Minority Language Education Coordinator Job Open

MINORITY LANGUAGE EDUCATION COORDINATOR
Direct Employment Opportunity

Recruitment Number: 10 PS4 ELVEO P093
Classification: Program Specialist 4 (107K)
Status: Full-Time, Project-Permanent
Location: Olympia, WA
Salary: $3819 to $5010 per month (Range 55)
Posting Date: February 22, 2010
Closing Date: Open until filled
This recruitment will be used to fill this position only.  Applications will be reviewed upon receipt.  The hiring authority reserves the right and may exercise the option to make a hiring decision at any time.  It will be to the applicant’s advantage to submit materials as soon as possible.

AGENCY PROFILE
Headed by an elected state official, the Office of the Secretary of State is responsible for administering elections within the state, registering corporations and charities that do business within the state, collecting and preserving the records of governmental bodies within the state, and maintaining the Washington State Library.  The agency also administers the Address Confidentiality Program, the Productivity Board, and the Legacy Program.  Visit our website at: http://www.sos.wa.gov.

POSITION SUMMARY
This position is assigned to the Minority Language Education Project #PE-3008 which is currently funded through 12/31/2012.

The mission of the Elections Division is to maximize citizen access to comprehensive, timely, and accurate election related information, to support the conduct of elections at the county level, and to establish uniform standards in the critical areas of election administration.  It is the policy of the state of Washington to encourage every eligible person to register to vote, to participate fully in all elections, and to protect the integrity of the electoral process by providing equal access to the process.  Federal law requires election materials and information for the public to be available in covered languages.

Within the Voter Education and Outreach Program, the Minority Language Education Coordinator is responsible for managing minority language issues for the Elections Division.  The Minority Language Education Coordinator will serve as the Spanish-to-English and English-to-Spanish interpreter for the Elections Division.  The coordinator will manage the division’s translation process for all languages, and perform translation of the division’s registration and voting materials/information including, but not limited to, the state Voters’ Pamphlet, MyVote, MyBallot, and all other online materials for the division (state WEI content).  The coordinator will ensure effective display of translated materials on the division’s website.  The coordinator will work with the counties to standardize minority language translations and voter education practices to the extent possible, and develop and implement strategies to comply with the Section 203 requirement following the 2010 Census, and subsequent minority language determinations following each release of the American Community Survey.  The coordinator will assist OSOS communications staff with translating or securing translation services, for all voter education related communications issued/released by the agency.

The coordinator will develop and implement voter education programs to minority language communities with an emphasis on the state’s Hispanic communities.  The coordinator will form partnerships in the ethnic/cultural communities throughout the state that will foster and promote voting and civic participation.  The coordinator will assist the counties with networking and relationship building within the minority language communities, foster and promote voting and civic participation.  The coordinator also will research, gather, and analyze demographics pertaining to voter registration and voting behaviors of the state’s Hispanic community. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
1. Ability to read, write and converse fluently in Spanish and English.
2. Four years of full-time (40 hours per week) experience working with the Spanish community, producing English to Spanish translations, acting as a Spanish interpreter, or related experience; A Bachelor’s degree involving major studies in language arts (Spanish), public relations, communications, or related field may be substituted for up to two years of experience.
3. One year of full-time (40 hours per week) experience using standard office software products such as Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) to: compose, send and respond to electronic mail, create calendar appointments and send meeting requests; create and edit documents, tables and graphs; create complex spreadsheets; and import data from other sources
4. Experience conducting research in order to produce a summary report which includes results, lessons learned and suggestions
5. Ability to handle highly stressful or adverse situations, solve problems, make good decisions, work calmly and accurately, help to calm others and resolve conflicts
6. Required experience may be gained concurrently.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
1. Certified Spanish language interpreter
2. Certified Spanish language translator
3. Experience working with desktop publishing products like Adobe Acrobat, Illustrator, PhotoShop, and InDesign
4. Experience preparing and delivering formal presentations to small and large groups
5. Ability to represent an elected official or politician in a competent, confident, and professional manner while maintaining the highest standards of honesty, integrity, loyalty, confidentiality and ethics
6. Knowledge of federal and state election law

 SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
 Certification as an Elections Administrator within two years of employment
 Certification as a Spanish language interpreter and translator within six months of employment

COMPENSATION
$3819 - $5010 per month, depending on qualifications.  Washington State offers a full benefits package that includes health, life, and long term disability insurance; paid vacation, sick, and military leave; optional credit unions, savings bonds, and deferred compensation plans; eleven paid holidays; and a public employees’ retirement plan.

APPLICATION PROCESS
To be considered for this position, please submit:

1. A letter of interest describing how your experience and qualifications relate to the position summary and required and desirable qualifications
2. A completed employment application http://www.sos.wa.gov/office/docs/OSOSEmploymentApplication.doc
3. A current resume with three professional references and contact information including a statement from you granting permission to contact
4. Voluntary completion of the applicant profile data form is appreciated
http://www.sos.wa.gov/office/docs/ApplicantProfileDataForm.doc
5. Submit electronically to: recruitment@sos.wa.gov, indicating 10 PS4 ELVEO P093 on the subject line; Electronic submission (e-mail) is preferred & original signatures are not required; Alternatively, you may submit your materials via US Mail: Office of the Secretary of State, Recruitment, PO Box 40227, Olympia, WA 98504 or fax to: (360) 236-5075

Note: The act of submitting application materials is considered affirmation that the information provided is complete and truthful.  You understand that the state may verify information and that untruthful or misleading information is cause for removal from applicant pool or dismissal if employed.

The Office of the Secretary of State is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, sex, sexual orientation, disability, familial status, marital status, and age.  All interested candidates are encouraged to apply. Persons of disability needing assistance in the application process, or those needing this announcement in alternative format, should call (360) 236-5073. Visit http://www.careers.wa.gov to learn more about working for the State of Washington