AI Program Manager

As a trusted global transformation partner, Welocalize accelerates the global business journey by enabling brands and companies to reach, engage, and grow international audiences. Welocalize delivers multilingual content transformation services in translation, localization, and adaptation for over 250 languages with a growing network of over 400,000 in-country linguistic resources. Driving innovation in language services, Welocalize delivers high-quality training data transformation solutions for NLP-enabled machine learning by blending technology and human intelligence to collect, annotate, and evaluate all content types. Our team works across locations in North America, Europe, and Asia serving our global clients in the markets that matter to them. www.welocalize.com

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

OVERVIEW

The AI Program Manager is a subject matter expert (SME) on MT and AI innovation, manages client relationships for existing MT & AI solutions, and supports internal production teams in anything related to Welocalize’s AI-enabled solutions, from technical troubleshooting to MT processes, internal training and documentation, to training of linguists, participating in research and industry events and supporting the pre-sales process with their expertise.

The ideal candidate has project management and/or other hands-on localization experience, and is comfortable working with various roles in the organisation, clients, technology providers and our translation supply chain. We are looking for an analytical, technically-minded individual with a strong understanding of language and translation.

Main Responsibilities

• Scoping, scheduling and budgeting MT suitability evaluations: responsible for coordinating different teams in the organization to successfully run MT suitability evaluations.Schedule, approach to MT engine customization, ensuring talent gets booked, ensure proper hand-offs and financials are tracked by business owners.
• Machine Translation suitability evaluation: Critically analyzing results of MT suitability across systems and languages.
• Training: provides training to internal Linguists, prepares files and ensures documentation is kept.
• Cost tracking: responsible for tracking MT program costs and savings for clients they are assigned to (e.g. MT provider costs, PE savings).
• Reporting: preparing reports and collaterals on their client programs, and will typically also present these at QBRs.
• Sales Support: offering support in a pre-sales Subject Matter Expert capacity on MT and other proprietary AI solutions, and defines longer term strategies for MT/AI for their clients, based on the data and conversations they have.
• Industry knowledge: is expected to stay up-to-date with industry developments in AI, trends and conversations, contribute to internal discussions on new tools and methods, and work closely with industry organizations when required, and test new tools when required.
• Strategy building: builds out these strategies together with business owners and line manager.
• Commercial Approach: thinks commercially, by analyzing data on MT program performance (margin, volumes, rates, discounts).
• Training: provides training to Linguists and Engineers and support to other AI-enabled Welocalize units.

Required Skills and Competencies

• A minimum of 5 years active experience in roles such a project management, language quality, talent management or language lead.
• Around 5 years of experience overseeing multi-language programs for known brands; commercial awareness and independent working required.
• Experience working in localization, with hands-on experience in CAT tools, translation processes, working with translators and translation agencies as well as other roles in localization.
• Good working knowledge of localization software (CAT tools, TMSes).
• Strong understanding of linguistics & translation.
• Knowledge of Excel Power Pivots, Macros and automation are desired.
• Project management or coordination experience desired.
• Experience in engaging with linguists and working with a global team.
• Strong team builder and communicator.
• Self-motivation, time management & flexibility.
• Risk awareness and a strategic/commercial mindset.

Educational Level

• Master’s Degree OR Bachelor’s Degree and experience in the industry in lieu of Master’s Degree acceptable
• Qualification should be in Localization or Languages, and/or project management .