Language Specialist - Spanish at King County Library System – Issaquah, Washington

Job Number: 2025-00109

The King County Library System (KCLS) is seeking a collaborative and skilled Language Specialist - Spanish to join our Equity and Social Impact department. This position develops and maintains relationships within Latinx and Spanish speaking communities to foster connection with the library system’s resources and co-create linguistically and culturally relevant communications, programs, and services.

Of the more than 1.6 million residents who live within the KCLS service area, almost half identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). In addition, a quarter of residents were born outside the United States, with the most common countries of origin being India, Mexico, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, South Korea, Canada, Ukraine, Taiwan, and Ethiopia. One-third of the all-KCLS service population speaks a language other than English as their first language, 12% have limited English proficiency, and Spanish is by far the most common primary language other than English.

About this Opportunity:

The Language Specialist will establish and maintain relationships and interact with the Service Center departments, community libraries, and with public and private agencies, and community groups. The areas of focus for this position may include strategy, communications, and education, linguistically and culturally relevant programs and services or other targeted responses to community need. The Language Specialist reports directly to the World Language Coordinator.

About King County Library System:
KCLS has a vision of a world where knowledge allows diverse communities to prosper and grow. In order to support this vision, we create opportunities through meaningful connections by acting as the knowledge sharing center for over 1.5 million diverse patrons, providing an unparalleled collection of library materials, resources, technology, services, and programs.

Approximately 1,000 engaged and passionate staff provide service in 50 community library locations and patron engagement using direct outreach, programs, and virtual assistance. Our service area includes cities, towns, tribal lands, and unincorporated districts of King County, with the exception of the city of Seattle.

From a 2021-2022 comprehensive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Assessment Demographics and Language Report, of the more than 1.5 million residents who live within the KCLS service area, almost half identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). Moreover, roughly one-third of the KCLS community speaks a language other than English as their first language.

The King County Library System values the diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and cultures of all qualified individuals. We seek applicants that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply, including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color), immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQIA+, individuals with disabilities, veterans, etc.

KCLS welcomes reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities as an opportunity to assist qualified individuals to participate in the job application or interview process and/or perform the essential functions of the position upon hire.

Need an accommodation to apply or interview? Call (425) 369-3224 or email employment@kcls.org.

KCLS ensures equal opportunities and consideration for all job applicants, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. KCLS does not tolerate discrimination or harassment during any stage of employment, including in recruiting, hiring, promotion, termination, leave of absence, compensation, or training.

Essential Duties
The items listed in this section are the key duties and responsibilities for this job and do not represent an exhaustive list. Our organization is dynamic and therefore duties may change based on business necessity; however, any new duties will remain within the scope of the job.

• Leads the organizational response to identified language needs including co-creation, planning, and design of relevant programs and services in alignment with system priorities.
• Promotes, delivers, and evaluates programs and services in focus area. Reports outcomes to inform continuous improvement and demonstrate community impact.
• Identifies training and support needs for program and service delivery support. Designs, develops, and selects content and produces training manuals and materials.
• Assists with communication and relationship-building efforts between KCLS community libraries, the ESI department, and internal stakeholders. Supports local program and service planning and delivery.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with community contacts, including schools, neighborhood associations, service groups, community-based organizations and groups representing the county’s diverse populations, to support co-creation and awareness of changing demographics.
• Collaborates with internal departments and committees, volunteers, and external partners, stakeholders, and participants to achieve departmental and organizational goals.
• Advises on policies and practices that improve language access and inclusive library services.
• Onboards, trains, monitors, and manages volunteers and independent contractors in support of programs and services in focus area.
• Serves as liaison to the Communications & Marketing department staff regarding internal and external communications initiatives in assigned world language.

Secondary Duties

1. Conducts incidental clerical duties associated with program activities.
2. Attends and actively participates on internal and external committees.
3. Stays informs on language access trends and best practices in serving multilingual populations.
4. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Education and Experience
The items listed below are the minimum requirements for the job and are relevant to this position. The organization values both work experience and education and realizes that individuals take different paths to acquire knowledge.

• Associates or technical degree or certificate.
• Three years of experience in a service-oriented setting.
• Four years of higher education study in the focus area language or a related area.
• Any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the necessary qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position will be considered.

Knowledge and Skills

• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of best practices in organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Knowledge of and skills in working effectively with culturally diverse populations.
• Demonstrated collaborative relationships to gain trust and establish credibility with communities, cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills in the focus area language
• Responsive to demands in a proactive and effective manner.
• Flexible and adaptive to changing needs.
• Skills to work on several projects at the same time while keeping track of progress, challenges, and deadlines.

Professional Licenses and Certifications

• A valid Washington State driver’s license is required.
• Must pass an oral and written proficiency assessment in a language other than English, depending on the area of focus.

Core Competencies:

Each KCLS position has job-specific competencies. These competencies describe characteristics needed for optimum performance in the position. In addition, there are organizational competencies applicable to all positions at KCLS that encompass the culture and set expectations for how work is performed.

Organizational Competencies

Valuing Diversity

Manages relationships with all kinds and classes of people inclusively and equitably. Respects, values, and encourages the unique dimension each employee adds to the organization and each member of the community brings to the whole. Seeks opportunities to learn about differences.

Customer Focus

Primarily focused on customer needs. Able to deliver high-quality, value-added services. Constantly strives to find new ways to increase customer satisfaction and understanding, foster equitable services, and forge meaningful connections.

Ethics, Values and Judgement

Exercises best judgment, trustworthiness, and professional standards of conduct. Consistently demonstrates organizational values, moral principles, and accountability in behavior, character, and action. Defends intellectual freedom and confidentiality.

Professional and Technical Knowledge

Demonstrates proficiency in professional and technical skills and/or knowledge in position-related areas. Purposely keeps up with current developments and trends in areas of expertise, in order to better foster personal success and connections for others.

Job-Specific Competencies

Interpersonal Savvy

Relates well to all kinds of people at all levels, both internally and externally. Builds appropriate relationships. Interactions are often purposeful and constructive.

Organizing and Planning

Establishes courses of action for self. Can influence others to ensure that work is efficient. Appropriately sensitive to real restraints on time and resources. Willing to take a risk.

Teamwork/Collaboration

Works cooperatively and productively with others to achieve goals and deliverables. Is aware of, utilizes and celebrate their own and team member’s strengths and differences.

Physical Demands
While performing the duties of this job, the employee will:

• Frequently sit throughout work shift and occasionally stand and walk.
• Seldom reach up or down and frequently reach out at chest level with hands and arms.
• Constantly use hands in conjunction with frequent finger use. Keyboarding may be repetitive up to occasionally.
• Rotate neck up to occasionally.
• Change tasks depending upon the shift.
• Require extensive close work, including use of a computer monitor.
• Occasionally operate foot controls.
• Occasionally lift and carry items up to 10 lbs. and seldom lift up to 20 lbs.
• Seldom push or pull carts and wheeled equipment with light force.

Work Environment
Work is performed in a typical office environment and in the community for engagement activities. Work schedule may include occasional early morning, evening, and/or weekend meetings or commitments. Some travel within the service area is required. Incumbent may be permitted hybrid telework schedule upon request.