Traveling On-Site Qʼeqchiʼ (Kekchi, Kʼekchiʼ, Kekchí) Linguist

Mission Essential is seeking Qʼeqchiʼ (Kekchi, Kʼekchiʼ, Kekchí) linguists. We have various locations available in the U.S. This position is on call / as needed basis, it would be ideal for a candidate that is in between jobs at the moment or has the flexibility to work and travel as needed, it is not something that I would recommend leaving a full-time permanent position for. Candidates must be available any day of the week, cannot be limited to weekends only. MUST have a Valid Driver’s License. Please see the job description below and let me know if you or anyone you know may be interested. Supporting this mission could mean working away from your home of record. If you are willing to support and are not local to the area, flight and rental car / transportation will be provided. Per diem for hotel accommodations is offered if you are not local to the site.

Pay is $80 / hr.

Position Description :

Mission Essential is excited to announce we have new work supporting Health and Human Services (HHS) providing refugee support to unaccompanied minors in need of translation services. Linguists shall translate information to and for Care Staff and other individuals, as appropriate. Linguists serve as Communication Liaisons to ensure accurate, impartial, and confidential interpretation is available in a variety of settings. Services shall be rendered in-person primarily (preferred); and via telephone, videoconference, or other virtual means available 24x7 if necessary. Linguist translation and interpretation support shall :

• Provide in-person, onsite interpretation at Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) programs and service sites
• Provide remote telephonic and / or video interpretation for ORR programs and service sites
• Relay important deadlines, instructions, questions, and other communication from Support Care Staff to UC / UAM / URM in their native or preferred language
• Assist UC / UAM / URM in communicating any concerns, questions, or other information to staff when UC / UAM / URM are not fluent or comfortable speaking English, or the language spoken by Care Staff
• Provide translation / interpretation services to aid in orienting UC / UAM / URM to community resources as requested
• Translate documents from English into the preferred and primary language spoken by the ORR-eligible recipient and vice-versa, as requested; at times, the vendor may need to translate into the preferred and primary language from a source language other than English. Source documents may come from ORR or come from the ORR-eligible recipient him or herself
• Assist staff with building rapport and understanding the cultural context of the ORR populations they serve. The linguist does not replace the role of the program(s) case manager or clinician, but rather serves as a person with which the UC / UAM / UM can build a cultural connection. To the extent possible, conversations must remain lighthearted to alleviate stress and anxiety in children

Requirements :

Desired Skills :

Linguist experience in foster care or medical care situations is preferred, but NOT required.

Supporting this mission could mean working away from your home of record. If you are willing to support and are not local to the area, flight and rental car / transportation will be provided. Per diem for hotel accommodations is offered if you are not local to the site.