Arabic Translator/ Project Manager

Company Overview:

With an annual budget of $2.3 billion and more than 7,000 employees throughout the five boroughs, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) is one of the largest public health agencies in the world, serving 8 million New Yorkers from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. We're tackling a broad range of public health issues with innovative policies and programs and getting exceptional results, but our work is never finished. The breadth of our innovative programs provides the widest range of choices for every member of our team. 

With grant funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DOHMH is undertaking a new initiative that will meet critical infrastructure needs and make possible strategic investments that will have lasting effects on public health. Investments and improvements through this initiative will help modernize DOHMH’s foundational capabilities and data infrastructure, enabling it to partner in complex health and health care environments and, in turn, support better public health outcomes, including COVID-19. This initiative supports larger efforts to rebalance investments in public health and more equitably serve communities and populations.

The selected candidate will be an employee of Public Health Solutions, a nonprofit organization which is the fiscal and administrative manager of the grant but will work be supervised by DOHMH. This is a grant-funded position ending in November 2027.

Program Description:

The Office of External Affairs manages many of the agency’s most critical interactions with the public, from raising awareness and promoting healthy behaviors to advancing policies and responding to health emergencies. The Bureau of Communications, housed within the Office of External Affairs, develops culturally responsive public health marketing campaigns; generates and crafts materials to inform New Yorkers of health information and program services, ensuring accessibility for all; provides access to translation services for collateral materials and clinics; maintains the agency’s website; and publishes content on the agency’s social media platforms. Within Creative Communications, the Language Services group coordinates the delivery of interpretation services, including ASL and real-time captioning, to inform New Yorkers of health information, including that related to public health emergencies. The unit also provides professionally translated materials to ensure that Limited English Proficient New Yorkers have equitable access to information and services that the Health Department provides.

Summary of Position:

DOHMH has an opening for an Arabic Translator. Reporting to the Assistant Director of Translation Services and working with a team of translators and language access coordinators, the Arabic Translator will be supporting the Agency in its efforts to comply with Local Law 30: The Citywide Policy on Language Access to ensure the effective delivery of City Services and meaningful access to City programs and services for all residents who are proficient in Arabic, regardless of their English proficiency.

Specifically, the Arabic Translator/ Project Manager will:

• Translating and proof-reading the translation of a vast range of communication materials (such as booklets, fact sheets, emergency communication materials, press releases, social media posts and marketing campaigns) into Arabic for distribution to community-based organizations and the City at large.
• Providing input on cultural and linguistic issues related to the development of communications materials for diverse New York City audiences and for the outreach to community-based organizations, other City Agencies, and constituents.
• Assisting/contributing to the development of in-house resources like translation style guides and glossaries that aim to improve the effectiveness of the agency's language services across New York City neighborhoods/communities.
• Perform clerical work, such as review invoices, submit for payments, and assist the unit with special projects, when not engaged in translation duties.
• Improving outreach to diverse communities throughout New York City via the establishment of collaborative working relationships with community-based organizations throughout New York City.
• Manage language services projects including coordinating with the Content and Copy Unit, outside vendors and in-house translators to deliver high-quality translations for programmatic events.

Qualifications:

• A Baccalaureate Degree from an accredited college or university in English, Translation, Journalism, Social Sciences, or related programs.
• Ability to converse and write fluently in English, with native fluency in Arabic writing and conversation;
• Two years of full-time experience in translating written English to Arabic, and/or vice-versa in certain practical settings, or a satisfactory equivalent; and
• Experience or knowledge of news media, stakeholder engagement, and/or project management, preferred.

Additional Desired Qualities:

• Excellent judgement, editing, writing and interpersonal skills
• Ability to communicate complex messages clearly in simple language to highly diverse audiences
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills
• Experience with stakeholder engagement and project management
• The ideal candidate for this position must be a pro-active and self-motivated individual with the ability to work in teams and in a highly dynamic environment with multiple stakeholders and timelines.

Benefits: 

• Hybrid Work Schedule. 
• Generous Paid Time Off and Holidays. 
• An attractive and comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental and Vision. 
• Flexible Spending Accounts and Commuter Benefits. 
• Company Paid Life Insurance and Disability Coverage.  
• 403 (b) + employer matching and discretionary company contributions. 
• College Savings Plan. 
• Ongoing training and continuous opportunities for professional growth and development.

Additional Information:

• This is a temporary grant-funded position ending in November 2027.
• This individual must reside in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT) by their confirmed start date. 
• Preference may be given to individuals residing in New York City (5 boroughs) or surrounding New York State counties. 
• This individual will be expected to work non-business hours during emergencies.

At PHS, we place immense value on diversity within our teams, understanding that varied backgrounds and experiences significantly enhance our community and propel us toward our goals. If you find you don’t have experience in all the areas listed above, we still encourage you to apply and share your background and experiences in your application. We are eager to discover how your unique perspective can bring positive transformations to our team and help advance our mission of creating healthier, more equitable communities. 

We look forward to learning more about you! 

PHS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and veterans.