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.
Job Description Summary
The Squad Lead is responsible for delivering language services and solutions to Welocalize accounts. The Squad Lead manages or directs a team (I.e., squad) that works together for delivering language services. The squad lead engages with account teams to understand client requirements, engages internal and external resources in the fulfilment of those requirements, crafts and delivers client solutions. These solutions are based on the Welocalize Four Pillars of Customer Service, Quality, Innovation and Global Teamwork. The Squad Lead acts as the spokesman and facilitator of the Squad and is accountable for achieving assigned Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).
MAIN DUTIES：
Overall
· In concert with Language Operations leadership, define quarterly Squad OKRs in alignment with the company OKRs.
· Define squad roles and responsibilities based on achieving OKR results.
· Measure and report OKR result progress on a weekly basis; proactively identify actions and opportunities to achieve and exceed objectives.
· Responsible for performance management (supervision, coaching, career development, and people activities such as time off and expense approval) of direct reports.
· Design, implement, and deliver language services solutions.
· Monitor financial and operational metrics (KPIs). Implement and execute improvements resulting in optimised customer solutions, operational leverage, improved cost per word sold, resource productivity and capacity utilization.
· Facilitate effective interaction and encourage synergies between the different roles within the Language Operations.
· Drive the adoption of existing and new production tools (e.g. Relay, PBI, WD) in compliance with defined processes and procedures.
· Oversee and/or handle issue management: client escalations, CAPAs initiatives, vendor performance or internal escalations.
· Point of escalation for Squad team members.
· With the squad team, manage and forecast team capacity. Determine when capacity must be increased or reduced based on financial and operational performance metrics.
· Responsible for training of new Squad team members.
· Drives their squad’s success in the assigned functional area of responsibility of Language Operations department:
o Internal Linguists and Language Lead services:
Leading a team of translators, reviewers, linguistic testers, language leads, interns etc. for a language or for a grouping of languages
Execute delivery of language lead service offering for the assigned language(s)
Designates the right linguists to partner with Talent (Assessment) to create appropriate testing instruments for partners per language and content types.
Supports directing and through team members the developing talent initiatives (internships, emerging markets programs) for the assigned language(s).
Supervise overall OTD, quality and cost per word of their squad.
Supports team members with improvement actions.
Manages capacity and utilization of squad members
Manages own translation/review projects, as assigned
Capacity management, resource utilization and worker performance management for the assigned languages:
Leading Partner Engagement Managers towards achieving success in their role (resource recommendation, skilling, customer capacity planning, quality trend analysis etc)
Using business intelligence to manage worker capacity, utilization and performance and for making recommendation for changes, including for adjusting the strategy for the assigned languages
Language project management
Managing the Language Project Management team
Management of language projects: management of multiple translation projects for key accounts and allocated languages.
Planning the allocation of work with adequate resources, being a liaison between project managers and linguists
Obtaining all relevant project specifications from internal customers and transmitting project requirements to production teams.
Ensuring the highest level of delivery quality through risk assessment and active management of the translation workflow.
Monitoring the performance of production resources on specific projects, as well as customer satisfaction and managing relevant feedback.
Key competencies:
Ability to think strategically and articulate ideas and plans with the professional maturity to participate at senior management level.
Knowledge and awareness of business trends
Can lead supplier meetings and capture requirements and set success factors.
Takes ownership for driving progress (weekly) and can make informed decisions
Can drive change across processes, roles and expectations in the area of responsibility.
Drives Squad collaboration – facilitates decision making and actions in the context of delivery to the customer.
Actively drives their team and has an positive Impact.
Shows good negotiation skills and situational awareness.
Can establish & develop language operations processes and procedures as part of a client program in alignment with Welocalize tools and systems.
Provides mentoring & coaching to all squad team members across all roles.
Requires customer centric approach and attitude to managing all aspects of the business.
Experience
Proven vendor management or linguistic experience in a fast-paced, client-centric environment, ideally in the translation or localization industry.
Proven ability to lead diverse teams, both local and remote.
Knowledge of the language services industry and a keen interest in its technology, process, competitive landscape, and emerging trends.
Curiosity and creativity to question existing processes and approaches and innovate new ones.
Proven experience in development of processes and ideas.
Experience in translation and/or operational management.
Partner relationship management.
Must be available to travel for work related commitments
Supervisory Responsibilities:
Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws
Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems
Other relevant skills
Passion for serving customers required
Strong working knowledge of localization/translation software
Strong competency in data analytics and developing data driven operating procedures
Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence
Excellent literacy skills both written and verbal
Strong sense of ownership of the designated client accounts(s)/languages
Ability to adapt in a changing work environment
Ability to consider multiple perspectives to devise the most suitable customer and language strategies
Ability to think creatively
Analytical skills with strong attention to detail
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, time-sensitive, and deadline-driven work environment
Positive attitude towards automation and new technologies
KEY COMPETENCIES REQUIRED FOR THIS ROLE
Is a strong Listener. Encourages Empowerment of the team. Effectively Manages Escalation from their team in times when standard operating procedures are not able to address customer dissatisfaction.
Actively Drives Performance of assigned squad and Delivers Results.
Understands the importance of OKRs and is Results Orientated
Can establish & Develop Processes and procedures to improve Operational Efficiency
Regularly exhibits Empathetic Leadership Skills and has a passion for Mentoring & Coaching of team members
Develops excellent Followership across the company through Sphere of Influence
Job Reference: #LI-JC1
