Multilingual Community and Communication Specialist – Somali

Job Summary:  To inspire and prepare each and every scholar with the confidence, courage, and competence to achieve their dreams; contribute to community; and engage in a lifetime of learning by proactively building and maintaining supportive relationships that strengthen multilingual scholar and family connections to school and support the elimination of racial, cultural, and linguistic disparities and isolation to achieve equitable student achievement.
 
Responsibilities and tasks include: 

• Primary duties include creating and coordinating projects and tasks related to electronic, print, and verbal multilingual communication between Osseo Area Schools and its stakeholders; advocating on behalf of multilingual scholars and families; and liaising and collaborating with district and community resources to develop and manage comprehensive scholar and family outreach and engagement activities.  Responsibilities include but are not limited to:  
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with stakeholder groups including scholars, families, community organizations, and district staff.
• Serve as a main contact for multilingual parents and scholars; assist scholars and families in overcoming barriers to access and engagement; orient new multilingual scholars and families to the district and our schools.
• Assist site administrators in providing a climate that supports and welcomes multilingual scholars and families to Osseo Area Schools; make recommendations to administrators on creating environments that are safe, welcoming, and inclusive for multilingual scholars, families, and community members.
• Plan, develop, implement, and monitor comprehensive multilingual communication and engagement activities that are timely, meaningful, and relevant in coordination with school and district administrators, including the Family and Community Engagement and School/Community Relations teams.
• Provide school and district-level interpreting and translating services so multilingual scholars, families, and staff receive and understand oral and written communication in their preferred language; attend parent-teacher conferences to assist with communication between staff and families.
• Create and implement content updates for district and school websites and social media channels.
• Collaborate with school administrators, teachers, human services teams, and other school staff to identify and connect with students who need additional academic and/or social/emotional support.
• Work directly with individuals or groups of multilingual scholars and families to address specific needs.
• Collaborate with teachers, administrators, and other school staff to establish learning partnerships through youth and parent programming.
• Help scholars and families engage their cultural and linguistic capital to experience schooling in a transformative way.
• Advocate on behalf of multilingual scholars and families; surface issues and concerns to appropriate resources for consideration and resolution when necessary.
• Facilitate meetings between scholars, families, and school staff who are from diverse cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds to aid home/school communication and assist in the resolution of misunderstandings and conflicts due to cultural differences and language barriers.
• Serve as a resource to which multilingual families and community members may come to receive or request information about Osseo Area Schools.
• Liaise and collaborate with school and district staff and community resources to identify and provide appropriate services for scholars and families that transform their schooling experience for equitable results.
• Provide potential connections to resources for scholars and families as needed, including being a link between the school and community resources.
• Identify and interface with local community resources and agencies that work closely with multilingual, immigrant, and refugee communities.
• Develop relationships between Osseo Area Schools and community resources.
• Build connections with communities and assist scholars and families with accessing and participating in district programs, committees, and activities.

Minimum Qualifications Include:

• 2 years of college plus three to five years of relevant work experience or a bachelor’s degree
• Must be fluent in English and Somali.
• Level of proficiency required: able to read, write, and speak all styles and forms of the language fluently and accurately on all levels pertinent to professional needs. Proficiency level must be equivalent to that of a native professional.
• Experience with interpreting and translating, preferably in an educational setting
• Experience working with populations of various racial, cultural, economic, and linguistic backgrounds
• Experience working with youth and families in various racial, cultural, economic, and linguistic settings

Preferred Qualifications include:

• Effective oral and written communication skills; skilled with Microsoft Office/Google Drive applications, including word processing and email
• Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to interact effectively with racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse individuals and groups in a variety of settings
• Ability to generate enthusiasm and motivate youth and adults
• Effective organizational skills and the ability to work on several projects simultaneously; adaptability and flexibility to meet extenuating circumstances and evolving needs
• Ability to create collaboration among groups of internal and external groups-ability to form bridges between home and school environment and access community resources
• Resourceful, self-directed, a critical thinker able to exercise professional judgment and the ability to work independently and collaboratively

Job Type: Full-time, 220 work days
Bargaining Group: Salaried Professionals
Salary Range: $59,478 – $70,207 – View salary grid on the respective bargaining unit listed above, accessible via our Employee Contracts page

Osseo Area Schools offers:

• Meaningful and impactful work 
• Opportunities to grow professionally
• A variety of benefits
• and more 

 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: 

Osseo Area School District ISD 279 is an Equal Opportunity, and veteran-friendly employer.

Osseo Area School District ISD 279 ensures equal employment opportunities regardless of race, creed, gender, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation or disability. Osseo Area School District is committed to a workforce that reflects the diversity of the district and strongly encourages persons to apply who can strengthen our diversity. For more information, view the District’s Equal Opportunity and Prohibition Against Discrimination, Harassment and Violence Policy. 

Veteran’s Preference: If you are an eligible veteran, please submit a legible copy of your DD214 with your application. 

Accommodation: If you have a disability that requires an accommodation during the selection process, please email Human Resources at HR@district279.org or call 763-391-7007.
 

Background Check Upon Conditional Offer: 

Background checks are conducted upon receiving a conditional offer. Employees must complete a background check and are responsible for the background fee. A passing background is required.  Criminal convictions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.