Director of Localization Dept.

Job Description

We’re hiring an experienced Localization Department Director to manage our in-house Localization team at Tapas’ Los Angeles HQ (remotely for now). As the Localization Department Director, you'll review the department’s workflows and processes to expand our production capacity, mentor the team, and sometimes pitch in with special projects in a hands-on capacity. Our ideal candidate will understand the nuances of high-volume content lifecycle management. We localize licensed webcomics from Korean and Chinese publishers into English.

What you'll do:

• Set strategic and operational plans for the Localization department to deliver business objectives of cost, quality, and time KPIs with laser-sharp focus
• Streamline processes, reduce waste, and ensure the team manages time and budget, in ways that yield the best return to scale
• Establish and track company OKRs to upgrade our project management and file management systems, and take ownership of overall metrics around production deliverables, vendor management, and special projects
• Lead and mentor our small in-house Localization team, including a Localization Manager, translators, typesetters and quality control editors
• Juggle multiple priorities for cross-department projects, while ensuring the team consistently meets deadlines, and other deliverables

You should:

• Have Localization experience at a digital media company, big picture vision, and topnotch project management and people management skills
• Possess humility and a solution-oriented mindset to help your team get work across the finish line—start-up mentality is a must!
• Provide constructive criticism and thoughtful feedback to your direct reports on a regular basis and be open to receiving feedback as well
• Have a big-picture awareness of how Localization fits into the larger organization and team structure and a passion for raising the visibility of the department
• Understand the challenges of managing a globally distributed freelancer team while maintaining cohesive company culture

What we’re looking for:

• 7+ years of progressive specialized localization experience
• Prior experience in digital media or publishing preferred
• Proven people management experience
• Cross-team experience representing Localization in inter-departmental meetings and proactively pitching new ideas to propel the company forward
• Project management finesse and the ability to evaluate and iterate on current workflows and methodologies for a growing production slate
• Proficiency with Basecamp or similar project management software, Google Suite, Adobe, Slack, CMS
• Familiarity with Brand Safety standards, including trademarks, copyrights, etc.
• Professional background or personal passion for webcomics, manga, manhwa, and novels is a big plus

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-gm1k03-3-12-41-106-42 in your application.