Career Opportunity

Bilingual (English-Spanish) Translator/Proofreader and Phone Operator – San Francisco Department of Elections (1404 Clerk)

Recruitment: REF41969I

Published: June 04, 2024

Accepting applications until: June 18, 2024

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

About the Department of Elections  

The mission of the Department of Elections (Department) is to provide equitable access to voting and election-related services and to conduct free, fair, and functional elections for the City and County of San Francisco. Department staff work year-round to ensure that every eligible San Franciscan has easy access to safe, barrier-free registration and voting options. The Department also works continuously to improve its elections programs with the goal of making them ever more efficient and responsive to the needs of San Francisco voters.

The Department strives to cultivate a workplace environment in which employees of all racial and ethnic backgrounds feel respected, valued, and supported in providing the fairest and most effective services possible to San Francisco residents. The Department is committed to maintaining an inclusive workplace and to providing the training and resources necessary for all employees to succeed in delivering equitable services to city residents.

The Department is committed to reaching job seekers from underrepresented communities. Applicants with such backgrounds are therefore strongly encouraged to apply. 

Role description

Position Description

In preparation for the November 5, 2024, General Election, the Department is seeking applications for seasonal bilingual positions to assist with translating, proofreading and audio proofing official election materials and verbally providing election information in Spanish to the public. Applicants must be bilingual in Spanish with a high command of both written and spoken English.

The ideal candidate has a strong work ethic and a high level of integrity. This position requires excellent written and oral communication skills in English, including grammar and spelling, with equivalent proficiency in written Spanish appropriate for official government publications. The ideal candidate has strong attention to detail and demonstrated abilities to learn new subject matter and work on several projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines.

Typical tasks include:

• Translating English material to Spanish for internal and official, public use
• Extensive proofreading (words, numbers, and format)
• Comparing Spanish translations to English text with a focus on preferred Spanish terminology
• Creating and maintaining candidate lists with accurate content and formatting
• Maintaining organized paper and electronic document files
• Assisting the public over the phone in a phone bank setting
• Providing support at public voter outreach events, as needed
• Entering final English and Spanish copy into the Department’s online Voter Information Pamphlet

Initially, staff in this position will translate and proofread materials and website content and will assist with compiling, proofing, and producing all versions of the official ballot, in paper, touchscreen and audio formats, in English and Spanish and the Voter Information Pamphlet and Voter Information Booklet in English and Spanish.

Approximately one month prior to Election Day, this position will transition to work on the phone bank to provide election information to the public in English and Spanish.

Position Schedule, Requirements, and Work Location

This is a seasonal position, with the start date contingent upon completion of the hiring process. The Department intends to fill this position between July 8, 2024 and July 29, 2024. The assignment end date for these positions is approximately November 22, 2024; the exact end date will be determined by the operational needs of the Department in the post-election cycle.

The person in this position must be available to work on-site at City Hall. Work hours will generally be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The person in this position must be available to work overtime both during the week and on weekends as necessary. This position also requires sitting and standing for prolonged periods, being able to multitask between phone and computer, and may need to occasionally lift and move materials weighing up to 25 pounds.

This is a temporary exempt as-needed position. Temporary exempt as-needed employees who have worked more than 1040 hours in any consecutive 12-month period, and whose normal work week at the time of inclusion in the system is not less than 20 hours are eligible for health coverage and retirement benefits. For more information on the City and County of San Francisco benefit policies, refer to the Employee Handbook available at https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Employee-Handbook.pdf

Position Salary: $29.575 to $35.9375 hourly

$61,516 to $74,750 annually

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications

One (1) year of clerical experience including preparing and maintaining a variety of records and/or documents, filing, use of office equipment, public contact and processing of incoming and outgoing mail.

Substitution:  Completion of an approved City and County of San Francisco Clerical Administrative Training program, or completion of a clerical training program (240 hours), or 15 semester units (or equivalent quarter units) of coursework from an accredited college or university may substitute for up to 6 months of required experience.

Bilingual Requirement: This position requires bilingual skills such as proficiency in reading, writing, typing, speaking, and listening in English and Spanish.

Desired Qualifications

The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists for hiring.

• Ability to follow instructions and maintain strict version control
• Computer skills, including MS Word, MS Excel, Adobe Acrobat, and Internet research in English and Spanish are highly desired
• Verifiable professional experience or university-level coursework in written translation from English to Spanish, as well as professional or university-level writing in English
• General knowledge of San Francisco neighborhoods and districts
• Experience providing excellent customer service

How to Apply

When completing your application on SmartRecruiters, you must:

• Check the boxes in the application that indicate that you speak, read, and write Spanish.
• Include a resume and, a brief cover letter in English and Spanish detailing how you meet the above qualifications.

To be considered for the position, applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. June 18, 2024.

As part of the interview process, candidates will be required to attend an in-person oral and written language proficiency exam.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the Elections Hiring Team at elections.careers@sfgov.org.

What else should I know?

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Carol Isen - Human Resources Director

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.