Linguist Recruiter and Interpreter

Job description

Position Summary As the Linguist Recruiter & Interpreter in Piedmont Global’s Nairobi office, you will hold a dual mandate: recruit and onboard the interpreters and translators Piedmont Global needs across African and lesser diffusion languages, and personally deliver interpretation and translation work in your own language pairs. This is deliberately a two-sided role. Your recruiting output builds the bench; your linguistic work keeps that bench productive from day one and offsets the cost of the position. Piedmont Global currently routes 17% of its African-language volume to an external backstop partner. Somali is the clearest example of the gap: 124 Somali calls were offered over a recent three-month window and almost none were answered — not for lack of recruited interpreters, but because those interpreters never completed platform registration. Your role exists to close that gap from inside the Nairobi office. This position partners closely with the Staffing Solutions recruiting team, Interpretation Operations, and the VP of Staffing. Job Responsibilities Linguist Recruiting & Sourcing · Source, screen, and onboard interpreters and translators across African and lesser-diffusion languages, with initial priority on Somali and Swahili · Apply creative, geography-specific sourcing strategies to reach niche language communities where conventional job boards do not work · Own an assigned language portfolio under Piedmont Global’s language-SME model, pairing a high-volume language with a lesser-diffusion language · Maintain an accurate, current view of your portfolio: linguists sourced, onboarded, registered, and actively scheduled · Partner with Interpretation Operations to convert unfilled and missed requests in your languages into filled capacity Interpretation & Translation Delivery · Deliver over-the-phone and video remote interpretation in your qualified language pairs as scheduled by Interpretation Operations · Complete written translation and localization assignments in your language pairs as assigned · Maintain full availability and reliability standards for accepted assignments, mainly remote sessions · Uphold professional interpreter standards of accuracy, impartiality, completeness, and confidentiality in every session · Perform all interpretation and translation work on-site from the Piedmont Global Nairobi office — remote and work-from-home delivery is not permitted for this role Onboarding & Compliance Execution · Execute Piedmont Global’s interpreter onboarding requirements checklist in full for every linguist you bring on, including independent contractor agreements, tax documentation, and background screening · Ensure every onboarded linguist completes platform registration end to end — an onboarded interpreter who is not registered and reachable does not count as capacity · Verify credentials and, where applicable, ensure international qualifications are properly documented and retained · Escalate missing, expired, or incomplete documentation before assignments are offered · Observe all client-specific and jurisdictional data protection requirements, including Kenya’s Data Protection Act, 2019, applicable healthcare privacy obligations, and any client contract terms restricting where protected information may be handled Reporting & Performance · Report week-over-week metrics on interpreters and translators onboarded within your assigned languages · Track and report fill rate, missed and unfilled requests, and time to fill for your language portfolio · Participate in quarterly bench reviews, identifying inactive linguists for removal while protecting coverage in languages of lesser diffusion · Surface supply shortages, scheduling friction, training gaps, and incentive issues to the VP of Staffing with supporting data · Provide input on interpreter experience improvements and platform adoption within the Nairobi-sourced network Requirements · Professional fluency in English plus at least one in-demand African language; Somali strongly preferred. · Demonstrated interpretation or translation experience, and ability to pass Piedmont Global’s language qualification standards. · 2+ years of recruiting, sourcing, or talent acquisition experience, or equivalent demonstrated ability to source hard-to-find talent. · Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent professional experience preferred. · Valid Kenyan work authorization, or eligibility to obtain the work authorization required for this role. · Working knowledge of Kenya’s Data Protection Act, 2019 and confidentiality obligations. · Ability to work on-site at the Piedmont Global Nairobi office during assigned coverage hours. · Strong organizational and prioritization skills across two concurrent workstreams. · Proactive communication style, strong problem-solving approach, and a high degree of ownership with limited direct supervision. · Exceptional integrity, confidentiality, and professionalism. As part of the interview process for this position you will be asked to complete an AI screening which takes about 10 minutes and gives us a starting point to target interview depth more completely. About Piedmont Global Piedmont Global is a Strategic Globalization Organization (SGO) integrating cultural fluency, strategic insight, and custom technology to help clients scale with speed, navigate complexity, and operate seamlessly across cultures, markets, and systems. Headquartered in Washington D.C with team members spanning five continents, Piedmont Global equips organisations with the people, capabilities, and strategies to lead - globally, fluently, and confidently.