Sign Language Interpreter

The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. If this vacancy includes more than one grade and you are selected at a lower grade level you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to help you grow in this position.

• Interprets in a variety of settings involving deaf/hard of hearing employees and hearing persons who are
  familiar with sign language and the interpreting process.
• Simultaneously and consecutively interprets/transliterates with equal facility in rendering from American
  Sign Language (ASL) Contact Variety Sign (CVS) and Manually Coded English (MCE) to English and
  from English to the aforementioned sign languages.
• Uses oral forms of communication to provide communication access for oral deaf or hard of hearing
  individuals and uses tactile forms of English ASL CVS and MCE to interpret/transliterate for individuals
  who are deaf as needed.
• Interprets/transliterates for deaf/hard of hearing employees and hearing persons engaged in specialized
  meetings seminars or training programs that utilize technical vocabularies and terminology unique to those
  fields (technical tax terminology computer technical language)
• Interprets/transliterates for deaf/hard of hearing employees and hearing persons engaged in formal and
  informal meetings and other discussions with supervisors and staff members.

• Probationary Period - All newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time your performance conduct and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor seek feedback and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding.

• U.S Citizenship - Must be a U.S. Citizen or National and provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• Selective Service Registration - Males born after December 31 1959 are required to be registered with the Selective Service System or prove they are exempt from having to do so.
• Personal Identity Verification (PIV) - Must provide 2 forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired original or certified copies.

Federal experience is not required. Experience may have been gained in the public sector private sector or through Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
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 interpretingwhere 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.

Language requirement: This is a bilingual position. Applicants will be required to demonstrate proficiency in Sign Language and English. You must be able to speak read and write English and be able to interpret and transliterate American Sign Language (ASL) Manually Coded English (MCE) and Contact Variety Sign (CVS) to English and from English to the aforementioned sign languages to be considered proficient. You may be assessed at some point in the hiring process to determine if you possess the required level of proficiency. If you are unable to demonstrate proficiency you will not be qualified for this position.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GRADE-11: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service: Specialized experience for this position must be sufficient to demonstrate: Experience with English American Sign Language (ASL) Contact Variety Sign (CVS) and Manually Coded English (MCE) to perform Sign-to-English and English-to-Sign interpretation;

• Using interpreting processes to determine the most effective means of communication for each deaf/hard of hearing employee;
• Assisting in the development of training curriculum and utilizing current methods and materials in the instruction of sign language courses;
• Utilizing telecommunication devices assistive listening devices and other related technology for deaf/hard of hearing employees;
• Dealing with the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Code of Ethics in order to maintain ethical standards for professional interpreters;
• Utilizing resources and procedures for contracting sign language interpreter services; and effective written and oral communication skills.
  Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Interpreting for deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals in meetings or training; Coordinating schedules for contract interpreters by arranging and tracking hours and allocated funds; Assisting with the development and implementation of training for sign language instruction for employees; and Identifying barriers and resolving communication problems between supervisors and deaf/hard-of-hearing employees.

OR EDUCATION: A course of study that includes 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree
OR Ph.D.
OR equivalent doctoral degree in Sign Language Interpreting or a related field of study.
OR LL.M. if related
OR An equivalent amount of combined education and experience as described in paragraphs above.

AND

You must also meet the following requirements:

• MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: Minimum age for federal employment is 18 years old or at least 16 years old and have:
  • Graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or
  • Completed a formal vocational training program; or
  • Received a statement from school authorities agreeing with your preference for employment rather than continuing your education.
• BILINGUAL POSITION: Applicants will be required to demonstrate language proficiency (ability to speak read and write) in both English and American Sign Language. You may be tested at some point in the hiring process to determine if you possess the required level of proficiency. If you are unable to demonstrate proficiency you will not be considered for the position.

For more information on qualifications please refer to OPMs Qualifications Standards.