Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The mission of the Office of Immigrant Affairs (OIA) is to promote the well-being of

Philadelphia’s immigrant communities. We do this by recommending and developing policies

and programs, which in turn provide opportunity and access to services.

We help facilitate the successful inclusion of immigrants into the civic, economic, and cultural

life of the city. We highlight the essential role that immigrants have played and continue to

play in our city.

Job Description

Position Summary

The Director of Language Access Programs is responsible for leading the Implementation of a City-Wide

Language access policy. This position is located within the Office of Immigrant Affairs.

Essential Functions

Support City offices, boards, departments, and commissions in revising and implementing language access

plans. Provide consulting to City departments on language service delivery methods to maximize efficiency

and ease of use. Create tools for City departments to use in service delivery tailored around the needs of the

department. Ongoing engagement of language access coordinators to improve skills and knowledge that will

expand language access within their department. Track, analyze and record City-wide language access

service utilization trends. Maintain data collection records for use in improving services, deploying staff and

other resources, and setting policy. This includes tracking and reporting on quarterly performance measures

under the program-based budgeting. Provide monthly breakdowns of usage and analyze trends that are

shared with executive leadership. Lead annual reporting mechanisms for citywide departmental reporting to

further analyze department language access efforts. Manage Language Access contracts. Assist in oversight

of the MDO Language Access Program budget. This includes developing, monitoring, and submitting monthly

financial reports (accounts receivable and accounts payable). Central review and approval of all MDO

invoices submitted by language access vendors for payment processing. Lead RFP process. Liaise between

City agencies, Language Access Coordinators and Language Access vendors. Submit requests for document

translation and on-site interpretation on behalf of designated City agencies. Point of contact for billing

inquiries and coordination of a variety of staff training. Utilize ACIS, the city vendor payment system and

FAMIS to provide vendors with information regarding payment and follow up with departments on budgeting and invoices/payments. Provide programmatic and technical support to departments Keep departments apprised of any changes in the City’s language access program, federal requirements, monitor departmental needs, and provide departments with technical assistance. Coordinate the development, implementation and updating of language access plans for over 22 departments, agencies, boards and commissions, including the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD), Licenses & Inspections and Public Health. Conduct training, orientations and presentations about the program. Help departments improve communications and outreach to immigrant and LEP residents. Manage, install and provide technical support for all language service devices across the City. This includes dual-handset phones and in-person interpretation equipment. Keep inventory of all language access equipment. Liaise between City agencies, Language Access Coordinators and language access stakeholders. Develop and maintain relationships with relevant stakeholder groups and service providers. This includes relevant immigrant commissions and other government entities such as the School District of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania’s Governor offices. Assist in planning language accessible events for the City. Represent the City at regional and national language access convening/conferences. Conduct research on and assessment of best practices in language access provision, such as the Language Access Card and Translation Station. Identify weaknesses in the program and develop improvement plans. Evaluate program and vendors.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

· Knowledge skills and abilities associated leading a Citywide language access, including financial oversight of the program budget.

Qualifications

· Bachelor’s Degree (or foreign equivalent) in Business, Finance, Public/Nonprofit Administration or related field.

· Three (3) years of administrative experience with contracts, vendor and fiscal management.

Experience must also include 3 years of experience working within immigrant and refugee communities and working knowledge of policies impacting immigrants, refugees and asylees.

Additional Information

This job post will expire in 30 days from the date of its posting.

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation: City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 6 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

Successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire. 

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [email protected].

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx