The posting
Company Description
The Department of Public Health prioritizes equitable and inclusive access to quality healthcare for its community and values the importance of diversity in its workforce. All employees at the Department of Public Health work to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity with a specific lens and focus on race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, and immigration status.
- Application Opening: Friday, October 23, 2026
- Application Deadline: Application filing will close on or after Friday, October 30, 2026. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply immediately.
- Salary: $78.11 - $116.06 hourly
- Appointment Type: Temporary Exempt
- Recruitment ID: TEX-RTF0168777-01140563
- Work Arrangement: Onsite
Announcement will be open continuously and interviews will be conducted on an as-needed basis.
Becoming a City employee means being a part of a team that cares about making a difference. Your work will shape both the present and future of San Francisco. When you work for the City, you’re choosing a job with purpose.
The Mission of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is to protect and promote the health of all San Franciscans. Fulfilling this mission requires employees working across our hospitals, clinics, programs, and offices to deliver services and support the communities we serve. Individuals interested in joining SFDPH should expect to work in person across these settings.
The San Francisco Health Network, Population Health, Behavioral Health Services, and Administration are the core divisions of SFDPH. The San Francisco Health Network is the City’s only complete system of care and has locations throughout the City, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, and over 15 primary care health centers. The Population Health Division (PHD) provides core public health services for the City and County of San Francisco: health protection, health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and disaster preparedness and response. Behavioral Health Services operates in conjunction with SFHN and provides a range of mental health and substance use treatment services.
The applicant pool resulting from this recruitment may be utilized to fill future and current vacancies in this class at other locations within the DPH.
Job Description
This is a temporary exempt, on-call as-needed 1229 Special Bilingual Examiner (Vietnamese-English) that will conduct examinations of DPH employees' bilingual skills. Work assignments typically range from two (2) hours to two (2) days in duration, although longer assignments are possible. The position is limited to 1,040 work hours in a year.
San Francisco is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse cities in the nation. Nearly half of all city residents speak a language other than English at home, and over a third of the residents are immigrants. The City and County of San Francisco provides language access for Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals to enable them to access government services. Special Bilingual Examiners conduct language testing of City and County Department of Public Health employees to determine their proficiency in bilingual translation and interpretation.
Under general direction, the Special Bilingual Examiner (Vietnamese-English) conducts oral and/or written tests of bilingual language skills at various testing locations, rates candidates’ performance on tests, and performs related duties as required. The essential functions of the class include, but are not limited to:
- Administering tests of bilingual language skills in interview settings and classroom testing environments
- Preparing test materials and arranging facilities prior to exams, distributing test materials, providing instructions to administer tests, and answering general questions
- Maintaining security of the test materials before, during, and after exams
- Preventing candidates from taking test materials
- Rating candidate test performance and bilingual proficiency using established rating scales, scoring exams, and providing exam results in the designated format to candidates and human resource professionals
- Reporting and documenting unusual incidents
- Assisting in the development of exam items, test questions, and rating guidelines.
Please note that incumbents in this classification may be required to perform duties as listed in the class specification, which can be found on DHR’s website: https://careers.sf.gov/classifications/?classCode=1229&setId=COMMN
Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalency certificate; AND
- Either: A. Completion of a recognized certificate or certification in translation and/or interpretation in Vietnamese to and from English; OR B. At least ten (10) examination days or eighty (80) hours of verifiable work experience as a Bilingual Examiner; OR C. At least one (1) year of verifiable work experience as a Qualified Interpreter, Translator, Teacher, or similar occupation for which the main responsibility is to translate and/or interpret Vietnamese to and from English.
Note: The certificate MUST be from a recognized Interpreter and Translator Certification program. A departmental designated bilingual staff certificate is NOT considered qualifying.
Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.
One-year full-time employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours (2,000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week).
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring:
- Demonstrated professional experience as a Medical/Health Care Interpreter
- Ability to speak, read, and write fluently in English and Vietnamese
- Experience evaluating spoken and written information in both English and Vietnamese
- Exceptional oral and written communication skills in both English and Vietnamese
- Degree from a recognized school of translation and interpretation
- Excellent punctuality
- Flexibility
- Exceptional customer service skills
- Ability to deal tactfully and effectively with a large and diverse group of people
VERIFICATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications.
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education or experience verification is required, information on how to verify education and experience requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/experience-education/.
Applicants who possess a recognized certificate or certification in translating and/or interpreting must submit a copy of the certificate.
Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.
Additional Information
Additional information regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:
- Information About the Hiring Process
- Conviction History
- Employee Benefits Overview
- Equal Employment Opportunity
- Disaster Service Worker
- ADA Accommodation
- Right to Work
- Copies of Application Documents
- Diversity Statement
Where to Apply
All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit https://careers.sf.gov/ to begin your application process.
Please ensure that you answer the language skills ability questions when you apply. Applicants must indicate on the application form the language(s) in which they claim proficiency.
Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment. Please consider using a personal email address that you check regularly rather than a work or school account.
Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110.
Ensure your application information is accurate as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. To avoid unfixable issues, use your personal email address - not a shared or work email.
Applicants will receive a confirmation email from [email protected] that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.
If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst Jerome Anabu at [email protected] or (628) 271-6813.
We may use text messaging to communicate with you on the phone number provided in your application. By applying, you accept the Trust and Privacy Policy and you may opt out of text messaging anytime.
The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.
