Healthcare Interpreter (Bilingual)

Job Description:

Healthcare Interpreter (Bilingual)

Description

Description

How to Submit a Successful Application video: https://hr.venturacounty.gov/how-to-apply/application

THE HOSPITAL: When you need critical medical care, whether surgery, laboratory work, bringing a new life into the world, or for those unexpected emergencies, you can trust Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) to address your needs. VCMC is a fully integrated, comprehensive system of hospital, clinic and specialty services. The system provides access to health care to all residents of our county, with special emphasis on providing access to care for the underserved and those facing barriers.

THE POSITION: We are seeking skilled individuals who are bilingual in English and Spanish to join our hospital's Language Access Program as a Healthcare Interpreter. Under general supervision, the Healthcare Interpreter facilitates clear and accurate communication between patients, families, and healthcare providers by interpreting medical information in a linguistically and culturally appropriate manner. This role supports patient understanding of diagnoses, treatment plans, procedures, and hospital policies, while helping providers deliver equitable care. The interpreter may also assist with referrals and connect patients to hospital and community-based programs, particularly for individuals who are culturally, economically, physically, or mentally disadvantaged. Trilingual candidates - especially those who speak Indigenous languages such as Mixteco - are highly preferred due to the diverse language needs of our patient population.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE: The ideal candidate will be bilingual in English and Spanish, with demonstrated experience interpreting and clearly explaining medical procedures, forms, and healthcare information to individuals from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. They will be skilled at navigating sensitive conversations in clinical settings and serving as a reliable point of contact for patients, families, and care teams. The candidate should also be proficient in commonly used computer applications such as Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. In addition, they should have practical experience performing general clerical duties, including answering phones, taking messages, organizing and maintaining records, and filing systems.

WHAT WE OFFER:
The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package. Aside from our base salary range, an employee within this position may also be eligible for the following:

• Premium Pay - Incumbents may be eligible for an additional$4.50 per hour for this classification in this Auxiliary Group for those who speak Mixteco. This amount will be added to the base pay shown above, if eligible. - See SEIU MOA Sec 601 (E)
• Bilingual Pay- Incumbents may be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational need and certification of skill.
• Educational Incentive - Some positions may be eligible for educational incentive. This incentive may be 2.5%, 3.5%, or 5% for incumbents in eligible positions based on completion of an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, or Master’s degree that is not required for the classification.
• Standby Premium Pay - 1/4 of regular hourly wage or Federal minimum wage (whichever is greater)
• Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. If you participate in the County sponsored 401(k) plan, the County will match a part of your contribution up to 3% of your salary, on a per pay period basis. Following five (5) years of continuous County service, an additional 2% non-elective contribution will be made to the 401(k) plan.
• Health Plans - You are afforded a flexible credit allowance for purchasing medical plan under the County’s Flexible Benefits Program. County now pays 100% of dental, and vision premiums.
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Pre-tax benefit towards eligible medical, dental, and vision care expenses.
• Pension Plan - Participation in the County's defined benefit pension plan that provides lifetime payments to retirees. Members are "vested" after attaining five years of retirement service credit. If eligible, you may establish reciprocity with other public retirement systems such as CalPERS.
• Holidays - 13 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.
• Additional Benefits - Tuition Reimbursement, Disability Plans, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Wellness Program.

To learn more about the benefits, please follow the link below:
https://hr.venturacounty.gov/policies-memorandum#docaccess-4940ab33c0a5e2916c8b99b2d81e11367fa7acc66a3b7e4756894b8e25ae947b

PAYROLL TITLE: Senior Community Services Worker

AGENCY/DEPARTMENT: Health Care Agency - Ventura County Medical Center

Senior Community Services Worker is represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and is eligible for overtime compensation.

NOTE: This classification is within a bargaining unit that is subject to an agency shop arrangement which mandates a Regular employee to either join Local 721 of SEIU and pay dues as a member OR either pay a service fee to Local 721 or direct that an amount equivalent to the service fee be distributed to a qualified charitable organization.

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed-term), Intermittent, and Extra Help vacancies for these positions only. There are currently two (2) Fixed Term (ending 6/30/2029) and one (1) Temporary Regular vacancies.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
OPENING DATE: 8/13/26
CLOSING DATE: 8/20/26, at 5:00 p.m.

Examples Of Duties

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Provides accurate and impartial interpretation between healthcare providers, patients, and family members in English and Spanish and, when qualified, in a third language such as Mixteco, Zapoteco, or Triqui to ensure effective communication;
• Delivers interpreting services across a variety of healthcare settings and service delivery methods, including inpatient and outpatient care, emergency services, specialty clinics, and remote interpreting technologies;
• Interprets medical discussions involving symptoms, medical history, diagnoses, treatment plans, procedures, medications, discharge instructions, informed consent, patient rights, and other healthcare information;
• Applies professional healthcare interpreting techniques, including consecutive interpreting, sight translation of appropriate documents, requests for clarification, and other communication strategies to promote accurate understanding;
• Supports communication with patients and family members who may be experiencing stress, fear, pain, grief, or uncertainty, including during end-of-life, behavioral health, and other sensitive encounters;
• Maintains patient confidentiality and adheres to HIPAA requirements, hospital policies, and the professional standards and code of ethics governing healthcare interpreters;
• Documents interpreter services in the electronic health record and departmental tracking systems, including encounter details, language and dialect, interpreting modality, duration, and interpreter identification;
• Coordinates interpreter requests by receiving, prioritizing, scheduling, and tracking assignments; maintains service records and prepares routine utilization and activity reports;
• Assists patients, families, and healthcare staff by identifying language access needs, facilitating appropriate interpreter services, providing translation assistance within scope, and educating staff on the appropriate use of qualified interpreters;
• Connects patients and families with hospital departments and community resources, assists with appointment coordination when appropriate, and helps address barriers that affect access to healthcare services;
• Participates in departmental operations by attending meetings and training, supporting quality improvement initiatives, conducting outreach and educational activities, performing related administrative duties, and meeting established productivity and quality standards; and
• Performs other related duties as required.

Typical Qualifications

These are entrance requirements to the examination process and ensure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE:
Any combination of education and experience that has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered qualifying. The required knowledge, skills, and abilities are typically obtained through one of the following:

Three (3) years of professional-level work experience in a governmental, legal, educational, health care, social services, business, community-based, or other professional setting,
OR
One (1) year of experience equivalent to that of a Community Services Worker.

Note: Professional-level interpretation means providing accurate and impartial oral and/or written interpretation between individuals who speak different languages, including consecutive interpreting and sight translation, while preserving the original meaning, tone, and intent without adding, omitting, or altering information.

Substitution: Fifteen (15) semester units of college course work in social sciences, ethnic studies, communications, or a closely related field may be substituted for six months of experience up to a total of one year.

NOTE: If you are substituting education for experience (up to one year), verification of the college-level coursework is required.

• Submit transcripts or grade reports from an accredited college or university that include your name and reflect passing grades in the required coursework. Attach education verification documents to your online application or email them to [email protected] as soon as possible but no later than three ( 3) days after submitting your application.
• Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Degree(s) from a foreign institution require an academic credential evaluation to determine the U.S. equivalency.
• If the name is different on the transcripts from your application, documentation needs to be submitted showing the name change.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Bilingual in English and Spanish
• One (1) year of experience providing interpretation services
  • Substitution: successful completion of a minimum 40-hour healthcare interpreter training program can count for 6 months of experience. (e.g., Bridging the Gap, CHIA, or equivalent).
• Must be willing to work night, weekend hours, including holidays as needed

DESIRED:

• Trilingual (English, Spanish, Mixteco)
• Experience providing consecutive interpretation in a public or private healthcare setting
• Completion of a 40-hour healthcare interpreter training program (e.g., Bridging the Gap, CHIA, or equivalent)
• Experience using medical terminology and vocabulary commonly used in acute care or outpatient clinical settings
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Familiarity with Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems such as Cerner

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES:
Skill in:

• consecutive interpreting and sight translation
• active listening, memory retention, and note-taking to ensure accurate interpretation
• clear oral communication in English and Spanish
• managing sensitive, urgent, or emotionally complex interactions while maintaining professionalism
• providing consecutive interpretation in a public or private healthcare setting
• using computers, electronic health record systems, scheduling software, and remote interpreting technology

Working ability to:

• interpret accurately and fluently between English and Spanish without adding, omitting, or altering meaning
• interpret in a third language, such as Mixteco, Zapoteco, or Triqui, when qualified to do so
• recognize when clarification is needed and intervene appropriately to ensure accurate communication
• communicate effectively and with cultural humility with patients, families, healthcare staff, and individuals from diverse cultural, social, and economic backgrounds
• adapt communication to patients with limited literacy, limited health literacy, sensory impairments, or emotional distress
• maintain professional boundaries, exercise sound judgment, and collaborate effectively as a member of an interdisciplinary care team
• follow instructions and adapt to fast-paced clinical environments
• accurately document interpreter services and prepare routine records and reports
• independently perform moderately complex clerical duties, including maintaining records, managing schedules, and verifying information from multiple sources
• use medical terminology and vocabulary commonly used in acute care or outpatient clinical settings
• effectively communicate orally and in writing

Recruitment Process

FINAL FILING DATE: Applications must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 20, 2026.

To apply on-line, please refer to our website at hr.venturacounty.gov . If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 677-5184 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources - Health Care Agency, 646 County Square Drive, Ventura, CA 93003.

Note to Applicants: It is essential that you complete all sections of your application and supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to demonstrate your qualifications. A resume and/or other related documents may be attached to supplement the information in your application and supplemental questionnaire; however, it/they may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

LATERAL TRANSFER OPTION : If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click here for additional information.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination at the time of filing. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire will result in the application being removed from consideration.

APPLICATION EVALUATION - qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the screening and selection process.

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EVALUATION - qualifying: A training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written response to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.

NOTE: The selection process may consist of an Oral Exam, which may be preceded or replaced with the score from a Training and Experience (T&E), contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool. In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills and abilities. It is highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence.

ORAL EXAM - 100%: A job-related oral exam may be conducted to evaluate and compare participating applicants' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which the job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Applicants must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

NOTE: If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an oral exam will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each application, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list.

Applicants successfully completing the exam process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information, and driving record may be required for this position.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Nathan Wood by telephone at (805) 677-5232 or by e-mail at [email protected] .

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

YOUR BENEFITS AS A COUNTY OF VENTURA EMPLOYEE

Service Employees International Union (LOCAL 721)

(SEIU)

To learn more about Benefits, Retirement, and the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), see links below.

• Benefits website or you may call (805) 654-2570.
• Retirement FAQ's
• Memorandum of Agreement

Union Codes: UPA, UPC, UPE, UPH, UPI, UPJ,UPT, UWS

Closing Date/Time: 8/20/2026 5:00 PM Pacific

Salary:

$50,795.04 - $70,893.60 Annually