Interpreter

County of Mecklenburg, NC • Charlotte, NC

1d • $20 - $25 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Mecklenburg County Department of Child, Family, and Adult Services strives to strengthen families and communities through a safety-net of services, collaborations, and hope. Our vision is to define and cultivate an organizational culture that is more compassionate and understanding toward each other and our clients. The Operations, Strategy & Innovation (OSI) division of Child, Family, and Adult Services (CFAS) leads the pursuit of more efficient and effective services and helps CFAS achieve its strategic vision. We keep the wheels turning day to day, from budget and quality control to resource management and staff development. OSI helps the department decide where it’s heading and how to get there with data informed decision making. We are an innovative and creative team striving towards improving services, identifying best practices, and promoting a positive work culture where staff feel valued and empowered, at every level, to drive meaningful change for each other and the community.

Position Summary
This position supports a fast paced environment and, under minimal supervision, provides in person and telephonic interpretation and translation services for individuals seeking assistance from the County. The Interpreter facilitates communication between clients and staff across multiple Department of Community Resources and Child, Family, and Adult Services programs.

The selected candidate will accompany Social Workers to conduct interpretation at clients’ homes, hospitals, jails, or other field locations. The candidate will also provide translation services for highly sensitive and confidential Youth and Family Services documents.

Requirements

• Minimum of two years of related experience and fluency in English and interpreting skills in Spanish.
• Associate's degree in a related field.
• Must be able to pass the County’s required interpreter exam.
• Requires a valid North Carolina or South Carolina Driver's License
• Requires County Driving Privileges
• Annual Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check
• Knowledge of Professional appearance, speech, and presentation skills
• Knowledge of Modern office practices
• Knowledge of Ethics and standards related to interpreting and translation services
• Knowledge of Structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar
• Knowledge of Structure and content of the Spanish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction
• Knowledge of client/patient privacy and confidentiality practices
• Translating from Spanish to English and English to Spanish
• Managing multiple tasks and special projects
• Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate
• Talking to others to convey information effectively
• Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents
• Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience
• Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems
• Building Trust: Interacting with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization.
• Customer Focus: Ensuring that the customer perspective is a driving force behind business decisions and activities; crafting and implementing service practices that meet customers’ and own organization’s needs
• Customer Service: Effectively meeting customer needs; building productive customer relationships; taking responsibility for customer satisfaction and loyalty
• Technical/Professional Knowledge and Skills: Having achieved a satisfactory level of technical and professional skill or knowledge in position-related areas; keeping up with current developments and trends in areas of expertise
• Time Management and follow through: Effectively managing one’s time and resources to ensure that work is completed efficiently
• Proficient in various computer applications including Microsoft Office Suite

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Training or experience in trauma-informed communication.

Responsibilities

• Provides interpretation and translation assistance, both over the phone and in-person, and facilities communication between clients and non-bilingual staff across CFAS/DCR programs.
• Supports administrative coverage when the Interpreter Administrator is unavailable, by scheduling appointments, coordinating services, directing staff requests, etc.
• Translates written materials, included but not limited to: brochures, educational information, notices, verification requests, and policy-based content, including highly sensitive and confidential Youth and Family Services documents.
• Accompanies staff on field visits to client’s homes, hospitals, jails, or other locations as needed, which may include staff representing county departments in planning, administration, child protective services, medical providers, or workforce initiatives.
• Assists staff by interpreting when client materials or resources are discussed or provided; does not collect materials for clients.
• Maintains interpreter-related resources such as terminology glossaries, reference sheets, and standardized templates for professional reference.
• Adheres to Daysheet documentation requirements by accurately recording interpreter activity, coverage, field visits, and time spent according to established procedures.
• Mecklenburg County Health Department employees: Respond in cases of urgent and/or emergent events that require public health interventions. Employees may be trained for and assigned duties unrelated to their regular work; work outside normal work locations, business hours and workdays may be required. Emergency events include, but are not limited to, pandemics, severe weather situations (e.g. snow or ice storms, tornados, hurricanes), natural disasters (e.g. earthquakes), fire, or power outages, and acts of terrorism.

Benefits

• Internal equity considerations include an assessment of the applicant’s salary history and qualifications in comparison to the market rate and requirements for the job.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree