Language Access Advisor

Title: Language Access Advisor

Location: Seattle United States

Salary

$51.88 - $77.82 Hourly

Location 

Seattle, WA

Job Type

Civil Service Exempt, Regular, Full-time

Remote Employment

Flexible/Hybrid

Job Number

2025-01615

Department

Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs

Job Description:

The Office

The mission of the Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) is to improve the lives of Seattle's immigrant and refugee families.  The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs centers racial equity and community engagement in its work and seeks candidates who are committed to these values.

The Job

One of OIRA's focuses is providing language access and in-language support to immigrants, refugees, and English language learners. OIRA is recruiting for a Language Access Advisor with subject matter expertise, strategic planning and implementation skills, and the ability to build successful partnerships across organizations.  You will impact the work in the following areas:

• Developing strategies for improving and advancing language access goals in the City.
• Convening monthly meetings of City staff to respond to questions and help them as they expand and embed department language access capabilities and systems
• Creating guides and training for City staff on providing linguistically accessible services.
• Drafting and reviewing legislation that expands language access requirements.
• Collecting and analyzing data on language demographics across the City of Seattle.
• Collecting Language Access Plans (LAP) from departments and analyzing data to create a citywide LAP.

To be successful, you are committed to:

• Equity, language justice, and public service
• Continuous improvement and community-centered outcomes
• Building relationships through authentic engagement.
• Meeting partners where they are and supporting their journey 

To be effective, you have:

• Significant expertise in Language Access, Language Justice, and in-language support
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Managed projects, organized and prioritized work, and met deadlines
• Strategically worked from ideation to implementation, including feedback loops, data collection, and analysis
• Created curricula and facilitated training on plain language, translation, and interpretation
• Provided technical assistance and support across your organization, continually improving language access systems and tools
• A collaborative mindset paired with strong decision-making abilities
• The ability to lead and influence without needing to be micromanaged

A successful applicant will have experience that reflects a commitment to expanding and continually improving language access. This experience should be complemented by demonstrated knowledge and ability in the following areas:

 

• Broad written, oral, and visual communication skills
• Helping organizations navigate equity barriers experienced by immigrant and refugee communities
• Cross-cultural communication and curricula development for training and guides
• Language and accessibility best practices
• Project management
• Working successfully within a large, matrixed organization
• Working in a dynamic, diverse, fast-paced environment

Please note that this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of the activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

This job is classified as a Strategic Advisor 1, Exempt. The full pay range for this position is $51.88-77.82. For office pay equity reasons, this position will be paid $54.61/hour.

Why Work for the City of Seattle? At the City of Seattle, public service is more than a job; it's a chance to shape the future and make a meaningful difference in the lives of everyone who works, lives, or plays in our city. With 12,000 employees across 40+ departments and 1,100 job titles, we are united by a common purpose: to create a Seattle that is vibrant and welcoming for all. Whatever your role, you'll help power a forward-looking city that leads by example - inclusive, innovative, equitable, and community-focused - while joining a diverse team committed to solving challenges and making a lasting impact together. Join us in building a Seattle that thrives!

This position offers the flexibility of a hybrid work schedule. Individual schedules will be based on agreement between the employee and management. You may be asked to attend meetings and events that occur on weekday evenings and weekends. 

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on our website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans. 

In addition to completing the application at www.governmentjobs.com/careers/seattle fully, please attach:

• A cover letter explaining your interest in this job and how your skills could expand language access at the City of Seattle
• A PDF of your current resume

This position is open to applicants who meet the qualifications. The City of Seattle values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The City encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences.

Accommodations:

Individuals with disabilities will be provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact Kate.Moore@seattle.gov with questions or to request accommodations.