Language Access Specialist (Departmental Specialist 13)

State of Michigan

$66K — $99K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in any major.
  • Four years of professional experience; two years at P11 level or one year at P12 level.
  • Expertise in language access coordination and ADA compliance.
  • Strong communication and technical assistance skills.
  • Experience conducting stakeholder engagement and self-evaluations.

Responsibilities

  • Coordinate language access efforts across LARA's departments.
  • Develop and implement LARA's language access plan.
  • Serve as the expert point of contact for Inclusive Access liaisons.
  • Conduct self-evaluations of Department services and policies per ADA requirements.
  • Review and address requests and complaints under the ADA.
  • Assist in ensuring compliance with digital accessibility standards.

Benefits

  • Health, mental health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and family.
  • Life insurance at two times employee's salary, up to $200,000.
  • 401(k) plan with automatic contributions and employer matching.
  • Generous vacation and sick leave policies with rollover options.
  • 12 weeks of paid parental leave for new parents.
Full Job Description
Salary: $31.99 - $47.75 Hourly
Location : Lansing, MI
Job Type: Permanent Full Time
Job Number: 6401-26-FOIA-001
Department: Licensing and Regulatory Affairs - LARA
Opening Date: 08/03/2026
Closing Date: 8/17/2026 5:00 PM Eastern
Bargaining Unit: NON-EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTED EMPLOYEE (NERE)

Job Description

This position serves as a Department-wide staff specialist for language access coordination to comply with the Meaningful Language Access to State Services Act (2023 PA 241 ), Meaningful Language Access to State Services Policy 1660 & Procedure 1660.01, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable language access federal and state regulations. As the Language Access Coordinator (LAC), the position will guide the work in developing and implementing LARA's language access plan and will be responsible for ensuring that language access is executed across LARA's administrations, offices, and bureaus and in accordance with applicable legislation. The LAC will also be the point of contact for LARA's Inclusive Access liaisons for effective coordination, technical assistance, and guidance about language access needs and development. This role will serve as LARA's recognized expert and coordinate language access needs throughout the department.

This position also serves as a Department-wide staff specialist for compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This position will be responsible for, among other roles, conducting a self-evaluation of Departmental services, policies, and programs as outlined in 28 CFR 35.105, including extensive stakeholder engagement, and reviewing requests and complaints under the ADA and assisting with digital-accessibility compliance.

Required Education and Experience

Education
Possession of a bachelor's degree in any major.

Experience

Four years of professional experience, including two years equivalent to the experienced (P11) level or one year equivalent to the advanced (12) level.

Additional Requirements and Information
View the entire job specification at:
Accommodations
If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or selection processes, please contact the for the agency that posted this position vacancy.
State employment also offers rewarding careers where you can help Michiganders enjoy better lives. Many State of Michigan jobs offer alternate work schedules and remote-work options that can help give the flexibility you need.
More details on benefits for our new hires are below:

Rewarding Work: State of Michigan jobs allow you to serve Michiganders in many different ways depending on your interests and skills. Help preserve and protect our environment and the public health; enforce state laws and regulations; advocate for children, families, and victims of discrimination; support our state's military and veterans; rebuild our state's infrastructure; or support other state agencies through our fiscal, IT, and HR systems.

Insurance Benefits: The State of Michigan offers health, mental health, dental, and vision insurance to eligible career employees, their spouses, and their children. The state also covers a life-insurance benefit of two times employees' annual salary (up to $200,000). The state also offers long-term-disability insurance that can provide continuing benefits if an injury or illness prevents employees from working. More information is available at www.mi.gov/employeebenefits.

Retirement Programs: The State of Michigan offers 401(k) and 457 plans for new hires to save for retirement. The state will automatically contribute an amount equal to 4% of your pay to a 401(k) account. The state will also match up to 5% of your pay if you contribute to your 401(k) account. Your contributions vest immediately, and the state's contributions fully vest after just 4 years. More information is available at http://www.mi.gov/orsstatedc.

Vacation and Sick Leave: Eligible full-time employees receive between 15 and 35 personal days and 13 sick days per year that may be rolled over to the following year if not used. Eligible employees also receive an additional day each year for community service or school functions.

Paid Parental Leave: Eligible employees can take 12 weeks of paid leave immediately after a birth or adoption to allow needed time together at home with a new child.

Paid Holidays: Eligible employees receive 13 or 14 paid holidays each year including New Year's Eve and Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Election Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Friday, Christmas Eve and Day.

Bonus Programs: Eligible employees with five years of service also receive annual longevity bonuses that grow as seniority increases. Some positions also may qualify for recruitment, retention, and performance bonuses or other special pay premiums.

Military Pay Differential: Employees in the guard or reserves may also qualify for supplemental pay benefits if miliary pay during qualifying duty is less than normal state pay. Prior military service may also allow seniority credits to accelerate eligibility for longevity bonuses and additional personal leave accrual.

Tax-Advantaged Programs: In addition to 401(k) and 457 retirement accounts, the state also offers flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), and qualified transportation fringe benefit (QTFB) programs that can help you save money by reducing your taxable income.

Student Loan Forgiveness: Working for the State of Michigan may allow you to participate in programs that forgive the balance of qualifying student loans. Please view Student Loan Information to help determine if you could qualify is available from the U.S. Department of Education.

Tuition Reduction: Some colleges and universities offer savings to eligible employees and family members to further their education while working for the State of Michigan.

Professional Development: To help develop your career, programs are available to apply for reimbursement of up to $2,000 a year for education and training for college course credits and non-degree programs.

Alternative and Remote Work Schedules: Depending on the nature of their duties, many state jobs offer flexible work schedules and remote or hybrid telecommuting options that can help obtain the work-life balance that you seek.

Great Lakes and Great Times: Michigan boasts four Great Lakes, 11,000 inland lakes, 36,000 miles of rivers and streams, 20 million acres of forests, 100 state and national parks and recreation areas, 1,300 miles of bike trails, 6,500 miles of snowmobile trails, the second-most ski areas in the nation, 650 public golf courses, 600 campgrounds, and an international dark-sky park-just for starters. Our cities offer concerts and cultural events, storied sports teams, education hubs, vibrant downtowns, one-of-a-kind craft beverages, and renowned restaurants for every appetite. From urban centers to beach towns to the great outdoors, the opportunities are endless. With your state salary and benefits and Michigan's affordable cost of living, you can explore all that Michigan has to offer.

Updated: 2/28/24
01

DEPSPL - Do you possess at least a bachelor's degree or higher in any major. If so, please attach a copy of your official college transcripts;ORat least one year of professional experience in the state of Michigan classified service; or the equivalent of six months of full-time experience as a Senior Executive Management Assistant 15 in the state classified service (if posted at the Specialist 13 level)?
  • Yes
  • No

02

DEPSPL - Do you possess at least four years of professional experience, including two years equivalent to the experienced (P11) level or one year equivalent to the advanced (12) level; or the equivalent of six months of full-time experience as a Senior Executive Management Assistant 15 in the state classified service?
  • Yes
  • No

03

To collect recruitment effort data, please select from below how you learned of this job opportunity. We appreciate your feedback:
  • College/University Career Services Office
  • College/University Career Fair
  • Employee Referral
  • GONGWER Capitol Jobs Marketplace
  • Handshake
  • Michigan Civil Service Office of Career Services
  • Michigan Works! Agency
  • Other Job Posting Site (Indeed, ZipRecruiter, etc.)
  • Pure Michigan Talent Connect
  • NEOGOV job alert
  • Veterans Organization
  • X (previously Twitter)
  • LinkedIn

04

If you selected Other Job Posting, Veteran's Organization, or Employee Referral in the previous question, please identify the source or employee name for which you learned of this opportunity. If referred by a LARA employee but prefer not to name them, you may simply write, "LARA Employee Referral".
Required Question

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