Career Opportunity

Special Bilingual Examiner (Filipino-English) - San Francisco Department of Public Health (1229)

Recruitment: REF4916L

Published: December 07, 2024

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About:

The Department of Public Health prioritizes equitable and inclusive access to quality healthcare for its community and values the importance of diversity in its workforce. All employees at the Department of Public Health work to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity with a specific lens and focus on race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, and immigration status. 

• Application Opening – January 4, 2024 
• Application Deadline – The application filing will be open continuously at least through January 11, 2024 and will close any time thereafter. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply immediately.
• Salary: $72.8625 - $108.2625 Hourly
  • Click here for more information
• Appointment Type: Temporary Exempt 
• Recruitment ID: REF4916L

Announcement will be open continuously and interviews will be conducted on an as-needed basis. 

The Mission of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is to protect and promote the health of all San Franciscans. SFDPH strives to achieve its mission through the work of two main Divisions - the San Francisco Health Network and Population Health. The San Francisco Health Network is the City’s only complete system of care and has locations throughout the City, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, and over 15 primary care health centers.

The qualified applicant pool resulting from this recruitment may be utilized to fill future exempt vacancies. 

Role description

This is a temporary exempt, on-call as-needed 1229 Special Bilingual Examiner (Filipino-English) that will conduct examinations of DPH employees' bilingual skills. Work assignments typically range from two (2) hours to two (2) days in duration, although longer assignments are possible. Position is limited to 1,040 work hours in a year.

San Francisco is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse cities in the nation. Nearly half of all city residents speak a language other than English at home and over a third of all residents are immigrants. The City and County of San Francisco provides language access for Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals to enable them to access government services. Special Bilingual Examiners conduct language testing of City and County Department of Public Health employees to determine their proficiency in bilingual translation and interpretation.

Under general direction, the Special Bilingual Examiner (Filipino-English) conducts oral and/or written tests of bilingual language skills at various testing locations, rates candidates’ performance on tests and performs related duties as required. The essential functions of the class include, but are not limited to:

• Administering tests of bilingual language skills in interview settings and classroom testing environments;
• Preparing test materials and arranging facilities prior to exams, distributing test materials, providing instructions to administer tests, and answering general questions;
• Maintaining security of the test materials before, during and after the exam; 
• Preventing candidates from taking test materials;
• Rating candidate test performance and bilingual proficiency using established rating scales, scoring exams and providing exam results in the designated format to candidates and human resource professionals;
• Reporting and documenting unusual incidents; and
• Assisting in the development of exam items, test questions and rating guidelines.

The 1229 Special Bilingual Examiner (Filipino-English) performs related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

How to qualify

1. High school diploma or equivalency certificate; AND
2. Either: 
   A. Completion of a recognized certificate or certification in translation and /or interpretation in the designated language to and from English; OR
   
   B. At least ten (10) examination days or eighty (80) hours of verifiable work experience as a Bilingual Examiner; OR
   
   C. At least one (1) year of verifiable work experience as a Qualified Interpreter, Translator, Teacher, or similar occupation for which the main responsibility is to translate and/or interpret the designated target language to and from English.

Note: The certificate MUST be from a recognized Interpreter and Translator Certification program. A departmental designated bilingual staff certificate is NOT considered qualifying.

One year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours (2,000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week). 

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Desirable Qualifications: The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

• Demonstrated professional experience as a Medical/Heath Care Interpreter.
• Ability to speak, read, and write fluently in the target language and English .
• Experience evaluating spoken and written information in both English and the target language.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills in both English and the target language.
• Degree from a recognized school of translation and interpretation. 
• Excellent punctuality.
• Flexibility.
• Exceptional customer service skills.
• Ability to deal tactfully and effectively with a large and diverse group of people.

Important Note: Please make sure it is absolutely clear in your application exactly how you meet the minimum qualifications. Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. Please be aware that any misrepresentation of this information may disqualify you from this recruitment or future job opportunities.

Applicants who possess a recognized certificate or certification in translating and/or interpreting must submit a copy of the certificate. 

Verification of work experience typically must be on the employer’s letterhead, and must include the applicant’s name, job title, description of job duties, dates of service, and signature of the employer. San Francisco City and County employees must submit verification of outside experience. San Francisco City and County employees will not receive credit for experience obtained outside of their classification unless recorded in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Rule 110.9.1.

What else should I know?

How to apply:
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit careers.sf.gov and begin the application process. 

Please ensure that you answer the language skills ability questions when you apply. Applicants must indicate on the application form the language(s) in which they claim proficiency.

Our e-mail communications may come from more than one department so please make sure your email is set to accept messages from all of us at this link. 

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment therefore, it is their responsibility to contact the Analyst if they update their email address. 

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received. 

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 Workers
• Reasonable Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Juliette.Soto@sfdph.org or 628-271-6709.

We may use text messaging to communicate with you on the phone number provided in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

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.

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.