applications: 22 June 2025