Language Access Coordinator
The Language Access Coordinator will implement and help develop Iowa Legal Aid’s language access policies to support our staff as they provide free legal assistance and community legal education to low-income Iowans. The specific duties of this job may include, but are not limited to:
• Assessing and reporting on Limited English Proficiency (LEP) poverty populations in Iowa and Iowa Legal Aid’s service to these populations.
• Coordinating, conducting, and analyzing the effectiveness of targeted LEP outreach.
• Chairing or co-chairing Iowa Legal Aid’s LEP Committee, which reports to the ILA Board of Directors.
• Implementing Iowa Legal Aid’s language access policies and addressing questions and complaints about the policies.
• Serving as a liaison to community groups and grant partners that serve LEP clients and assisting in our collaborations with these groups.
• Evaluating the foreign oral and written language abilities of staff, AmeriCorps members, and volunteers (both directly and with outside assistance).
• Providing training to staff, AmeriCorps members, and volunteers on legal interpretation and translation best practices.
• Providing opportunities to staff, AmeriCorps members, and volunteers to learn about different groups we serve and best practices when working with LEP clients.
• Reviewing existing third-party translation and interpretation service contracts.
• Reviewing service provider’s invoices and resolving any inaccuracies.
• Tracking the costs associated with interpretation and translation services (both in-house and by third-party providers) to help develop a budget for language access resources.
• Translating client documents and standard letters and publications into Spanish.
• Monitoring and reviewing translations assigned to staff, AmeriCorps members, translation service providers, and volunteers.
• Overseeing the recruitment of volunteer interpreters and translators and recruiting additional volunteers, as needed.
• Conducting intakes in Spanish in person or by telephone, as needed.
Qualifications: Applicants must be fluent in Spanish, the native language of the majority of Iowa Legal Aid’s LEP clients. Candidates also must have a bachelor’s degree or comparable relevant work experience. The ideal applicant will also have some or all of the following qualities:
• Experience as a Spanish interpreter or translator.
• Experience working for a legal services organization or law firm.
• Experience drafting reports.
• Experience developing budgets and analyzing expenses.
• Background working with immigrant and refugee communities and social service agencies that serve them.
• Background working with members of vulnerable populations, including those who are low-income, elderly, victims of domestic/sexual violence, people of color, and/or have disabilities.
• Experience providing trauma-informed services.
Location: Strong preference given to candidates who will work out of the Central Administrative Office of Iowa Legal Aid in Des Moines, but we will also consider applicants working out of regional offices located in Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Dubuque, Iowa City, Mason City, Sioux City, Ottumwa or Waterloo.
Opening/Closing Date: Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
Salary/Benefits: Starting salary: $39,000 - $42,000. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Excellent fringe benefits. This is a confidential employee/non-bargaining unit position.
To apply: To apply, email a letter of application (indicate geographic restrictions), resume, representative writing sample, names, addresses and phone numbers of at least three professional references (external applicants only) to Angela Broughton-Romain – abroughtonromain@iowalaw.org
Iowa Legal Aid is an Equal Opportunity Employer.