Language Accessibility Coordinator (Administrative Assistant IV)

Fairfax County is required by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act to provide ballots and election information and materials in certain languages in addition to English, and the language accessibility coordinator is integral to that process. Under the general supervision of the voter services/same day registration (SDR) manager, this position is responsible for coordinating the agency's language and translation functions, staff, and programs. Responsible for ensuring that ballots, signs, direct communication, and other election documents are translated into the legally mandated (covered) languages, efficiently and against strict deadlines. Works with the Communications Division to develop and implement outreach opportunities that reach citizens of voting age and voters who may be challenged by the electoral process due to language.

Must be fluent in Spanish and/or Vietnamese; fluency in Korean is desirable but not mandatory. Must be able to pass the language proficiency testing.

Note: The assigned functional areas of this position include translation, interpretation, language translation coordination, voter services/same day registration, citizens support, elections support, and/or general administrative support.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of education, experience and training equivalent to high school graduation and three years of experience providing administrative support in the assigned functional area(s).

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Must be a registered voter in the state of Virginia or ability to become one within 30 days of employment.

Must be fluent in Spanish and/or Vietnamese and pass the language proficiency testing; Korean is desirable but not mandatory.

Must pass the initial Language Proficiency test/assessment that will be conducted by one of the County's language assessment vendors. Proficiency retesting shall be conducted every three years or sooner if department head or designee determines/decides.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree, in English, Education, Linguistics, or foreign language (Spanish, Vietnamese, or Korean).
• Bilingual in Spanish, and/or Vietnamese, and/or Korean.
• 5-8 years of experience in language access, translation, and/or interpretation services.
• 3-5 years of experience in managing translation projects or working with diverse language communities.
• Certificate in language proficiency in Spanish, and/or Vietnamese, and/or Korean.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel).

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others.) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.