] Office of Human Resources - Montgomery County Public Schools

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT → CLASSIFICATION → COORDINATOR, LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES UNIT-EFFECTIVE 7/1/25

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Coordinator, Language Assistance Services Unit-effective 7/1/25

MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CLASS DESCRIPTION
OFFICIAL TITLE: Coordinator CODE: 0660 SQ/OQ: Not Applicable
WORKING TITLE: Coordinator, Language Assistance Services Unit-effective 7/1/25 GRADE: N MONTHS: 12
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION; PHYSICAL DEMANDS; AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF CLASSIFICATION: Under the direction of the Deputy Chief of the Division of Communications, the coordinator of the Language Assistance Services Unit leads and coordinates translation and interpretation services provided to schools and offices across the district and oversees daily operations of the unit. Creates and implements strategies for the unit that align with systemwide strategies; supervises and directs the work of translation and interpretation staff and coordinates the design and production of printed multilingual translations used for instruction, public presentation, and administrative purposes for the Board of Education (Board), the Office of the Superintendent and other central offices. Assesses and improves processes and services; ensures the unit produces accurate and efficient materials and services to meet strict deadlines. Collaborates with administrators and MCPS staff and applies linguistic expertise to lead and evaluate work of the unit. The coordinator works independently and makes decisions of importance for the unit. Provides professional development for unit staff. Engages administration of various offices to determine special requirements and needs, including matters of significance impacting the district or community and special or expedited services. Participates in budget development and fiscal management for the unit. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: (Special requirements such as lifting heavy objects and frequent climbing.) None SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: (Frequent overtime or night work required, etc.) None
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION STANDARDS
KNOWLEDGE SKILLS ABILITIES: KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Extensive knowledge of public school system interpretation and translation needs and ability to provide expertise, guidance and leadership to interpreters and translators. Demonstrated knowledge of interpretation and translation services processes, related laws, policies and best practices, and the ability to meet strict deadlines. Ability to maintain composure and make decisions quickly in a high-paced environment; ability to quickly obtain knowledge, understand and accurately interpret and translate complex subjects. Thorough knowledge of the preparation and publication of multilingual documents using Adobe InDesign, Photo Shop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and various multilingual input systems or software and tools identified as necessary for the operations of the unit. Thorough knowledge of MCPS editing standards, such as proper language usage, editing, and proofreading techniques. Skill in design techniques using both electronic methods. Thorough knowledge of the Translation Management System (TMS) and Translation Request System (TRS). Ability to analyze, review, select, organize, edit, and proofread written and graphic material in multiple formats, such as .doc, .docx, .xls, .inx, and .html to prepare documents for use in the TMS. Excellent planning, organization, management, communications, and interpersonal skills.
EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE; CERTIFICATE AND LICENSE REQUIREMENTS: EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE: Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred. Minimum of three years of proven experience as an interpreter and/or translator in a public school setting, one of which was in a leadership role. in producing/editing a variety of multilingual published and/or visual materials using Adobe InDesign, Photo Shop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and MS office products. Experience working with large hardware and software systems. Other combinations of applicable education, training, and experiences in a multilingual environment, which provide the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary to perform effectively in the position, may be considered.CERTIFICATE AND LICENSE REQUIREMENTS: None
OVERTIME ELIGIBLE: No

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Supervises and leads the work of unit staff and oversees efficient, accurate and timely interpretation and translation services for the district.Works collaboratively with the Deputy Chief of Staff of Communications to develop and implement strategies and best practices that comply with cultural competency and anti-racist system initiatives and guidelines.Develops, coordinates, and prioritizes a high volume of translation and interpretation requests for the unit.Oversees daily operations of the unit and leads all activities related to interpretation and translation services provided to schools and central offices for legal matters, Board meetings, disciplinary hearings, menus, medical documents, policies, Individual Education Programs, 504 documents and other specialized services.Confers with administrators and district leaders in matters of importance and special, high-impact services.Engages external entities such as: directors of language services at other school systems; director of partnerships at Montgomery County Government; external localization companies; Language Line and Transperfect or other outsource companies.Develops and implements online access tools; reviews for accuracy and completeness HTML coding/format for translations.Receives and leads the completion of urgent requests for the superintendent, Board and district level communications; principal letters regarding serious incidents; MCPS Bulletin.Participates in budget development for the unit and makes fiscal decisions, such as software purchases. Facilitates and provides professional development for unit staff to ensure compliance with state and federal laws, MCPS policies and regulations, industry standards and best practices relative to interpretation and translation services.Interviews prospective contract translators and interpreters as needed; coordinates the payment of contracted translators and interpreters.Collaborates with MCPS staff to clarify and provide advice on translation and interpretation requests.Maintains a database of contracted translators and interpreters and updates as required.Trains translation coordinators in schools and offices on formatting and loading translation requests into the Translation Request System (TRS).Maintains the ESOL website to provide customers with updated information on the scope of the translation and interpretation services provided. Advises users on reasonable alternatives to secure translations and interpretations for jobs outside the scope of the language assistance services unit (LASU).Attends relevant workshops and exhibitions and stays current in the language assistance services field.Performs related work as required.

This description may be changed at any time.