Bilingual (English-Spanish) Translator/Prooer and Phone Operator – San Francisco Department of Elections (1404 Clerk)

Job Description

In preparation for the February 15, 2022 Special Municipal Election, the Department is seeking applications for a seasonal bilingual position to assist with translating, proofreading and audio proofing official election materials and providing election information to the public over the phone.

This is a seasonal position, with the start date contingent upon completion of the hiring process. The Department intends to fill this position by November 29, 2021. The end date for the position is approximately February 21, 2022, with opportunity for assignment extension up to June 17, 2022; the exact end date will be determined by the operational needs of the Department in the post-election cycle.

This is a temporary exempt as-needed position. Temporary exempt as-needed employees who have worked more than 1040 hours in any consecutive 12 month period, and whose normal work week at the time of inclusion in the system is not less than 20 hours are eligible for health coverage and retirement benefits. For more information on the City and County of San Francisco benefit policies, refer to the Employee Handbook available at https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Employee-Handbook.pdf

The ideal candidate has a strong work ethic and a high level of integrity. This position requires excellent written and oral communication skills in English, including grammar and spelling, with equivalent proficiency in written Spanish appropriate for official government publications. The ideal candidate has strong attention to detail and demonstrated abilities to learn new subject matter and work on several projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines.

Typical tasks include:

· Translating materials for use by the public

· Extensive proofreading (words, numbers, and format)

· Comparing vendor translations to English text and preferred Spanish terminology, suggesting revisions only as needed

· Creating candidate lists with accurate content and formatting

· Maintaining organized paper and electronic document files

· Assisting the public over the phone in a phone bank setting

Initially, staff in this position will translate and proofread materials and website content and will assist with compiling, proofing, and producing all versions of the official ballot, in paper, touchscreen and audio formats, in English and Spanish and the Voter Information Pamphlet in English and Spanish.

Approximately one month prior to Election Day, this position will transition to work on the phone bank to provide election information to the public in English and Spanish.

Qualifications

This position requires bilingual skills such as proficiency in reading, writing, typing, speaking, and listening in English and Spanish.

Selected candidates must pass language proficiency and proofreading tests that will be administered as part of the interview process.

Any one of the following may substitute for six (6) months of the required experience:

1. Completion of a clerical training program (240 hours);

2. 15 semester units (or equivalent quarter units) of coursework from an accredited college or university;

3. Completion of an approved City and County of San Francisco Clerical Administrative training program.

One year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours (2,000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40 hour work week). Any overtime hours that you work above 40 hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time employment.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

· Willingness to follow instructions and maintain strict version control

· Computer skills, including MS Word, MS Excel, Adobe Acrobat, and Internet research in English and Spanish are highly desired

· Verifiable professional experience or university-level coursework in written translation from English to Spanish, as well as professional or university-level writing in English

· General knowledge of San Francisco neighborhoods and districts

· Experience providing excellent customer service

To be considered for this position, you must:

Be sure to indicate that you speak, read, and write Spanish in your application

Include a resume and a brief cover letter in English and Spanish detailing how you meet the above qualifications.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact Michael Cerles, by email at [emailprotected]

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.