2. TERMS OF REFERENCE

Copyeditor:
a. Undertake assignments to provide high-quality copy-editing services for assigned manuscript;
b.

Ensure the final manuscript is polished, consistent, and error-free (i.e. grammar, fact checking, and stylistics);
c. Receive assignment brief and coordinate with the Responsible Officer(s) to regularly report on progress made during the assignment via email, online meetings or phone;
d. Ensure the copy-editing adheres to all stylistic requirements of the ‘UNESCO Style Manual’;
e. Mainstream UNESCO’s gender strategy and ensure the ‘Guidelines on Gender-Neutral Language’ are applied throughout the manuscript;
f. Correct typos, grammatical mistakes, misspellings, punctuation and capitalization errors;
g.

Check overall clarity, consistency of style and presentation, including tone and sentence structure;
h. Ensure consistency of terminology, abbreviations, acronyms and formatting of footnotes
i. Ensure bibliographical references are accurate and correctly formatted;
j. Verify that the author has cited, referenced, and credited sources appropriately; conduct basic copyright and plagiarism checks and indicate any problems warranting attention and/or correction;
k. Demonstrate mastery of standard software, especially MS Word, and competence using all the basic elements of tracked changes;
l.

Use proper names and place names that correspond to UNESCO official usage, including the names of UNESCO Member States;
m. Improve or suggest changes of content while preserving the original meaning with notification to UNESCO;
n. Align page numbers in the table of contents, list of tables, figures, and boxes with headings and subheadings in the manuscript;
o. Ensure that works are in full compliance with international copyright policy to prevent any legal infringements;
p.

Submit work in MS Word file with tracked changes and a clear list of comments or questions to UNESCO;
q. Improve and incorporate suggested changes until the manuscript is considered satisfactory by UNESCO; and
r. Meet the committed deadline.

Proofreader:
a. Undertake assignments to provide high-quality proofreading services for UNESCO Bangkok’s manuscript;
b. Ensure the final work is polished, consistent, and error-free to UNESCO publishing standards;
c. Correct errors that may have escaped the vigilance of the copyeditor in the laid-out version;
d.

Correct typos, grammatical mistakes, misspellings, and punctuation and capitalization errors that may have slipped through the editing process;
e. Detect text that appears cut off, misplaced, or garbled in the layout process;
f. Adjust mismatches between the table of contents and titles in the main body of the text;
g. Ensure consistent page numbering or running heads (headers and footers);
h. Check formatting problems, including font, font size, spacing, indentation, levels of titles;
i. Check cross-references (e.g.

‘See page xxx’) where the actual page number needs to be filled in;
j. Demonstrate mastery of standard software, especially Adobe Acrobat, and possess competence in using comment tools;
k. Flag to UNESCO any problems encountered;
l. Ensure the proofreading adheres to all guidelines in the ‘UNESCO Style Manual’;
m. Mainstream UNESCO’s gender strategy and ensure the ‘Guidelines on Gender-Neutral Language’ is applied throughout the manuscript;
n. Ensure that works are in full compliance with international copyright policy to avoid any legal infringements;
o.

Submit work in PDF file with comments or questions to UNESCO;
p. Improve and incorporate suggested changes until the manuscript is considered satisfactory by UNESCO; and
q. Meet the committed deadline.

3. SCOPE OF WORKS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR SERVICE RATE PROPOSALS

The candidates must propose their ‘service in flat rates per word in US$’ for (1) copy-editing and (2) proofreading (The candidates will be assigned one role at a time on any given project, whether as copyeditor or proofreader) according to the following specifications:
• Language: English
• Size: standard (A4, A5, etc.) or customized
• Number of words: to be specified for each assignment
• Software: MS Word (for copyeditor) and Adobe Acrobat (for proofreader, a laid-out version in PDF file)
• Feedback/revision circle: until deemed satisfactory by UNESCO

4.

DUTY STATION

The assignment will be remote-based (off-site) and on an ‘on-call’ basis, with regular communication with the Responsible Officer(s) via email, online meeting and phone; no travel is anticipated. Candidates located in same, or close time zone as Bangkok (GMT+7) are preferred.

5. FACILITIES TO BE PROVIDED BY UNESCO (if any)

The candidate will be responsible for providing their own off-site working space and equipment e.g. computer, software, printer, and any other equipment that may be required for the successful completion of the assignment.

6.

COMPETENCIES (Core/Managerial)

7. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

At the time of application, candidate must possess the following qualifications:

Education:

University degree in English (preferably British) language studies, literature, journalism, communications, international relations, or other liberal arts fields.

Work Experience:

Minimum of five (5) years of demonstrable professional copy-editing and proofreading experience, particularly in the fields of journalism, publishing, education, culture, communication and information, social and human sciences, ocean sciences and natural sciences.

Previous experience working with UNESCO or other UN agencies and/or other multicultural organizations is an advantage.

Skills/Competencies:

• Familiarity with gender equality and gender-neutral language.
• Strong British English grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills are essential.
• Understand and apply in-house style guides to ensure consistency within the manuscript.
• Ability to verify the accuracy of information, especially for technical or academic content.
• Familiarity with publishing workflows.
• Competency in MS Word and Adobe Acrobat software.
• Meticulous eye for spotting even the smallest errors.
• Collaborate with colleagues effectively with strong communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and efficiently under tight deadlines and revision cycles.
• Adhere to in-house branding guidelines, style manuals and templates.
• Stay up to date on the latest copy-editing, design, and technological trends in the field (note: Using AI apps or related programmes is prohibited).

Languages:
Native-level proficiency in written and spoken English; preferably British English.