Kaqchikel Linguist (on-site)

The Mission Essential Group, LLC; Cedartown (GA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flight & rental car provided

Some meals & incidentals

Job summary

The Mission Essential Group, LLC is seeking a Kaqchikel Linguist to support HHS I efforts in Cedartown, Georgia. The role requires ILR Level 2+ proficiency in English and Kaqchikel, with the ability to interpret, translate, and facilitate communication among care staff and unaccompanied minors.

Responsibilities include in-person interpretation at ORR program sites, remote interpretation as needed (24/7 requests), translating documents, and helping bridge cultural context to ensure accurate and

Qualifications

• ILR Level 2+ proficiency in English (listening and speaking) and the target language (listening, speaking, reading, and writing)
• Successful completion of a Tier 2 background check
• Autonomy, discretion, and strong professional judgment in linguistics

Responsibilities

• Provide in-person, onsite interpretation at ORR programs and service locations (preferred)
• Deliver remote interpretation services via telephone or videoconference, including 24/7 availability
• Translate documents between English and the target language
• Assist care staff and UC/UAM/URM in expressing concerns and needs in their preferred language
• Contextualize language with cultural insight to support communication between staff and minors

Job description

Job Description

Position: Kaqchikel Linguist

Location: Cedartown, Georgia

Language Requirement: 2+ ILR level

Benefits

• If you are not local we will provide a flight and rental car. Some meals and incidentals are also available.

Position Description

We are excited to announce new opportunities supporting the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services I (HHS I) in providing critical language services to unaccompanied minors in refugee programs. We are seeking linguists who speak Kaqchikel at an Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Level 2 + or higher.

About ILR levels

The Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale is the U.S. government standard for measuring language proficiency. It ranges from Level 0 (No Proficiency) to Level 5 (Native or Bilingual Proficiency).

• ILR Level 2+ ("Professional Working Proficiency") indicates that a linguist can speak, understand, read, and write the language with sufficient accuracy and fluency to participate effectively in most conversations on practical, social, and some professional topics.

Position Overview

Linguists will provide accurate, impartial, and confidential interpretation and translation services at ILR Level 2+ proficiency or higher to support communication between Care Staff, unaccompanied children (UC), unaccompanied minors (UAM), and unaccompanied refugee minors (URM). Linguists serve as Communication Liaisons to ensure all parties can fully understand one another in a variety of settings.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide in-person, onsite interpretation at Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) programs and service locations (preferred).
• Deliver remote interpretation services via telephone, videoconference, or other virtual means as needed, including availability for 24/7 requests.
• Facilitate communication of important deadlines, instructions, questions, and other information between Care Staff and UC/UAM/URM in their native or preferred language.
• Assist UC/UAM/URM in expressing concerns, questions, or needs when they are not fluent or comfortable communicating in English or the language spoken by Care Staff.
• Demonstrate a high-level of professional judgment, based on the candidate's own experience and language proficiency, to mitigate language barriers and ensure effective communication between Care Staff and a UC, UAM or URM.
• Support the orientation of UC/UAM/URM to available community resources through interpretation and translation.
• Translate documents from English to the preferred language and vice versa, and occasionally from other source languages, as required.
• Help Care Staff build rapport and understand the cultural context of the populations served; while linguists are not substitutes for case managers or clinicians, they play a vital role in establishing a cultural bridge and alleviating stress for the children.

Requirements

• ILR Level 2+ proficiency in both English (listening and speaking) and the target language (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) whether obtained through either a specialized academic degree or a combination of experience/education.
• Successful completion of a Tier 2 background check; no security clearance required.
• Consistent exercise of discretion and judgment and advanced knowledge in the field of linguistics.
• The linguist is expected to apply advanced language skills, cultural expertise, and professional judgment to facilitate communication in sensitive and complex situations.
• The work requires autonomy, decision-making, and a high degree of responsibility in managing language services to meet the needs of ORR programs and the vulnerable populations served.