Sign Language Interpreting Specialist

Job Code: 32000400
Salary Grade: NC15
Revision Date: 06/2018

Class Concept

Positions in this class provide direct interpreting services for staff and eligible consumers served by other agencies and organizations. Position determines the level of service required and coordinates interpreting services for staff or consumers based on assessed need. Position provides consultation and technical assistance to consumers and agencies relative to communication access; positions make referrals on communication access resources and services for the client population to include interpreters, service providers, schools, and community members. Work also involves developing, coordinating, implementing and promoting local interpreter training and skills development programs to ensure communication access including design and delivery of training modules for interpreters on such topics as the Americans with Disabilities Act, small business set-up and procedures, contracts and negotiations, new technological advances, and interpreter coordination. Employees identify, coordinate, and promote skills development opportunities for individuals interested in becoming interpreters or transliterators and maintain a library of developmental resources and tools. Positions perform public outreach and awareness activities to private organizations, schools and universities in understanding their obligations for communication access under ADA. Positions serve as a resource for their region and provide consultation to local state organizations regarding communication access policy development and implementation. Work also involves monitoring, evaluation and development of new policies or programs of regional service providers and when necessary, negotiates with businesses and organizations to develop financial resources for interpreter services. Position serves as Division representative to a variety of associations, advisory groups and/or task forces.

Recruitment Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Working knowledge of the various types of communication access accommodations.
• Working knowledge of State and Federal laws as they relate to communication access.
• Working knowledge of community agencies that provide essential human services.
• Thorough knowledge of deafness, deaf culture, American Sign Language, interpreting practices and processing models (long term memory, short term memory, visualization, monitoring, language fluency, evaluation, assessment, etc.).
• Ability to monitor, assess and evaluate interpreting skills of others and skills in mentoring techniques.
• Skills in both sign to voice and voice to sign and ability to communicate clearly in writing, orally, and in sign language..
• Ability to assess communication skill level of client and determine accommodation to be rendered and ability to establish rapport with deaf populations, community, government/business officials and faculty.
• Ability to interpret and transliterate in a variety of settings and for a variety of consumers with various registers including formal to intimate.
• Ability to apply the interpreter code of professional conduct.
• Ability to research, develop and present training.

Minimum Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree in an interpreter training program from an appropriately accredited institution and two years of professional interpreting experience in a community, business, or government program; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Necessary Special Requirements

If applicable as defined by GS 90D, meets the requirements for licensure as determined by the North Carolina Interpreter and Transliterator Licensing Board.