Translator

About the role

This position is located in the Administrative Division, Translation and Interpretation Section of the United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for the Southern District of California. The incumbent will be required to provide high-quality Spanish/English transcription and translation services for a variety of litigative activities.

Responsibilities

• Serving as an expert source of information to USAO staff regarding the Spanish language at all levels of complexity to include idiomatic expressions, regionalisms, colloquialisms, culturally based expressions, profanities, slang expressions and technical terms;
• Preparing certified translations of court documents, law enforcement reports, accounting/financial documentations, vital records, forensic reports - including autopsies, lab reports, medical reports, etc.; text messages; prison records; treaties, statutes and regulations; high level, very formal official government documents; publications, etc. within tight deadlines;
• Preparing certified transcriptions and translations of post-arrest interviews, intercepted phone calls, body-wire recordings, Port-of-Entry (POE) videos, immigration court proceedings, jail calls, and recorded witness interviews in a fast-paced and challenging environment;
• Providing summary and sight translations to Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSA) of documentation received by the office;
• Reviewing and evaluating transcriptions and translations prepared by opposing counsel;
• Providing interpretation services for USAO personnel at meetings and during case-related activities as needed in criminal and civil matters;
• Performing administrative and other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level is defined as experience gained in a position designated as a Translator or equivalent that involved knowledge and skill of techniques in the translation of documents from Spanish into English and English into Spanish in the preparation of written material used to further investigations such as: translating material; extracting information and summarizing the information in English and Spanish; Translating Spanish to English using Artificial Intelligence or Computer Assisted Translation Tools.
• Education: Master's or equivalent degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in Translation, Interpretation, Linguistics, Spanish Language, or a closely related field or LL.B. or J.D., if related.
• A combination of experience and graduate level education can be used if, when combined, are equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. Only graduate level education in excess of the first full year can be used in this calculation.
• Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level is defined as experience gained in a position designated as a Translator or equivalent that involved knowledge and skill of advanced techniques in the translation of documents from Spanish into English and English into Spanish in adherence to accuracy, completeness, and impartiality in the preparation of written material used to further investigations. Examples of specialized experience include: producing translations that are grammatically correct and which use a wide range of both technical/nontechnical vocabulary; certifying translations to be introduced as evidence in court hearings or trials; transcribing and translating audio and audio/video recordings; translating materials at all levels of difficulty and subject matter; providing summary and sight translations of court documents, text messages etc.; demonstrating knowledge of technical and legal terminology; Translating Spanish to English using Artificial Intelligence or Computer Assisted Translation Tools and preparing transcriptions using transcription software and managing term bases.
• Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in Translation, Interpretation, Linguistics, Spanish Language, or a closely related field or LL.M., if related.
• A combination of experience and graduate level education can be used if, when combined, are equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. Only education in excess of 2 full years is creditable.
• Professional Competence in the English and Spanish languages and being certified by the American Translators Association (ATA).