Bilingual Assistant in Japanese (Summer 2026 LSJ004)

The Middlebury College Summer Japanese School is pleased to announce a vacancy for a temporary Bilingual Assistant in Japanese. The position is available during the summer 2026 session, located on Middlebury College campus in Vermont. Our unique 8-week program combines a cultural immersion environment with rigorous daily classroom instruction. This in-person program begins on June 16 and ends on August 16, 2026

Essential to the functioning of each Language School, the Bilingual Summer Staff member organizes and implements multiple facets of the academic and non-academic operations of the School; provides language, co-curricular, and residential support to students; works alongside the School Coordinator and Director in the management of School operations; and collaborates with Faculty in support of students’ language acquisition.

This is a part-time, non-benefits eligible hourly position. The wage for this position is $17 per hour. *Subject to change once 2026 budgets have been approved.

In addition to the salary, lodging and a complete meal plan will be provided.

Core Responsibilities: Responsibilities are grouped into 7 broad areas, beginning with the most essential. An “*” next to a responsibility means that all Summer Staff will be involved in this task.

(1) Program ambassador

• Serves as primary in-language point of contact for students and faculty. Knowledgeable about the program as well as campus resources and policies.*
• Actively engages with students, providing linguistic practice, encouragement, and support outside of class, during meals and activities and in the dorms, offices, and social spaces.*
• Designs and implements team-building exercises for classes or program as a whole.
• Supports students’ commitment to the Language Pledge and the rigorous learning environment.*
• Serves as official representative of the School, the Language Schools administration, and the Middlebury community.*

(2) Student life

• Represents the School administration in the dorms and social spaces, especially on evenings and weekends.*
• Resides in dorms. Provides guidance and non-academic support. Monitors adherence to the Language Pledge. Organizes social activities in the dorms.*
• Responds to student emergencies and urgent situations. Directs students to appropriate offices and resources, academic and non-academic.*

(3) Co-curricular activities and events

• Facilitates the School’s cultural program, an integral part of the immersion-based academic experience. Liaises with campus offices including but not limited to public safety, dining services, events management, media services, print shop, theater, and facilities services.*
• Designs, plans, and implements complex school-wide cultural events. Designs and leads regular co-curricular activities.
• Represents director by acting as host to official guests, including lecturers, performers, visiting artists, etc.*
• Assists faculty, guests, and the director at/with lectures, performances, and other events.*
• Coordinates inter-school activities.
• Attends program events as crowd managers and “animators” (enthusiastic leaders).*

(4) Tutoring and pedagogical support

• Provides regular tutoring hours to assist students with homework, grammar, stylistics, pronunciation, etc.
• Engages in conversation practice outside of class.*
• Lecture series: gives presentation on an area of personal expertise.
• Assists with student testing.

(5) Technology

• Provides general IT support for faculty, guests, and students (on School and personal devices).*
• Provides curricular technology training and support for faculty.
• Manages circulation of School technology, equipment, and film archive.
• Provides technical support at events, from basic a/v at lectures to sound and light design at staged performances.
• Provides classroom technical support, as requested by faculty.

(6) Communications

• Communicates with students and faculty on a variety of platforms: email, website, social media, print media, announcements.*
• Designs and edits web content, especially on instructional in-language sites.
• Develops media content and disseminates publications, including calendars, newspaper, posters, event programs, etc.
• Manages photography and videography. Edits photo and video content. Prepares slideshows, photo exhibits, event videos, etc.
• Translates School and other official Middlebury documents.*

(7) School office

• Administers School office.
• Serves as in-language point of contact for students, faculty, and guests needing drop-in assistance.
• Scheduling of events and activities.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree strongly preferred. Advanced degree a plus.
• Native or near-native proficiency in target language and English, oral and written.
• Demonstrated organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills (both oral and written).
• Ability to work with people of all ages and levels (students, professionals, and colleagues).
• Must be willing to take initiative and assume responsibility, but also work collaboratively as part of a team.

Application Instructions: Only complete applications will be considered.

• Candidates should submit:
• Letter of interest/Cover Letter
• Resume
• Recent statistical information from student evaluations
• 2 letters of recommendation
• Application deadline is Jan 1, 2026, but position will be open until filled

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Middlebury College is a top-tier liberal arts college with a demonstrated commitment to excellence in faculty teaching and research. An Equal Opportunity Employer, the College is committed to hiring a diverse faculty as we work to foster innovation in our curriculum and to provide a rich and varied educational experience to our increasingly diverse student body.