Jurilinguist

Description

The National Judicial Institute (NJI) is an independent, bilingual, not‐for‐profit organization, based in Ottawa and Montreal, with a mandate to provide continuing education to members of the judiciary across Canada. An acknowledged world leader in the design and delivery of judicial education, the NJI also shares its judicial training expertise abroad. In its international work, the NJI seeks to strengthen the rule of law through judicial education and judicial reform.

Since its inception in 1988, the NJI has offered in-person programs and a wide range of digital resources designed to foster judicial excellence. As part of its curriculum, the NJI delivers over 70 in-person judicial education programs each year. The NJI’s digital resources include self-study courses, Electronic Bench Books, podcasts, videos, judge-facing tools, and more. Alone or in partnership with courts and other organizations, the NJI is involved in the delivery of the majority of education provided to judges in Canada.

The NJI is looking to fill the permanent position of Jurilinguist. This position is based in Ottawa (hybrid work environment); however, we are open to staffing this position remotely within Canada.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to the Director, Governance, the Jurilinguist is responsible for ensuring that the NJI’s publications use terminology and phraseology that are consistent with Canadian common and civil law, legal procedures and the judicial context, in French and in English. The Jurilinguist will assist the NJI in ensuring the accuracy, consistency, and style of the NJI’s products and communications in both French and English.

Specific responsibilities include:

Translation, Review, and Proofreading

1. Apply specialized knowledge of common and civil law terminology and legal concepts to translate content from English to French in addition to reviewing the content and style of other NJI translations, including web content, digital resources and computer-assisted translations;
2. Ensure agreement of French and English versions, and provide guidance on legal and linguistic aspects, including the standardization of legal terminology across products;
3. Exercise specialized skills in detecting and correcting errors in style, spelling, grammar, logic, structure and substance, and in proofreading and correcting external translations and other products, as assigned;
4. Verify hyperlinks and references in French-language communications; and
5. Draft and maintain the NJI French-Language Style Guide.

In-house Translation

1. Provide in-house translation services for the NJI’s products and communications (program materials, correspondence from the Chief Judicial Officer and the Chief Executive Officer, web content, etc.);
2. Provide in-house translation services for the NJI’s internal documents (annual reports, Board of Governors publications, etc.); and
3. Assist and collaborate with the NJI’s staff in the drafting of French-language communications.

Translation Coordination

1. Provide guidance and support to the Translations Coordinator when requested by the Director, Governance;
2. Coordinate translation for special projects, as assigned; and
3. Assist with other projects, as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

1. Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctor (J.D.).
2. Legal translation certificate.
3. Minimum of 6 years’ experience, including in, but not limited to, translation from English to French, reviewing and editing French documents, or publishing support.
4. Fluently bilingual (English and French) with comprehensive knowledge of both English and French, including subtleties in linguistics, grammar, syntax, etc.
5. Comprehensive knowledge of the concepts and principles of jurilinguistics, including notions linked to legal terminology, grammar, lexicology, linguistics, and stylistics.
6. Knowledge of legal and language research tools and techniques.
7. Proficiency with Office 365.

Desirable

1. Civil law degree (B.C.L.).
2. Membership at the Bar in Canada.
3. Experience in working in a judicial environment.
4. Proficiency in project management software, such as Asana.
5. Knowledge of computer-assisted translation tools.

SKILLS

1. Collect information, present options and make recommendations using professionalism and integrity;
2. Exhibit a positive attitude; build and maintain effective relationships with colleagues, clients and stakeholders using professionalism, integrity and diplomacy; use effective negotiation and persuasion, where necessary;
3. Meet deadlines, work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, and consistently demonstrate the ability to work on a team;
4. Conduct in-depth legal or jurilinguistic research into specific problems, concerns, or issues; develop options and make recommendations for final decision- making;
5. Ability to remain current with legislation, jurisprudence, adult pedagogy and judicial learning needs; ensures continued improvement of service delivery;
6. Maintain professional ethics and discretion and protect sensitive and confidential information.

COMPENSATION

Compensation is to be determined at the time of hiring, based on the successful candidate’s experience and profile, within represented salary band 7: $97,809 to $122,262 annually.

What We Offer:

• A hybrid work environment, with core office days – allowing you the best of both working from home and in person, in a collaborative team environment.
• A competitive salary with step increases based on experience.
• Employer–paid health and dental benefits, starting on your first day with us.
• A competitive vacation package with an annual holiday closure.
• Work-life balance including personal days, and schedule flexibility.
• Organization-wide social events and training opportunities.
• A meaningful career supporting education for judges on topics that matter to all Canadians.

We invite interested candidates to submit their application (resume and cover letter) via https://secure.collage.co/jobs/nji/52442.

We would appreciate receiving applications before April 22, 2025.

While we appreciate all responses, only candidates under consideration will be contacted. The National Judicial Institute is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment accommodation in accordance with provincial Human Rights and Accessibility legislation. If contacted for an interview or employment testing, please advise Human Resources if you require accommodation.