Manager for Language Services

City of New York•New York City, NY

20d

About The Position

The Manager for Language Services works on the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Language Services team to help ensure City agencies, Mayoral Offices, and the public have reliable access to high-quality translation and interpretation services. The position manages translation projects from intake through delivery, coordinates interpretation requests, and provides technical support for interpretation events. It works closely with internal staff, external vendors, City partners, and requesters in a fast-paced environment where priorities may shift. The role also supports access to services and public information for people with limited English proficiency and advances MOIA’s mission to promote immigrant New Yorkers’ economic, civic, and social integration and expand access to justice. The Manager serves as a key contact for City clients, partners, vendors, and internal staff; leads translation of MOIA website content and other public-facing materials; and helps ensure work is completed accurately and on time. The position may provide backup for urgent language-access requests after hours and on weekends, and performs other related assignments and special projects as directed. The ideal candidate is a self-starter who can work independently and collaboratively, adapt to changing priorities, handle challenging interactions professionally, and meet tight deadlines. Strong organization, time management, judgment, and a positive, growth-oriented mindset are valued. A bachelor’s degree and hands-on project management experience are required. The posting also lists qualifications for the civil-service title Community Coordinator, including a baccalaureate degree and two years of relevant community work, or high school graduation and six years of such experience, or equivalent education and experience; all candidates under those alternatives must have at least one year of the specified experience. A cover letter is required in addition to a resume.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Hands-on project management experience required; experience in language services or a fast-paced coordination role is preferred.
Native fluency in one of the top 10 City-designated languages: Arabic, Bangla, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, or Urdu.
Proficiency with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Familiarity with computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools and translation management platforms such as Smartling.
Experience using WebEx, Zoom, and/or Microsoft Teams.
Strong organizational and time-management skills, sound judgment, adaptability, and ability to manage deadlines and challenging interactions professionally.
Civil-service qualification alternatives listed: a baccalaureate degree and two years of experience in community work or community-centered activities related to the duties; or high school graduation or equivalent and six years of such experience; or equivalent education and experience. Candidates qualifying through these alternatives must have at least one year of the specified experience.
A cover letter is required in addition to the resume.

Nice To Haves

Project management experience in language services or a fast-paced coordination role.
Familiarity with CAT tools and translation management platforms such as Smartling.
Experience using WebEx, Zoom, and/or Microsoft Teams.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary point of contact for City clients, partners, linguistic resources, vendors, and internal staff.
Manage translation projects end to end, from intake through delivery, following internal guidelines and communicating project details to stakeholders.
Lead the translation process for MOIA website content using Smartling.
Respond to translation requests, obtain additional project information as needed, and deliver final translations according to project instructions.
Process, track, and troubleshoot translation projects, and communicate status updates to requesters and supervisors.
Serve as backup in coordinating interpretation requests.
Assist with events requiring interpretation, including coordinating interpreters and setting up and distributing equipment.
Provide technical support for virtual interpretation events using Zoom, WebEx, Teams, or similar platforms.
Coordinate with Language Access Specialists and external vendors to support smooth project execution.
Provide technical assistance on language services to MOIA, Mayoral Offices, City Hall, and City agencies.
Provide backup for urgent and rapid-response language-access requests that may arise after hours or during weekends.
Perform other related assignments and special projects as directed.