Language Access and Engagement Specialist - Bilingual

Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Philadelphia City Commissioners are a three-member bipartisan board of elected officials in charge of elections and voter registration for the City of Philadelphia. The City of Philadelphia is the sixth-largest city in the United States and one of the largest employers in Southeastern Pennsylvania.  

Job Description

Position Summary 

The Language Access and Engagement Specialists will serve as key members of the engagement team, supporting the department's election operations by performing duties related to the development and implementation of language access and voter support as required to comply with Section 203 Language Provisions of the Voting Rights Act. These duties include but are not limited to translating documents, recruitment of bilingual interpreters, voter education and community outreach (e.g., Voting system demonstrations and voter information sessions), and serving as a liaison with city, state, and federal language access bodies. Based on Section 203 determinations, Philadelphia County is required to provide language support and assistance with respect to persons of Hispanic and Chinese (including Taiwanese) heritage. The Philadelphia City Commissioners may choose to support additional languages beyond the section 203 required languages. 

• Continue to improve and professionalize the City Commissioners Language Access offerings, including operations, processes, evaluation, visibility, and outreach 

• Provide limited English proficient (LEP) voters covered by Section 203 the information, materials, and assistance to meaningfully access the voting process 

• Recruitment of bilingual interpreters 

• Convene working group of community members to further language access for each supported language 

Essential Functions 

The Language Access and Engagement Specialists are responsible for assisting in language translation and interpretation services to provide meaningful access to voting for voters with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).  

Language Access and Engagement Specialists, under the direction of the Access and Engagement Director and/or Executive Director, are responsible for partnering with Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) - including consulting on the accuracy of translations/transliterations, voter registration drives, voting system demonstrations, poll worker recruitment, and more. 

In coordination with Deputies and Executive staff, Language Access and Engagement Specialists will assist in preparing supported language voter outreach materials, including the translation of election materials and notices. 

The Language Access and Engagement Specialists with the supervision of the Deputy Commissioners and Executive Staff, are also responsible for: 

• assisting in planning and development of language-accessible outreach events for the department,  

• supporting activities related to the distribution of elections materials, 

• forming and managing working group of community members for supported language, 

• assisting LEP voters with department interactions and staff the election day call center, and 

• help maintain records of LEP interactions.  

The Office of the City Commissioners expects to recruit and train hundreds of bilingual interpreters in Spanish, Chinese, and many other non-English languages. Language Access and Engagement Specialists are expected to assist in the recruitment and placement of bilingual interpreters for work on Election Day. Language