CURRICULUM VITAE: VIRGÍNIA RESENDE DE KLERK

 Education and Professional Status

Member of the South African Institute of Translators (SATI)

Associate of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, ITI (London)

Member of ProZ International Community of Translators

Member of LinkedIn (Network of professionals worldwide)

Biology, University of Lisbon, Portugal, 1977

National Diploma in Analytical Chemistry, Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa, 1981

Member of The South African Chemical Institute

Member of The South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions

Member of The International Association on Environmental Analytical Chemistry

Member of the South African Committee for Certified Reference Materials

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Work Experience

August 2008-Present

Freelancer Interpreter/Translator – Multitask Languages

• Translations (English, Portuguese, Afrikaans, Brazilian, Italian, French, Spanish) of scientific, technical, political and academic materials
• Interpreter (Portuguese-English-Portuguese)
• Transcriptions (Portuguese, Afrikaans, English)
• Writing, editing, proofreading, evaluation of scientific, technical and academic texts
• Media monitoring
• Foreign language facilitation
• Preparation and presentation of customized Portuguese language courses

2004 – 2008    Open Source Centre (OSC), Pretoria, South Africa  

Field Open Source Officer/Portuguese Language Specialist

• Daily searches of internet news sites, radio and television broadcasts, as well as printed media in both English and Portuguese. Translation or transcription of material and compilation of digests, reports, and analysis of political, health, energy, and economic issues
• Management and editing of translators’ work
• Awards for exceptional performance, including for the coverage of developments in Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, Cape Verde, Mozambique, South Africa, Chad, Kenya, Somalia, and Zimbabwe

2000 – 2004   Freelance Translator, Consultant and Project Manager

• Translations (English, Portuguese, Afrikaans, Brazilian, Italian, French, Spanish) of scientific, technical, political and academic materials
• Writing, editing and proofreading of scientific and technical manuals
• Preparation and presentation of customized Portuguese language courses
• Foreign language facilitation
• Independent consultant/project manager: Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Waste Management, Project Management, Quality Systems, and Laboratory Safety.

1988 – 2000    Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, South Africa

1999-2000       Business Area Manager: Chemical Metrology, Division of Manufacturing and Materials Technology

•  Establishment of Chemical Metrology capability in South Africa within the National Metrology Laboratory.
• Integration of existing analytical chemistry technologies, personnel and expertise into the Metrology Laboratory.
• Development of strategic focus areas and actions.

 1995-1999       Manager: Analytical Chemistry Services, Division of Manufacturing and Materials Technology

•  Personnel recruitment, management, development and evaluation. Strategic and financial planning. Marketing (presentations to government and industry). Proposal preparation and negotiation. Client care. Sales delivery. Acting Programme Manager. Responsibility for the coordination of divisional activities of EAS (Engineering and Analytical Services) and marketing strategy. Creation of Client Data Base for marketing purposes. Member of the Hockey Stick QIP Group (Financial Quality Improvement Project). Evaluation and purchase of instrumentation. Training of students.
• Development, testing and improvement of analytical methods. Information on chemicals, analytical processes and techniques. Analytical problem solving by coordination of various techniques and expertise. Data interpretation and advice about implications of experimental results. Process and quality control, formulations, failure analysis. Referee analysis. Qualitative and quantitative analytical determinations.
• Expansion of capabilities in the area of Environmental Analytical Chemistry for identification and quantification of pollution problems providing support from the evaluation step to the remediation steps of environmental assessments.
• Implementation and maintenance of Quality Systems EN45001 and ISO9002. National Accreditation. Winner of Quality Award for 1998 (CSIR). Creation of an electronic traceability system for methodology and standards. Management of chemical waste disposal for CSIR. Advanced first aider with divisional Disaster Team. Safety Representative. Establishment and maintenance of divisional Chemical Store. Initiation of a CSIR wide project for collection of paper for recycling (WOW-War on Waste).

 1990 – 1995     Project Leader: Inorganic Analytical Chemistry, National Chemical Laboratory Services

 1988 – 1990     Principal Technician: Analytical Services and Industrial Waste Management, National Chemical Laboratory Services

 1983 – 1988     President Steyn Gold Mine, Welkom, South Africa

Chemist, Mine Laboratory

•  Supervision of the Gold Assay Section. Evaluation and development of analytical methods. Participation in the development of a manual of analytical methods for AARL (Anglo American Research Laboratories). Laboratory Representative for Officials Consultative Council for three years. Motivated and initiated the establishment of a Nursery School for employee’s children. Safety Representative for the department (NOSA System). Acting for Chief Chemist. First woman in the OFS Province to obtain a Certificate of Fitness to perform risk work in controlled areas (underground mining).

 1977 – 1983    Department of Environmental Affairs

 1980 – 1983     Chemist, Hydrological Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa

•  Research into new areas of pesticides and carcinogens measurements. Co-author of various publications. Chemical waste management. Chemical analyses.

 1977 – 1980     Technical Assistant, Department of Water Affairs, Windhoek, Namibia

•  Bacteriological analyses for water quality control. Travelled throughout Namibia (South West Africa), including the Caprivi area, using a mobile laboratory to carry out testing of water in remote areas.

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Courses

Language Related

• Refresher Course in Interpretation
• Advanced Techniques for Simultaneous Interpreting
• Content Management: compiling/transcribing/translating information from various sources for the web, including website management
• Analytical Writing Course
• Creative and Analytical Thinking Workshop
• Hidden Universes Workshop (source credibility and invisible web training)
• Bright Planet Workshop (intensive internet searches)
• Speechcraft Course; Communication and Leadership Programme, Toastmasters International

 Business

• Performance Management
• Team Building Workshops
• Time Management
• Principles of Supervision
• Situational Leadership
• Employee Assistance
• Marketing Fundamentals
• Quality Management
• Negotiation Skills
• Management of Small Contracts
• Project Management Systems

 Scientific

•  Water and Effluent Analysis
• Waste Management
• ICP Spectrometry, France
• Safety Representative Training Course, NOSA (National Occupational Safety Association)
• Safety System Auditing Course for Management (NOSA MBO)