Welsh Language Officer and Translator

Job summary

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) works to keep food safe across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. One of the best ways we can support consumers in Wales is to ensure that everybody has access to the information we share. Our Welsh Language Unit plays a vital role in offering accessible messaging to everyone in Wales, helping us deliver our work in the Welsh language.

We are looking for a Welsh Language Officer and Translator who can champion the Welsh language in the FSA and help us deliver our world class messaging to speakers across the UK.

Whether you're working with consumers, food businesses or wider stakeholders, your translation skills will play a key role in ensuring the Welsh language service provided is equal in every way to that provided in English. across all our work in Wales — helping us deliver with clarity, inclusivity and impact.

Please note – you will be asked to submit your application in Welsh, any applications submitted in English, will be automatically rejected.

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to engage with incredibly varied translation work that not only seeks to champion the usage of the Welsh language but also supports important work that benefits public health, as carried out by the FSA.

In this role, you’ll provide high-quality written translations, proofreading and more — helping to ensure consistency and excellence across the FSA’s work in Wales.

If you are a Welsh translator who’s enthusiastic about developing their skills in a busy, supportive and proactive Welsh Language Unit, we’d love to hear from you. This role will allow you to make a real difference in an area that touches all our lives, every day. Don’t miss your chance to apply and help shape the future of Welsh language delivery at the FSA.

Working pattern guidance

If applying as a job share partnership you should both complete separate application forms on Civil Service Jobs but should make it clear that you are applying as job sharers. Further details on job sharing can be found here JSF – What is the recruitment process for job sharers? , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

Applicants who wish to work compressed hours are welcome to apply - however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Person specification

Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.

Languages

Ability to speak Welsh

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Ability to speak Welsh

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,955, Food Standards Agency contributes £10,126 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Full details of the selection process are detailed in the attached candidate pack.

Application and shortlisting

You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.

Technical: You will be asked a question to confirm that you meet the Technical requirements of the role.

Ability to speak Welsh

If you cannot answer yes to this question – you will not be able to proceed further with your application.

You will then be asked to complete an application in Welsh which will be used to assess you against the following essential criteria.

Essential criteria

Experience

• Proven experience of translating and proofreading (English > Welsh) to the highest, publishable quality, adhering to the principles of Clear Welsh and ensuring the originality and legibility of translated content

• Experience of managing translation workloads and projects, ensuring the quality of the Welsh provision, with minimum supervision, prioritising and meeting tight deadlines

• Experience of using the main tools at the disposal of an effective and efficient translator – including translation software, Cysill, Byd Term Cymru, Geiriadur yr Academi etc

• Knowledge of using content management systems to create web content and/or other digital platforms to create Welsh language content

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.

Interview

If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview, which will be conducted in Welsh, in whichwe will assess you against the following Experience requirements of the role and Civil Service Behaviours.

Behaviours

• Communicating And Influencing

• Working Together

• Managing A Quality Service

• Delivering At Pace

Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Candidate Pack.

Experience

• Proven experience of translating and proofreading (English > Welsh) to the highest, publishable quality, adhering to the principles of Clear Welsh and ensuring the originality and legibility of translated content

Assessment exercise

As part of the interview process, you will be asked to undertake an English > Welsh Translation. Further information will be provided to you on the invitation to interview email.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 26th January

Sift: Expected to take place from 27th January

Final panel interview: Expected to take place from 4th February

Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).

Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to the Food Standards Agency from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare.

Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Reserve List

A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that the FSA does not hold a licence to sponsor any visa applications and we are unable to provide any advice about visas.

Making a complaint

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated fairly in accordance with the principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should email the FSA’s Director of People at jo.bushnell@food.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Madison Keeping
• Email : madison.keeping@food.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk

Further information

If you wish to raise a complaint then please email hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk in the first instance.

Attachments

Terms and Conditions (Welsh Version) as at April 2020 Opens in new window (pdf, 50kB)444307 - Pecyn i Ymgeiswyr - Cyfieithydd a Swyddog y Gymraeg (HEO) Opens in new window (pdf, 1315kB)444307 - Welsh Language Officer and Translator (HEO) Opens in new window (pdf, 1109kB)Terms and Conditions as at April 2020 Opens in new window (pdf, 42kB)