Interpreter

Hiring range: $20.00 – $25.00/hr. This is a non-exempt (hourly) position. Pay rates are based on education, skill, experience level, and internal equity.

About the role

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. The Operations, Strategy & Innovation (OSI) division leads the pursuit of more efficient and effective services and helps the department achieve its strategic vision.

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.

Responsibilities

• Provides interpretation and translation assistance, both over the phone and in-person, facilitating 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, and directing staff requests.
• Translates written materials, including 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 clients’ 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.

Requirements

• Minimum of two years of related experience and fluency in English and interpreting skills in Spanish.
• Associate's degree in a related field. Combination of relevant education and relevant experience accepted.
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

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

Skills

• Knowledge of professional appearance, speech, and presentation skills.
• Understanding of ethics and standards related to interpreting and translation services.
• Fluency in the structure and content of the English and Spanish languages, including meaning, spelling, rules of composition, grammar, and pronunciation.
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services, including needs assessment, meeting quality standards, and evaluating customer satisfaction.
• Skills in translating from Spanish to English and English to Spanish.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and special projects.
• Active listening: Giving full attention to what others are saying, understanding points being made, and asking questions as appropriate.
• Effective verbal and written communication.
• Using logic and reasoning to identify 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 the customer perspective drives business decisions and activities; crafting and implementing service practices that meet customers’ and the organization’s needs.
• Customer service: Effectively meeting customer needs, building productive relationships, and taking responsibility for customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Technical/professional knowledge and skills: Achieving a satisfactory level of technical and professional skill or knowledge in position-related areas; keeping up with current developments and trends.
• Time management and follow-through: Effectively managing time and resources to ensure work is completed efficiently.
• Proficient in various computer applications including Microsoft Office Suite.

Work Environment

• Works in an office setting with moderate noise.
• Travels to other locations for field visits as required.

Reasonable Accommodations

To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.