Kurdish Linguist

Leidos•Reston, VA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Leidos is seeking a highly skilled Kurdish Linguist to join their mission-driven team. This position requires a language professional capable of performing a wide range of complex linguistic tasks with precision and cultural insight, supporting national security. The role involves translation, interpretation, transcription, and gisting of Kurdish materials into English, with a strong emphasis on cultural and geopolitical accuracy. A TS/SCI clearance with polygraph is required.

Requirements

BA/BS and/or equivalent formal military training and 4-8 years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 2-6 years of prior relevant experience. Additional years of experience may be substituted in lieu of a degree.
TS/SCI clearance with polygraph is required (must be fully adjudicated before work begins).
Must successfully complete a Leidos-administered language proficiency test or equivalent at the Primary level or higher.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and basic online research.
All candidates must take and pass language tests administered by LEIDOS/an accepted commercial testing vendor.
Attending and passing all sponsor related training is a requirement of employment.
All Candidates must take and successfully pass a medical laboratory and/or physical screen as required by the program.
Successfully completing the required language assessments.
Successfully completing the required weapons training.

Nice To Haves

Translation and/or interpretation degree is highly desired.
HLT experience a plus.
Experience supporting contingency operations as a deployed linguist.
Familiarity with the U.S. Intelligence Community, military operations, or law enforcement environments.
Ability to effectively brief and communicate findings to various stakeholders.
Proficiency in multiple languages is a strong asset.

Responsibilities

Provide professional-level linguistic support across translation, interpretation, transcription, and gisting.
Accurately translate materials (both digital and hard copy) from Kurdish into English and vice versa, capturing subtle nuances, cultural references, and abstract concepts with contextual accuracy.
Capture geopolitical, regional, ethnic, and cultural references effectively.
Use terminology and expression consistent with subject matter norms in the target language.
Provide consecutive interpretation; simultaneous interpretation may occasionally be required.
Maintain high fidelity and fluency, demonstrating understanding of regional dialects and cultural context.
Listen to audio or review internet-based content and transcribe accurately and efficiently.
Produce high-quality English-language reports based on audio/visual materials.
Demonstrate nuanced understanding of dialectical variations.
Identify and summarize key facts and abstract concepts accurately.
Prioritize and extract critical information from large datasets.
Use reference materials effectively to support quality output.