Position Summary

Campus: Auckland Park Kingsway Campus
Remuneration: Market Related
EE position: EE
Level: Skilled

Introduction

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is a vibrant and cosmopolitan university, anchored in Africa and driven by a powerful strategy focused on attaining global excellence and stature (GES). With an emphasis on independent thinking, sustainable development, and strategic partnerships, UJ is an international university of choice. The University is guided by the Vice-Chancellor’s vision of “Positioning UJ in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) for societal impact in the context of the changing social, political, and economic fortunes of Africa”.

Job description

Multilingual Language Services Office
 
We are seeking a meticulous and experienced Language Specialist (English) to ensure that the University’s written content is error-free and aligned with the brand's professional and academic environment. A keen eye for detail and strong proficiency in grammar, punctuation, and style guidelines will be essential to elevate the quality of all UJ official publications. The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in editing, with a deep understanding of various editing processes and techniques. We expect you to handle multiple projects simultaneously, maintain tight deadlines, have a good turnaround time, work well under pressure, and foster a collaborative atmosphere. If you are passionate about language, enjoy refining written content, and have a keen eye for detail, we invite you to apply for the English Language Specialist position where you can impact our content significantly and contribute to our overarching mission of communication excellence.
 
Responsibilities:
 
  • Edit and proofread a wide range of English written content, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and adherence to style guidelines.
  • Translate various documents from Afrikaans into English.
  • Collaborate with writers to improve the overall quality of content and provide constructive feedback.
  • Check content for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors, making necessary corrections.
  • Ensure consistency in formatting.
  • Ensure flow, coherence, and overall readability of documents, suggesting improvements where necessary.
  • Ensure content aligns with the academic brand and messaging strategy, maintaining consistency across platforms.
  • Manage multiple editing projects simultaneously, prioritising tasks to meet tight deadlines without sacrificing quality.
  • Stay updated with industry trends and best practices in copy editing, incorporating new techniques to enhance content quality.
  • Update and manage the English house style guide as required and ensure implementation throughout the University.
  • Assist with the organisation of departmental events.
  • Implement UJ Language Policy and Language Implementation Plan.
  • Apply UJ policies and regulations when editing and translating documents.

Minimum requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in English and Applied Linguistics, Communications, Journalism, or a related field.
  • 3 years' of experience in copy-editing, translating, language planning, etc. or similar environment
  • 3 years' of proven work experience as a language practitioner or language-related field. 

 Required knowledge:

  • English copy editing in a similar role, with a strong portfolio of edited work.
  • Knowledge and proficiency in MS Office core applications: Word for word processing, Excel for spreadsheets, PowerPoint for presentations, and Outlook for email and calendar management
 
Competencies and Behavioural Attributes:
 
  • Excellent knowledge of the English language, including grammar, spelling, syntax, punctuation and style guidelines
  • Strong attention to detail, with the ability to spot errors and inconsistencies in content and formatting
  • Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, to liaise with team members and writers
  • Exceptional organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines
  • Good time-management skills
  • Ability to work independently but also in a team
  • Copy editing, translating, language planning
  • Highly organised and detail-oriented
  • Time management skills
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office, Track Changes, Adobe Acrobat and OneDrive
 
Recommendations:
 
  • Professional body membership (such as Professional Editors’ Guild (PEG), South African Translators’ Institute (SATI), Southern African Linguistics and Applied Linguistics Society (SALALS)) would be an advantage.
  • Understanding university policies and practices concerning the discipline would be an advantage.
  • An Honours or Masters’ degree in English, Applied Linguistics, Communications or a related field
 
Enquiries:
 
Enquiries regarding the job content: Prof Rockie Sibanda on Tel: (011) 559 2387
Enquiries regarding remuneration & benefits: Ms Lungisa Zihlangu (HCM Business Partner) on Tel: (011) 559 2956

 

Your application, comprising of a detailed Curriculum Vitae as well as the names and full contact details (including telephone numbers and e-mail addresses) of at least three traceable and credible referees must be uploaded before or on the closing date of the advertised post. Please also attach the following: a copy of your highest academic qualification, proof of registration with professional bodies you might belong to and if applying for an academic position, a list of accredited research output and/ or a portfolio of your creative output.

Please note that the University is obligated, in terms of recent amendments to the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 2021 (Act 13 of 2021), to assess all prospective employees (including applicants) against the National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO). The outcome of such an assessment may have an impact upon possible employment with the University.

For more information, please review the following link: Justice/Criminal/NRSO.

If you require technical support / assistance on the UJ e-recruitment website, please contact our service provider PNET on the following contact details: 0861 227337/010 140 3099 or email ujsupport@pnet.co.za.

Candidates may be subjected to appropriate psychometric testing and other selection instruments.

In conjunction to merit on the basis of qualifications, experience and proven achievements the University of Johannesburg is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities and those individuals from the historically disadvantaged groups. As necessitated by operational requirements the University reserves the right not to make an appointment to positions advertised. If you have not received a response from the University within 8 weeks of the closing date, you should assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

 

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