Work at TLC
We are always looking for vibrant, considerate professionals to support our clients’ needs. TLC helps the citizens and businesses of Tennessee reach their linguistic goals through language classes, professional development, interpretation and translation.
In addition to professional qualifications, individuals interested in working with TLC must possess a heart for public service and a willingness to learn.
Why work at TLC?
TLC offers a friendly, collaborative, multicultural work experience. We value the contributions of all team members and ensure they feel appreciated for helping us excel. Employees can expect:
- Professional development opportunities.
- Fair pay and opportunities for increases.
- A cooperative work environment.
- Family-friendly policies and flexible scheduling.
Current Openings
- Bilingual Front Desk Coordinator
- Freelance Interpreters and Translators
- Part-Time Language Instructors
Additional information for each position can be found below.
The Bilingual (English/Spanish) Front Office Coordinator is the welcoming face of our office and serves as the primary point of contact for all visitors and clients of the Tennessee Language Center.
This role provides essential administrative and customer service support, including managing incoming calls, emails, mail, and in‑person inquiries. Key responsibilities include processing payments, performing daily cash and credit card reconciliations, distributing communications to program staff, and assisting with general administrative tasks.
In addition to front‑office duties, this position supports daily operations by coordinating room scheduling, maintaining office supplies, assisting with event planning and execution, and serving as the liaison for building maintenance and the IPS training facility. The coordinator also plays a key role in workplace safety by acting as the office safety warden and accounting for staff and visitors during evacuations.
- Education: High school diploma / GED
- Experience: 3+ years in an office setting working with a variety of disciplines in an administrative capacity
- Fluency in English and Spanish; capable of facilitating and managing multicultural/multilingual activities
- Ability to work independently and without direct supervision
- Ability to multi-task, including the use of multiple databases and MS-Office suite
- Effective organizational skills
- Efficient oral and written communication skills with multiple stakeholders
- Ability to develop rapport with multicultural staff and contractors
- Commitment to quality and integrity
Visit the job description for more information and to apply. Applications will be accepted until May 7, 2026.
Interpreters and translators are vital to the success of our agency and help us provide critical interpretation and translation services. They are often the face and voice of the Tennessee Language Center through in-person interactions or written text.
Our interpreters and translators work with us remotely on a contract (freelance) basis. They choose which assignments to accept and are paid by assignment. Flexible scheduling makes it possible to balance working as an interpreter or translator with many of life’s commitments.
We are dedicated to ensuring the success of our interpreters and translators through timely feedback, fair pay, training opportunities and friendly support staff.
- Candidates must possess relevant education, training and experience to handle a wide variety of assignments requiring specific vocabulary and skills.
- Interpreters must be timely, organized, able to navigate unfamiliar/complex situations and lifelong learners.
- Successful candidates are trained professionals who respond promptly to calls and emails, willing to learn new technology, open to constructive feedback, incorporate new skills and feedback into assignments, and excellent communicators.
- Interpreters must have reliable transportation to get to assignments on time.
- Translators must be based in the U.S.
Email a resumé, cover letter and two professional references to its.languagecenter@tennessee.edu.
The Tennessee Language Center (TLC) is accepting applications on a rolling basis for experienced part-time language instructors in Arabic, ASL, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish to:
- Teach online, synchronous group classes and/or in-person group classes. Classes at the TLC should be learner-centered, designed to provide opportunities for students to use language in real-life contexts and have activities requiring them to produce the target language.
- Provide custom language instruction to individuals and businesses.
Part-time instructors typically work between two and 20 hours per week, about 36 weeks per year, depending on staffing needs and term enrollments. The current term and future term academic calendars can be found here.
TLC offers both online over Zoom and in-person classes in Nashville, Oak Ridge, Memphis and Clarksville. Classes are adult community educations courses and are not for academic credit. Online teachers may reside anywhere in the U.S., and in-person teachers should live close to one of the cities listed above.
- This position requires U.S. work authorization. We are unable to sponsor visas.
- Bachelor’s degree in any field. U.S. equivalencies of the credential(s) must be verified, and applicants must provide a credential evaluation, e.g., from World Education Services (WES) when applying.
- Native or near-native speaker of the language(s) you wish to teach.
- English proficiency: minimum level of Advanced High (ACTFL) or C1 (CEFR).
- Minimum of one year of experience teaching the language(s) and the age group you wish to teach, or willingness to complete TLC’s teacher training prior to employment.
- Demonstrated ability to teach using clear, understandable language, student-centered strategies and flexible instruction that adapts to different learning needs and connects language learning to the target culture(s).
- Transcultural competence gained by being raised or educated in a country where the target language is spoken; by living in a heritage community in another country; or by demonstrating, through professional experience or academic preparation, a deep understanding of the products, practices and perspectives of the communities where the target language is spoken.
- Must be able to work respectfully with individuals of all cultures, backgrounds, perspectives and abilities.
- Must have some experience using classroom technologies.
- Advanced degree (M.A. or Ph.D.) in the language(s) you wish to teach at TLC in applied linguistics, language pedagogy, second language acquisition or related field. U.S. equivalencies of the credential(s) must be verified, and applicants must provide a credential evaluation, e.g., from World Education Services (WES) when applying.
- Experience using a learning management system (LMS).
- Online language teaching experience.
- Experience with curriculum development for language materials.
- Experience with proficiency testing. Candidates with OPI Tester certification are especially encouraged to apply.
Please email the following to worldlanguages@tennessee.edu:
- Detailed resumé/CV, listing education and describing work experience.
- Letter of interest addressing qualifications and experience related to required and preferred position qualifications.
- Names and contact information for three professional references.
- Answer the following questions: Are you available to teach in-person only, online only or both? Generally, what days and hours are you available to teach?