Job summary

About the Position: Serves as an Interpreter/Translator, providing formal conference simultaneous interpretation and consecutive interpretation and translations for the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security (WHINSEC). Position may be filled at either the GS-9/11/12 or GS-11/12 or GS-12

Major duties

Provide the full spectrum of translator and interpreter services from English to Spanish and vice versa for the organization, installation, and Department of the Army (DA), Department of Defense (DoD). Perform professional simultaneous or consecutive interpretation to students, dignitaries, and visitors for engagements such as ceremonies, conferences, and lectures in classroom and field settings. Escort foreign visitors/dignitaries during visits to the institute and installation, as required. Provides translation of material dealing with political science, human rights, education, leadership, strategic, national, and international issues and policy, homeland security, resource management, as well as strictly military subjects. Participate with Division supervisors/translators in discussions to come up with translation of technical military and modern terminology encountered by linguists in the course of their translations. Edit machine translations and work translated or written by other translators and by International and U.S. military personnel, ensuring that such editing does not compromise writer’s meaning and intent. Research specialized terminology in printed references, on the Internet and by consulting international and U.S. subject matter experts for conversion into Spanish or English to find the most accurate terms and concepts. Use terminology in the translations which range from normal linguistic patterns to specialized military, professional, highly technical and scientific terminology. Translates materials such as trademarks, articles for scientific publications, legal documents, books and letters from foreign patent commissioners and from citizens. Facilitate interpretation among representatives from North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean, ensuring cultural sensitivity, professionalism, and accuracy in discussions on security, military practices, disaster response, and diplomacy.

Qualification

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army) Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473 Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer People with Disabilities, Schedule A Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Reinstatement Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic knowledge of Portuguese desired. Specialized Experience GS-09: One year of specialized experience which includes performing both simultaneous and consecutive interpretations for U.S. and Foreign Officers, Members of Congress, members of academia, Ambassadors, other high-level government and non-government organization officials. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07). OR Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as English and Spanish. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. Specialized Experience GS-11: One year of specialized experience which includes researching specialized terminology in Spanish or English using printed references, online material such as dictionaries (military, legal, intelligence, medical, engineering, satellite communications), research papers, reference manuals and journals. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09). OR Education: Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as English and Spanish. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. Specialized Experience GS-12: One year of specialized experience which includes editing machine translations, research to determine the meaning on highly specialized terminology, ensure course work has been translated correctly for use by the organization, conducts courses for linguists. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11). For GS-12 grade level Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted. Selective Placement Factor: The incumbent of this position must be able to speak, write and read Spanish fluently. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas: Foreign Language Listening Speaking Technical Competence Time in Grade Requirement Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent . To be referred, applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade and qualification requirements within 30 days from the date the referral list is issued. Time in Grade Requirement GS-09: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-07). Time in Grade Requirement GS-11: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-09). Time in Grade Requirement GS-12: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-11).

Education

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Evaluations

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation. You may claim Military Spouse preference. Military Spouse Preference (MSP) applicants will receive preference consideration and will be placed (if selected) at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined best qualified, up to and including the full performance level. You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference. DoD Priority Placement Program (PPP) Applicants will receive preference consideration at the full-performance grade level only. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.