ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Spanish Interpreter

State of careers Rhode Island • Lillington, NC

15h • Onsite

About The Position

This position serves as an Administrative Assistant and Spanish Interpreter for the Office of the Public Defender. The primary role is to interpret for all Spanish-speaking clients statewide in all phases of their cases, including court proceedings, Public Defender offices, and at the ACI. The interpreter will act as a liaison between attorneys, support staff, and Spanish-speaking clients and/or their families, ensuring clients fully understand legal proceedings, charges, penalties, recommendations, and legal documents. The role also involves translating correspondence from English to Spanish and vice versa, both written and spoken, and assisting with the interpretation and translation of agency policies and materials. Additionally, the position aims to foster cultural awareness among staff members regarding ethnic differences. Primary duties include simultaneous interpreting in court proceedings and jury trials, intake interviews, attorney consultations, correspondence, and telephone contact. When not engaged in these primary functions, the interpreter will perform duties as assigned by the Public Defender.

Requirements

• Ability to speak, read and write Spanish fluently.
• Ability to interpret in complicated court proceedings in such a manner that the client fully understands what transpires, insuring that his/her rights are fully protected under the law.
• Ability to translate in such a manner as to convey proper meaning through the use of appropriate grammar, vocabulary, and syntax.
• Ability to communicate adequately in English in order to interact and perform duties other than those involving interpreting.
• A working knowledge of modern office practices, procedures and equipment.
• A working knowledge of departmental rules and regulations, procedures and functions and ability to apply these to work problems.
• Ability to work independently on complex clerical tasks and non-routine correspondence.
• Ability to exercise good judgment, courtesy and tact in receiving office callers and in problem resolution.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other state departments or agencies, public and private organizations, and department or agency personnel.
• Graduation from a senior high school, including or supplemented by courses in language.
• Employment as a Spanish Interpreter.
• Employment of a progressively responsible nature involving the performance of various clerical and accounting procedures of a routine nature.

Nice To Haves

• College preferred.
• Candidates who are “certified court interpreters” are strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Interpret for all Spanish-speaking clients in all phases of the pendency of cases, as needed, statewide, including in all courts, Public Defender offices and at the ACI.
• Serve as liaison between attorneys and support staff and Spanish speaking clients and/or families.
• Facilitate and insure client understanding of all legal proceedings, nature of charges lodged and corresponding penalties, prosecutorial recommendations, all legal forms, motions, and documents including the plea affidavit form.
• Translate correspondence from English to Spanish, and from Spanish to English in the written and spoken forms of the respective languages.
• Assist in the interpretation of agency policies and materials, and in the written and verbal translation of same.
• Encourage cultural awareness among staff members pertaining to ethnic differences.
• Perform simultaneous interpreting for Spanish speaking clients utilizing the services of the Public Defender's Office statewide in all court proceedings and jury trials.
• Interpret and translate intake interviews, attorney consultations, correspondence, and telephone contact.
• Perform duties as assigned by the Public Defender when not otherwise engaged in primary functions.

Benefits

• Information regarding benefits available to State of Rhode Island employees can be found on the Office of Employee Benefits' website.
• Direct deposit for all employees is required.
• Employees hired after September 30, 2014, must participate in the direct deposit system.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED