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Posted: January 28, 2026 (14 days ago)

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INTERPRETER (SIGN LANGUAGE)

Defense Finance and Accounting Service

Department of Defense

Recent

Salary

$75,374 - $97,991

per year

Closes

February 10, 2026More DOD jobs →

GS-11 Pay Grade

Base salary range: $62,107 - $80,737

Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience at GS-10. Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 years graduate study.

Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).

Job Description

Summary

This job involves providing sign language interpreting services to deaf and hard-of-hearing employees at a financial agency in Indianapolis, including translating conversations, meetings, and specialized documents.

The role requires coordinating requests and scheduling sessions in a team setting.

It's a good fit for experienced sign language interpreters with strong skills in American Sign Language and related systems, who enjoy supporting accessibility in a government office environment.

Key Requirements

  • At least one year of specialized experience in interpreting/transliterating using American Sign Language (ASL), Contact Sign, and Conceptually Accurate Signed English (CASE)
  • Ability to provide oral interpreting for deaf individuals who do not use sign language
  • Experience translating legal or fiscal materials with specialized terminology, including research or consultation with subject matter experts
  • Education or training in interpreting/sign language from an accredited institution, or equivalent professional experience
  • Proficiency in coordinating and scheduling interpreting services using tools like MS Outlook
  • Ability to work in a team environment handling customer requests via email and phone
  • Pass/fail testing for language proficiency may be required prior to appointment

Full Job Description

This is an Excepted Service position and does not confer eligibility to be converted to the Competitive Service.

If you are a current Federal Career/Career-Conditional employee, you will be placed on an Excepted service appointment.

Position is located in Indianapolis, IN Individual Occupational Requirements: Education Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- the appropriate foreign language from an English-speaking college or university, English from a college or university in the other country, or translating or interpreting where English and the foreign language were prerequisites.

Or Experience in translating, interpreting, or other work requiring the use of English and the other language; or a combination of work (that required English and the other language) and training at the Defense Language Institute, Foreign Service Institute, or comparable training.

The following are examples of work in the required language that may have provided the required abilities: translator; interpreter; librarian or information specialist required to make abstracts, screen, index, and scan material; intelligence; writer or editor; international organizational work, such as the Peace Corps, World Bank, United Nations, business, or other organizations; or professor, teacher, or instructor work at the high school or college level that required use of the foreign language.

Qualifying Experience: To qualify at the GS-11, your resume must describe at least one year of experience that demonstrates the competencies necessary for immediate success in the position.

Experience refers to any paid or unpaid experience, including volunteer work and Military service, that would be considered equivalent to work normally performed at the next lower grade level in the federal service.

GS-11 specialized experience is defined as: using the following signed languages to interpret/transliterate conversations, meetings, training sessions, interviews or other less formal meetings: American Sign Language (ASL), Contact Sign and Conceptually Accurate Signed English (CASE); provides oral interpreting services to deaf individuals who do not use sign language.

Translate a variety of legal or fiscal material requiring specialized terminology and performs advanced research or confers with authors of the subject matter to become familiar with topics to be discussed.

Testing Provisions Agencies may test applicants for foreign language proficiency on a pass/fail basis prior to appointment.

Agencies must document the connection between the level of proficiency required and the duties of the position to be filled.

Test material for applicants for the same position or grade level should be equally difficult, and should be selected from typical work-related documents.

The following are examples of work in the required language that may have provided the required abilities: translator; interpreter; librarian or information specialist required to make abstracts, screen, index, and scan material; intelligence; writer or editor; international organizational work, such as the Peace Corps, World Bank, United Nations, business, or other organizations; or professor, teacher, or instructor work at the high school or college level that required use of the foreign language.

Candidates must describe how they meet the qualifying experience and/or selective placement factor(s) within the body of their resume.

All qualifications must be met within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement. Major Duties:

  • Serves as a Sign Language Interpreter within the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) Indianapolis Center (IN). Responsible for providing a full range of interpreting/transliterating services for DFAS-IN deaf/hard of hearing (HoH) employees.
  • In a team environment, coordinates all incoming customer interpreting service requests through emails and phone calls. Schedules blocks of time according to customer requirements and team availability using MS Outlook calendars.
  • Provides training to supervisors and staff on Deaf Culture and interpreter services. Looks for process improvement opportunities to better serve customers.
  • Interprets/transliterates any conversation, meeting, training session, interview, or other requested event. Also, may provide oral interpreting to employees who do not use sign language.
  • Utilizes skill in a variety of signed languages (i.e., American Sign Language (ASL), Contact Sign, and Conceptually Accurate Signed English, CASE).

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Posted on USAJOBS: 1/28/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 1/29/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: D-DFAS-12873092-26