Position Title:   Language Services Program Assistant

Supervisor:       Interpreting Services Coordinator

Status:             Full-time, hourly, non-exempt

Salary Range:    $20.00–$22.00 per hour

 Organizational Description:

Journey’s End Refugee Services, Inc. is a refugee resettlement and immigration services provider for the Western and Central New York Regions. Journey’s End welcomes refugee and immigrant communities, providing case management and employment services, immigration legal services, and language support.

Journey's End Refugee Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ the best-qualified personnel without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, gender identity, marital status, or any other reason prohibited by law. 

Program Description:

The Language Services Department at Journey’s End offers high-quality, in-person interpretation, video remote interpretation (VRI), over-the-phone interpretation (OPI), and document translation services in more than 50 languages. These services support healthcare and medical providers, schools and universities, human services organizations, law firms, government entities, and other community partners throughout New York State. The department also advocates for the expansion of language access and the removal of barriers faced by individuals with limited English proficiency.

Job Description:

The Language Services Program Assistant supports the daily operations and continued growth of the Language Services Department through interpretation scheduling, customer communication, administrative assistance, and support for other departmental functions as needed. This position plays an important role in maintaining efficient service delivery, fostering positive customer and interpreter experiences, and ensuring continuity across departmental functions. The Program Assistant works collaboratively with the Interpretation Coordinator, Translation Coordinator, and departmental leadership to provide cross-coverage, assist with interpreter onboarding and translation workflows when necessary, and support the department's expanding service capacity.

Key Responsibilities:

●      Utilize Journey’s End scheduling systems to process requests, coordinate assignments, communicate outcomes, verify service details, and support closeout and billing workflows.

●      Maintain regular communication with customers by phone and email, respond to service inquiries, and provide timely, professional customer support.

●      Communicate with the interpreter pool to support high appointment fill rates, timely request fulfillment, and effective coordination of services.

●      Provide administrative support for interpreter recruitment, onboarding, and orientation activities as needed including scheduling, communication, and preparation of materials.

●      Conduct follow-ups with newly onboarded interpreters and provide support as needed.

●      Assist with interpreter trainings including scheduling, communication, preparation of materials, and attendance tracking.

●      Serve as initial contact for prospective customers, responding to inquiries, providing preliminary service information, and directing requests to the appropriate staff for follow-up.

●      Identify scheduling, interpreter, customer, or documentation concerns and escalate issues requiring supervisory or management review to the appropriate staff member.

●      Participate in departmental cross-training and provide operational coverage across interpretation scheduling, translation coordination, interpreter onboarding, and customer support during staff absences or periods of increased service demand.

●      Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

·       1–2 years of experience in customer service, language services, office administration, business, marketing, refugee and immigrant services, or a related field.

·       Exceptional written and spoken English language skills; bilingual or multilingual skills preferred.

·       Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe.

·       Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, with a strong commitment to customer service.

·       Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

·       Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and collaborate effectively with a team.

·       Flexibility and willingness to learn multiple departmental functions and provide support across different service areas.

·       Strong interest in working with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds, familiarity with Buffalo's refugee and immigrant communities, and a commitment to improving language access for individuals with limited English proficiency.