Interpreter

Position Overview

The United States District Court for the District of Arizona is hiring a full-time, permanent court interpreter for the Tucson Clerk’s Office.

Key Duties

This role focuses on Spanish-English interpretation and document translation for matters handled by the court. The work is highly detailed and requires strong interpreting judgment, people skills, and the ability to choose the appropriate method for the setting, such as consecutive, simultaneous, or sight translation. Travel anywhere in Arizona will be part of the job.

• Provide consecutive and simultaneous interpretation during courtroom proceedings as needed.
• Translate court-related documents and correspondence in both directions.
• Support processing of vouchers for contract interpreters.
• Deliver remote interpretation through the Telephone Interpreting Program (TIP).
• Interpret outside the courtroom for related matters when directed.
• Handle other duties assigned by the court.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must have a Spanish court interpreter certification from the Administrative Office of the United States Courts and be able to show proof of that certification. Strong command of simultaneous and consecutive interpreting, sight translation, and document translation is required. Candidates with direct court experience will receive preference.

To qualify at JSP 12 or JSP 13, candidates need two years of specialized experience. For JSP 14, three years of specialized experience is required. Specialized experience means work that developed the ability to interpret accurately between Spanish and English without adding, leaving out, or changing meaning, while preserving the speaker’s register.

Professional conduct is essential at all times, and the ability to translate complex documents and correspondence written in different registers is also required.

Application Instructions

Applications must be submitted online through the employer’s career portal. A complete application should include a cover letter tied to relevant experience, a resume with full work history, salary history, and education, the two most recent performance evaluations if available, and a copy of the Federal Court Interpreter Certification. If evaluations are unavailable, letters of recommendation may be used instead, and at least one should come from a current or recent supervisor.

All attachments must be uploaded in Microsoft Word or PDF format only. Applications are considered complete only when the online form and all required documents are received by Human Resources. Materials received after the closing date may not be reviewed.

Employment Details

This is a regular full-time position. The salary range is $91,205 to $166,615 depending on qualifications and experience. The job grade is JSP 12/1 through JSP 14/10.

The posting opened on 05/04/2026 and will remain open until filled, with preference for applications submitted by 06/01/2026.

Benefits

Federal benefits are available, including paid annual leave of up to 13 days per year during the first three years of service, increasing to 20 to 26 days per year afterward depending on total federal service.

Additional Information

Career Opportunity #26-28.