Language Access Manager, Language Justice Division

Company: City of Cambridge
Location: Cambridge
Posted on: August 4, 2022

Job Description:

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The City of Cambridge is dedicated to providing meaningful and equitable access to City programs, services, and resources, and improving engagement, especially for underrepresented and underserved communities, including residents whose preferred language is not English. The Language Access Manager will spearhead the City's language justice work. Language justice is the right to communicate, to understand, and to be understood in the language(s) or method in which a person feels most comfortable. The Language Access Manager will be a new position and part of the newly established Language Justice Division, under the direction of the Executive Director of the Cambridge Human Rights Commission. The Language Access Manager will work directly with the Human Rights Commission and the Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship and will serve as the City's central contact and support for expanding language justice. This position will also work across City departments to build capacity, measure improvement, and support staff. Staff support will include, but is not limited to, coordinating translation and interpretation services. Initial duties will be informed by, and build from, the work of the City's Family Policy Council. The City of Cambridge is committed to building and supporting a municipal workforce that reflects the diversity of the residents it serves and to maintaining a work environment where all employees can thrive. The City has a long-standing record of nondiscrimination in employment and providing equal opportunity without regard to race, color, sex, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, veteran's status, marital status, or age. Develop and oversee a Citywide Language Access Plan, to support public-facing departments' expansion of language justice through translations, interpretation, and related means. Use baseline assessments of City departments' current work and language justice-related resources to develop department-specific language access plans. Increase cross-departmental coordination and collaboration to share best practices, common challenges, and other information for collective improvement. Research, implement, and administer systems to centralize translation and interpretation, expanding existing City systems where appropriate. Monitor the Language Justice Division budget, including American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and compliance and reporting responsibilities under ARPA. Coordinate interdepartmental expenditures and payments, track costs, and look for cost-saving opportunities or efficiencies. Manage contracts with vendors providing translation and interpretation services. Work with the Personnel Department to develop language access training resources and programs for new and existing City staff, and to explore enhanced opportunities for multilingual employees. Create and maintain centralized language access resources on internal City webpage, such as how-to guides, toolkits, videos, and one-pagers to educate City staff. Coordinate with the City's communications managers and community outreach workers to improve resident experience. Develop a communications and education strategy to inform employees and residents about language access-related services and resources available to them, and to effectively share new information and resources as they become available. Create a process for collecting and responding to resident feedback regarding language access. Foster an environment of support and continuous improvement for City staff, by providing advice, technical assistance, feedback, and troubleshooting around language access issues; and help to build cultural competency. Consult with the Cambridge Commission for Persons with Disabilities on ways to improve digital accessibility and expand American Sign Language resources in conjunction with Language Access Manager's work. Represent the department and City at appropriate events as a speaker, presenter, or guest. Explore opportunities for future partnerships and resource sharing with Cambridge Public Schools, community providers and other external stakeholders. Stay up to date on the latest language access developments, best practices, and technologies. Related duties as assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Education and Experience Bachelor's degree with at least 3-5 years of experience in project coordination, management, and/or operations. At least 1 year of experience in language justice-focused project work, preferably in a leadership capacity. Strong community engagement and consensus-building experience, especially involving stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and with diverse interests and opinions; demonstrated ability to relate to the public and co-workers in a positive manner. Demonstrated commitment to equity, public service, and supporting marginalized communities or populations. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Detailed knowledge of plain language writing and related communication strategies. Exceptional written, verbal, and editing skills; this includes the ability to communicate complex messages clearly and simply to a highly diverse staff and constituency. Demonstrated ability to work independently, set clear work plans and priorities, adapt and problem solve. Strong interpersonal skills, with a focus on collaboration and teamwork. Excellent organizational and administrative skills. Proficiency in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The City of Cambridge's workforce, like the community it serves, is diverse. Applicants must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies. PREFERRED: Proficiency in languages other than English. Knowledge of the Cambridge community. Experience developing and/or analyzing language access legislation or policy. Familiarity with Adobe Acrobat, InDesign, and/or other publishing software. PHYSICAL DEMANDS /WORK ENVIRONMENT: Standard office environment with fluorescent lighting, carpeted floors, and air-conditioning. Busy office work environment characterized by multiple work demands. Ability to access, input, and retrieve information from a computer using various computer programs and databases. Answer telephones and maintain multiple files. May require minimal lifting of up to 15 pounds. RATE: $72,008 - $91,877 annually, plus excellent benefits. APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Internal applicants submit job bidding form and 2 copies of both your resume and cover letter; external applicants submit your resume and cover letter by 5 pm of the closing date via email to employmentcambridgema.gov or to the Personnel Department, Room 309, City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge MA 02139. Fax 617-349-4312. THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE IS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, SEX, RELIGION, AGE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, DISABILITY OR ANY OTHER PROTECTED CATEGORY. WOMEN, MINORITIES, VETERANS, MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. CITY OF CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS ARE ESPECIALLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. AUXILIARY AIDS AND SERVICES, WRITTEN MATERIALS IN ALTERNATIVE FORMATS, AND REASONABLE MODIFICATIONS IN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WILL BE PROVIDED TO QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES FREE OF CHARGE, UPON REQUEST. The City is committed to advancing a workforce culture of antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion. PDN-96d3aa22-7941-465b-a59e-c9bb28e058db

Keywords: City of Cambridge, Cambridge , Language Access Manager, Language Justice Division, Executive , Cambridge, Massachusetts