Vietnamese Linguist

Position Overview

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 Vietnamese at an Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Level 2 + or higher.

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.

• Provide in-person, onsite interpretation at Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) programs and service locations (preferred).
• Deliver remote interpretation services via telephone, video conference, 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.

• 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.
• Application of advanced language skills, cultural expertise, and professional judgment to facilitate communication in sensitive and complex situations.
• 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.

• Prior experience as a linguist in foster care, social services, or medical care environments.