Interpreter Coordinator

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Interpreter Co-ordinator is a team member position in MBIE. The Interpreter Co-ordinator will bring their business understanding and perspective to work in partnership with their manager and other staff.

The Interpreter Co-ordinator contributes to the operations of the Support Services team by effectively managing all in-person and remote interview bookings on behalf of the Refugee Status Unit and managing interpreter induction and support in regard to the refugee and protection status context.

The Interpreter Co-ordinator is responsible for ensuring quality and consistency of advice and practices in relation to their contribution to the team’s work. The role will be based at the Refugee Status Unit at 162 Victoria Street, Auckland. It may require working at other branches as required.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Experience in scheduling bookings in situations that occasionally require robust decision making and liaison with multiple attendees including internal and external parties, and interpreter providers/interpreters.
• Demonstrated ability in managing a complex calendar of appointments covering a period of many months, involving appointments with different parties at multiple locations.
• Ability to deliver presentations and training sessions for internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent organisational skills, with an ability to prioritise and manage high workloads in sometimes challenging situations and meet deadlines.
• Experience working as an Administration Officer.
• Ability to work with people from differing cultural backgrounds, gender, and abilities.
• Good computer and keyboard skills including Windows experience (Word, Excel, Outlook, Access).
• Competency with using online meeting software such as MS Teams and Zoom, including making and managing appointments.
• Ability to work effectively as a member of a team to achieve overall results and meet performance and quality standards.
• High level of analytical skills with excellent judgement and an ability to make quality decisions.
• Knowledge of Immigration law, policy and procedures is an advantage.
• A sound knowledge of administrative practices and appreciation of good customer service.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Privacy Act 2020 and the Official Information Act 1982.
• Must be a NZ citizen or permanent resident.
• Police vetting required.

Qualifications

• A broad/ general educational background with tertiary study and/or relevant equivalent experience working in a government administration environment.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Interview scheduling and translation organisation

• Schedule/reschedule interviews and make appropriate arrangements (interpreters, representatives, interview rooms) ensuring that bookings consider MBIE staff, legal representatives’ and interpreters’ availability and that time is allocated according to the complexity of cases.
• Keep up-to-date records of scheduled interviews.
• Provide the manager with advice regarding interview bookings and rescheduling issues.
• Organise for the translation of documents within approved budgets.
• Maintain up-to-date procedures and guidelines for all related responsibilities and develop new procedures when relevant.
• Carry out general administration and support functions for the Unit as required.

Interpreter induction

• Organise and deliver induction sessions via the interpreting companies for interpreters and translators who work with MBIE.
• Advocate and record feedback from MBIE staff about Interpreters/Translators and liaise with interpreting companies about feedback.

Manage relationships with stakeholders

• Manage relationships with RPOs, legal representatives, interpreters and refugee and protection claimants to ensure a clear and timely interview scheduling process.
• Manage relationship with the MBIE Language Assistance Programme team and provide timely and relevant feedback on relationships with MBIE’s interpretation service providers.
• Manage relationships with interpreter companies to ensure they provide excellent service.
• Produce regular newsletters for interpreters and key stakeholders.

Wellbeing, health and safety

• Displays commitment through actively supporting all safety and wellbeing initiatives.
• Ensures own and others safety at all times.
• Complies with relevant safety and wellbeing policies, procedures, safe systems of work and event reporting.
• Reports all incidents/accidents, including near misses in a timely fashion.
• Is involved in health and safety through participation and consultation.

Tō tūranga i roto i te Manatū – Your place in the Ministry

The Interpreter Coordinator position reports into the Immigration Manager – Support Services within the Refugee and Migrant Services branch. The branch sits within the Immigration group.

More information about MBIE’s structure

To mātou aronga – What we do for Aotearoa New Zealand

Hīkina Whakatutuki is the te reo Māori name for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Hīkina means to uplift. Whakatutuki means to move forward, to make successful. Our name speaks to our purpose, Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All.

To Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All, we put people at the heart of our mahi. Based on the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi, we are committed to upholding authentic partnerships with Māori.

As agile public service leaders, we use our breadth and experience to navigate the ever-changing world. We are service providers, policy makers, investors and regulators. We engage with diverse communities, businesses and regions. Our work touches on the daily lives of New Zealanders. We grow opportunities (Puāwai), guard and protect (Kaihāpai) and innovate and navigate towards a better future (Auaha).

Ngā matatau – Our competencies

Cultivates innovation We create new and better ways for the organisation to be successful by challenging the status quo generating new and creative ideas and translating them into workable solutions.

Nimble learning We are curious and actively learn through experimentation when tackling new problems by learning as we go when facing new situations and challenges.

Customer focus We build strong customer relationships and deliver customer-centric solutions by listening and gaining insights into the needs of the communities we serve and actively seeking and responding to feedback.

Decision quality We make quality and timely decisions that shape the future for our communities and keep the organisation moving forward by relying on an appropriate mix of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgement to make valid and reliable decisions.

Action oriented We step up, taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with purpose, urgency and discipline by taking responsibility, ownership and action on challenges, and being accountable for the results.

Collaborates We connect, working together to build partnerships with our communities, working collaboratively to meet shared objectives by gaining trust and support of others; actively seeking the views, experiences, and opinions of others and by working co-operatively with others across MBIE, the public sector and external stakeholder groups.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

As an agency of the public service, MBIE has a responsibility to contribute to the Crown meeting its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti). Meeting our commitment to Te Tiriti will contribute towards us realising the overall aims of Te Ara Amiorangi – Our Path, Our Direction, and achieve the outcome of Growing New Zealand for All. The principles of Te Tiriti - including partnership, good faith, and active protection – are at the core of our work. MBIE is committed to delivering on our obligations as a Treaty partner with authenticity and integrity and to enable Māori interests. We are committed to ensuring that MBIE is well placed to meet our obligations under the Public Service Act 2020 (Te Ao Tūmatanui) to support the Crown in strengthening the Māori/Crown Relationship under the Treaty and to build MBIE’s capability, capacity and cultural intelligence to deliver this.

Mahi i roto i te Ratonga Tūmatanui – Working in the public service

Ka mahitahi mātou o te ratonga tūmatanui kia hei painga mō ngā tāngata o Aotearoa i āianei, ā, hei ngā rā ki tua hoki. He kawenga tino whaitake tā mātou hei tautoko i te Karauna i runga i āna hononga ki a ngāi Māori i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ka tautoko mātou i te kāwanatanga manapori. Ka whakakotahingia mātou e te wairua whakarato ki ō mātou hapori, ā, e arahina ana mātou e ngā mātāpono me ngā tikanga matua o te ratonga tūmatanui i roto i ā mātou mahi.

In the public service we work collectively to make a meaningful difference for New Zealanders now and in the future. We have an important role in supporting the Crown in its relationships with Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi. We support democratic government. We are unified by a spirit of service to our communities and guided by the core principles and values of the public service in our work.

What does it mean to work in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Public Service?(external link) — Te Kawa Mataaho The Public Service Commission