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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Translation Specialist

💰 $65,000 - $95,000

LocalizationLinguisticsContent ManagementCommunications

🎯 Role Definition

The Translation Specialist is a cornerstone of our global communication strategy, serving as both a linguistic expert and a cultural ambassador. This role is responsible for ensuring that all our content—from marketing campaigns and product interfaces to legal documents and customer support articles—is not just accurately translated, but also culturally adapted and resonant with local audiences. The specialist champions our brand voice across different languages, maintains linguistic quality standards, and collaborates with cross-functional teams to deliver a seamless and authentic experience for our international users. This position requires a meticulous eye for detail, a deep understanding of linguistic nuances, and a passion for creating connections through language.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Junior Translator / Freelance Translator
  • Bilingual Content Coordinator or Editor
  • Multilingual Customer Support Representative

Advancement To:

  • Senior Translation Specialist / Language Lead
  • Localization Project or Program Manager
  • Terminology Manager / Terminologist

Lateral Moves:

  • Content Strategist (for a specific region)
  • International Marketing Specialist
  • UX Writer (with a focus on global markets)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Perform high-quality translation and transcreation of a wide range of content, including marketing copy, user interface (UI) strings, website content, press releases, and technical documentation, ensuring it aligns with the brand's tone and style.
  • Edit and proofread translated materials generated by fellow linguists or external vendors, providing constructive feedback to ensure consistency and improve overall quality.
  • Conduct thorough linguistic quality assurance (LQA) testing on localized software, websites, and mobile applications to identify and report linguistic bugs, formatting issues, and cultural inconsistencies.
  • Develop, maintain, and evangelize the use of comprehensive style guides, glossaries, and terminology databases (TermBases) for your target language to ensure consistency across all platforms and content types.
  • Act as the primary linguistic point of contact and subject matter expert for a specific language or region, providing cultural and linguistic insights to stakeholders in marketing, product, and engineering.
  • Research and resolve linguistic and cultural queries from internal teams and external partners, ensuring that complex concepts are conveyed accurately and appropriately for the target audience.
  • Adapt content creatively (transcreation) for marketing and advertising campaigns, moving beyond literal translation to ensure the intended message, emotional impact, and call-to-action are effective in the target market.
  • Collaborate closely with Localization Project Managers to understand project requirements, provide accurate time estimates, and consistently meet deadlines for multiple concurrent projects.
  • Review and assess the quality of machine-translated output, performing post-editing (MTPE) to bring the content up to publishable, human-quality standards where appropriate.
  • Participate in the evaluation and onboarding of new freelance translators or language service providers (LSPs), assessing their skills through translation tests and sample reviews.
  • Proactively identify and champion opportunities for process improvements within the localization workflow to increase efficiency, scalability, and quality.
  • Analyze linguistic quality data and key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify trends, report on language quality, and inform strategic decisions for your market.
  • Localize graphical assets containing text, working with design teams to ensure text is correctly placed and visually appealing within the localized design.
  • Ensure all translations adhere to legal, regulatory, and compliance requirements specific to the target country or region.
  • Stay current with linguistic trends, cultural shifts, and evolving idiomatic expressions in your target language to ensure content remains fresh, relevant, and authentic.

Secondary Functions

  • Provide ad-hoc translations for urgent internal communications, social media posts, or customer-facing escalations.
  • Collaborate with the SEO team to research and integrate locally relevant keywords into translated web content to improve organic search performance in target markets.
  • Support user research initiatives by translating surveys and interview scripts and helping to analyze feedback from international users.
  • Participate in product and design reviews to provide early-stage feedback on the global-readiness and localizability of new features and user flows.
  • Contribute to the training and mentoring of junior translators or new team members, sharing best practices and knowledge.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Native-level proficiency in the target language and professional fluency in the source language (typically English), including an exceptional grasp of grammar, syntax, and cultural idioms.
  • Expertise in using Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools such as Trados Studio, MemoQ, Phrase (formerly Memsource), or Wordfast.
  • Proficiency with Terminology Management tools for creating and maintaining glossaries and term bases.
  • Experience with Translation Management Systems (TMS) and understanding of localization workflows.
  • Strong skills in Linguistic Quality Assurance (LQA) methodologies and bug-tracking software like Jira.
  • Knowledge of Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE) principles and best practices.
  • Competence in content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Contentful, or Adobe Experience Manager.

Soft Skills

  • Meticulous Attention to Detail: The ability to spot even the smallest errors in grammar, punctuation, and consistency.
  • Cultural Sensitivity and Nuance: A deep understanding of the target culture to avoid misinterpretations and ensure content is respectful and effective.
  • Excellent Time Management & Organization: Proven ability to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
  • Strong Communication and Collaboration Skills: The ability to articulate linguistic decisions and collaborate effectively with non-linguists, such as project managers, engineers, and designers.
  • Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Skill in researching and resolving complex linguistic and technical challenges independently.
  • Adaptability and Receptiveness to Feedback: A willingness to adapt to evolving style guides and incorporate feedback from reviewers and stakeholders.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s Degree in Translation, Interpretation, Linguistics, or a related discipline.
  • Professional certification from a recognized translation body (e.g., ATA, ITI).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Translation Studies
  • Linguistics or Applied Linguistics
  • Modern Languages & Literature
  • Communications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3-7 years of professional experience in a translation, localization, or transcreation role.

Preferred: Demonstrable experience working within a corporate in-house localization team or for a major Language Service Provider (LSP). A portfolio showcasing experience with specific content types (e.g., UI/UX, marketing, legal, technical) is highly advantageous.

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