Careers

The skills sought by the Translation Service include written translation; editing and proofreading of documents; legislative translation; simultaneous translation at public and private meetings; creative translation of publicity material (including television advertisements); and the maintenance of ICT tools to improve translation efficiency.

Translators

Executive Officer (EO) translators are typically people who have:

• good language skills (English and Welsh, written and spoken)
• an awareness of the political context in which translation operates within Government
• a commitment to develop their skills.  

EO translators work under the supervision of an experienced translator.  New EO translators are given training in the main aspects of the Translation Service’s work, including interpretation.

Higher Executive Officer (HEO) translators are typically experienced translators with excellent language skills who are able to produce high-quality work without regular supervision. Their responsibilities include supervision and mentoring of translators to develop their skills. Senior translators will have a good understanding of how government works and be aware of the the political context relevant to the day-to-day translation work. They will be committed to developing and improving their own skills and developing the skills of their fellow translators. While some may work exclusively on written translation, some may focus on interpretation or editorial work, others will input to terminology standardisation, depending on their strengths and interests as translators.

All new members of staff will have the opportunity to develop interpretation skills. To work effectively as an interpreter you will need the following:

• an agile mind
• a thorough understanding of colloquial Welsh
• a command of colloquial English
• an understanding of the way in which the Assembly Government works
• the ability to work under pressure.

You may also work as an editor/proofreader within the Translation Service.  To work effectively as an editor/proofreader you will need the following:

• an keen eye for detail
• a good command of grammar
• proofreading skills or a willingness to develop such skills
• a willingness to comply with and develop the Translation Service style guide.

A small team within the Translation Service is responsible for maintaining and developing TermCymru. Working within this team requires a variety of different skills:

• record keeping skills
• communication and marketing skills
• the ability to work with databases and transfer information electronically
• familiarity with the latest terminology management software
• a thorough knowledge of international terminology standards and developments in the field in Wales and beyond
• research skills
• a robust knowledge of both Welsh and English in all their various registers.

The HEO legislative translators concentrate on the production of the Welsh text of legislation sponsored by Welsh Ministers. The production of the Welsh text of legislation requires an analytical mind, imagination, the ability to express oneself clearly, excellent grammatical skills and a thorough understanding of the Welsh and English languages. Legislative translators work in close cooperation with Welsh Assembly Government lawyers and the Office of the First Welsh Legislative Counsel. Legal training or qualifications would be beneficial, but not essential, for these posts, and training in relevant aspects of legal translation and the law are provided as necessary.

Management

The Management Team consists of the Head of the Translation Service (at Grade 7 level), and Chief Legislative Translator, the Translation Quality Assurance Manage and the Translation Delivery Manager (all at Senior Executive Officer level). The focus of their work is the management of the service. However, they are also expected to contribute to translation work as required, and their specialist language skills are assessed during the recruitment process as well as their management skills.   

Administration

At the heart of the Translation Service is a team of administrators who are responsible for all administrative work within the branch. This includes daily liaison with customers, logging and tracking translation work, and communicating with internal and external translators. The team is led by an Office Manager (at HEO level), two Deputy Office Managers, a Translation Processes Officer (at EO level) and a number of administrators at Team Support level.

Location

One of the aims of the Translation Service is to offer translators the opportunity to work in Assembly Governments offices across Wales. Teams of translators currently work in Aberystwyth, Carmarthen, Cardiff and Bedwas and the aim is to build upon this practice of remote working from Assembly Government regional offices, in line with the Assembly Government's location strategy.

The Translation Service's main office is located in Cardiff where the main management and administrative duties are underataken. The main management and administrative posts are therefore located at Cardiff. 

Vacancies

Vacancies are posted on the Recruitment pages.

Visits

To contact the Translation Service (eg, to arrange a visit or to arrange a talk about career opportunities or work experience), please send an e-mail to the mailbox below.

E-mail: Translation Service Queries