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Reports to: Varies according to assignment
Division: Special Education (primarily)

Our ideal candidate
You are a dependable, punctual, caring professional, with excellent communications skills who uses tact, patience, and courtesy in a culturally sensitive manner. You have excellent writing skills and the ability to translate technical language. You have a proven track record of establishing rapport and earning the trust of colleagues. You take ownership of the tasks and responsibilities of the position. You are committed to providing the best service available to the Santa Barbara County Education Office, school districts, and students.

General description
Responsible for providing oral interpretation of content information at school gatherings, including parent meetings, IEP meetings, or other meetings requested by a school district. Content information may include highly technical legal, medical, or educational terminology. Oral interpretations must be provided with high levels of accuracy and clarity of speech, helping meet the educational and personal needs of students, parents, staff, and community members. Employee shall have cultural proficiency and the ability to work with staff and families with courtesy and respect.

Specific duties and responsibilities

• Speaking, reading, and non-technical writing in appointed language
• Interpretation word-for-word at an appropriate pace and with a high degree of accuracy from one language to another, e.g., English to Spanish and Spanish to English
• Accurate, word-for-word interpretation for parents and staff at meetings including parent conferences, school district and school site meetings, and IEP meetings
• Approaching families and staff from a variety of ethnic backgrounds with courtesy, respect, and cultural sensitivity
• Organizing work effectively: prioritizing tasks and projects, using web-based systems to track assignments, read and reply to requests in a timely manner.
• Being punctual, independent, reliable and professional
• Traveling to a variety of sites to interpret
• Maintaining confidential and sensitive information
• Responding to phone calls, emails, and other communications without undue delay
• Working as an interpreter who interprets word-for-word from one language to another, not as an advocate or personal advisor
• Performing related duties as assigned.

Requirements
Education: High school diploma

Experience: One or more years interpreting in a professional environment; educational setting is preferred.

Knowledge and skills:

• Exceptional language skills in English and desired home language including grammar, syntax, vocabulary, oral proficiency, and use of idioms
• Knowledge of terminology specific to various departments, such as curriculum and instruction, special education, juvenile court and community schools, which may include legal, technical, and medical content
• Knowledge of culture and how to approach families and staff from a variety of ethic backgrounds with courtesy and respect
• Knowledge of different practices of interpretation (simultaneous vs. consecutive).

Abilities

• Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills using tact, patience, and courtesy
• Demonstrate the ability to listen, comprehend, and retain oral information
• Speak in a clear voice with sufficient volume to be heard in normal conversation with or without aids
• Provide simultaneous and consecutive translations based on the direction of the group leader.

Licenses and certificates

• Valid California driver’s license; automobile insurance required by law; and the use of a dependable automobile
• Passage of district bilingual assessment
• Passage of district interpreter test
• Passage of computer skills test

Working conditions
Typical office and classroom environments

Salary range 68

Series
Clerical

Approved by the Personnel Commission: May 26, 2005
Revised: June 23, 2016
Revised: Oct. 26, 2017