Freelance Punjabi Interpreter and Translator

SILA Linguists; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Freelance flexibility

Remote and on-site assignments

Operations team support

Assignments across healthcare, legal,公

Job summary

SILA Linguists is seeking freelance Punjabi interpreters and translators to support clients in healthcare, legal and public service settings across the UK. Video, telephone and face-to-face assignments are available.

Punjabi language work encompasses Majhi-based Punjabi and related dialects, with translation of documents and interpretation for diverse cases while upholding confidentiality and accuracy. Flexible remote and on-site opportunities are offered, with support from our operations team.

Qualifications

• Full professional fluency in Punjabi and English.
• Qualifications like DPSI/DPI or translation degree, or equivalent experience; CIOL/ITI/NRPSI welcome.

Responsibilities

• Interpret for health and social care clients, ensuring understanding of medical terms.
• Translate documents in Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi as requested and flag when the client needs the other script.
• Maintain accuracy, impartiality and confidentiality on every assignment.
• Prepare for bookings by reviewing briefs and researching terminology.
• Check translations against the source and meet deadlines.
• Transcribe/translate Punjabi recordings for legal, research, and media clients if interested.

Skills

Bilingual Punjabi-English

Strong communication

DBS check willingness

Education

DPSI or DPI or translation degree

Job description

We are looking for freelance Punjabi interpreters and translators to support clients in healthcare, legal and public service settings. Video, telephone and face-to-face assignments are available.

Punjabi (also spelled Panjabi) is widely spoken in South Asian communities across the UK. The people you interpret for may come from Indian Punjab, where Punjabi is written in Gurmukhi, and Pakistani Punjab, where it is written in Shahmukhi. Interpreters should handle Majhi-based standard Punjabi and recognise Doabi, Malwai and Pothwari features, since many older clients use regional speech.

Common assignments include GP and hospital appointments, mental health reviews, adult social care, police interviews and county court cases. Translation work ranges from patient leaflets to legal statements and family documents.

Responsibilities

• Interpret for older clients in health and social care settings, checking understanding of medical terms with care.
• Translate documents in Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi, as requested, and flag when a client needs the other script.
• Follow professional standards of accuracy, impartiality and confidentiality on every assignment.
• Prepare for each booking by reviewing the brief and researching specialist terminology in advance.
• Check every translation against the source before delivery and meet agreed deadlines.
• Take on transcription and translation of Punjabi recordings for legal, research and media clients, if this work interests you.

Requirements

• Full professional fluency in both Punjabi and English.
• Relevant qualifications such as the DPSI, DPI or a translation degree, or equivalent professional experience; CIOL, ITI or NRPSI membership is welcome.
• Ability to read and write Punjabi in Gurmukhi, Shahmukhi or both (please state which).
• Willingness to undergo a DBS check, which is required for some assignments, such as those involving children or vulnerable adults.
• For on-site work in the UK, the right to work in the UK.
• Reliable internet access and suitable equipment (computer or phone with headset) for video and telephone work.

What we offer

• Freelance flexibility, accepting work when it suits you.
• Remote and on-site assignments.
• Fair pay that reflects your skills and time.
• Support from our operations team.
• Assignments across sectors, including healthcare, legal and public services.

Punjabi work with SILA Linguists®

SILA Linguists® is a language services company providing interpreting, translation and transcription across the UK, North America, Australia, New Zealand and beyond, in more than 350 languages and dialects. As a Punjabi linguist with us, you can take on the full range of work we offer in Punjabi:

• Punjabi interpreting of every type: face-to-face, telephone (OPI) 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, video (VRI) through the SILA Linguists® app or the client's platform, consecutive, simultaneous, conference and remote simultaneous (RSI), community and escort interpreting.
• Punjabi translation of documents into and out of English, from letters, medical reports and school records to contracts, research and websites.
• Certified Punjabi translation with a signed statement of accuracy, accepted by UK authorities such as courts, the Home Office, universities and employers.
• Punjabi transcription of audio and video recordings, with time stamps, translation of the transcript and subtitling.

Our vetted, trained and qualified linguists work in legal, police and court settings, immigration and asylum matters, NHS and private healthcare, social care, schools and universities, charities and business. Every assignment is covered by confidentiality agreements and UK GDPR.