INTERPRETER (SIGN LANGUAGE)

Full Job Description

Applications will be accepted from all qualified candidates. 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.

One year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to that of the next lower grade within the federal service, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position is required: (GS-07 if applying for the GS-09; GS-09 if applying for the GS-11).

GS-09 Specialized experience is defined as: experience working collaboratively with fluent interpreters in a professional capacity, delivering comprehensive sign language and translation services for meetings, conferences, and presentations utilizing American Sign Language (ASL), Contact Sign, and Conceptually Accurate Signed English (CASE).

GS-11 Specialized experience is defined as: experience 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.

Major Duties:

• For vacancies filled at less than the full performance level of the position, duties will be developmental in nature.
• 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).