Bilingual Spanish Program Lead — Public Service Translation

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

5% assignment pay for bilingual duties

Job summary

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) seeks an experienced leader to supervise the Bilingual Translation Unit at our Tumwater headquarters. You’ll guide a team of six bilingual staff translating key agency materials and supporting Spanish‑speaking customers statewide.

This role champions language equity in public service and may serve as acting Customer Service Manager when needed. In‑office position in Tumwater, WA, with a 5% bilingual assignment pay and the requirement to

Qualifications

• High school graduation or equivalent.
• Three years of applicable experience in the program specialty OR equivalent education/experience.
• Supervision, coaching, and performance management.
• Advanced Spanish translation and interpretation.
• Effective conflict resolution and customer service.
• Time and workload management in a fast-paced environment.
• Professional communication – both written and verbal.
• Fluency in both Spanish and English.
• Pass a bilingual Spanish exam.
• Assignment pay of 5% for bilingual duties.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of six bilingual staff.
• Oversee daily operations, assign translation tasks, review work for quality assurance.
• Analyze workflows and improve call routing systems, translation templates, and customer support strategies.
• Translate or oversee translations of crucial documents.
• Serve as liaison with Spanish-speaking customers, ensuring understanding of rights, services, and responsibilities in both languages.
• Act as acting Customer Service Manager when necessary.
• Lead compliance efforts tied to federal language access agreements.

Skills

Supervision

Spanish translation

Customer service

Time management

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) seeks an experienced leader to supervise the Bilingual Translation Unit at our Tumwater headquarters. You’ll guide a team of six bilingual staff translating key agency materials and supporting Spanish‑speaking customers statewide.

This role champions language equity in public service and may serve as acting Customer Service Manager when needed. In‑office position in Tumwater, WA, with a 5% bilingual assignment pay and the requirement to