Japanese Lead Translator

Key Accountabilities:

Management of Japanese translators (freelancers)

• Plans and assigns the work of the Japanese language translation team based on understanding of workload and team capacity to ensure deadlines and quality standards are met.
• Provides the Japanese language translators with the coaching and development activities necessary to ensure an effective and efficient freelance team and proper execution of activities and plans.

Vendor management

• Ensures availability of a sufficient pool of qualified and trained freelance translation resources to meet the translation needs of the organization in Japanese.
• Oversees the recruitment, training and performance assessment of Japanese resources through testing, feedback and delivering of training sessions (when applicable).
• In collaboration with relevant Publishing and Localization Project Coordinator, assigns Japanese linguists to projects.

Quality assurance asset management

• Oversees the maintenance of thr Japanese house style guide, glossaries, translation memories and term bases, ensuring choices are based on appropriate research and consultation.
• Curates information to be shared through the freelancer portal.

Revision

• Revises the translations of high profile IB texts, especially those of complex or sensitive nature, from external translators, using a suitable level of intervention, to ensure the quality and consistency of Japanese materials.
• Evaluates the performance of freelance translators, providing supporting comments on changes made to the translated text as part of the quality framework.
• Conducts necessary research on meaning and terminology to support revision, including consultation with authors and external experts.
• Assesses degree of urgency of assigned projects to ensure timely delivery.

Translation

• Translates documents and other IB materials into Japanese accurately and faithfully, without additions, omissions or deviations unless agreed with the author, meeting deadlines and quality standards.
• Carries out any research necessary for completing the translation, raising queries with the author or consultants as required.
• Uses support materials such as CAT tools, QA and LQA tools, termbases, glossaries and reference materials effectively.

Proofreading

• Proofreads individual documents to ensure their readiness for publication.

Cultural guidance

• Provides advice and guidance to authors, other IB staff and freelancers as required on matters relating to Japanese house style, grammar, syntax, IB terminology and translation practices and procedures, to ensure quality and consistency in the documents produced by the organization in translation.
• Provides cultural insight to IB staff to ensure the translatability and international mindedness of projects and publications.
• Ensures the delivery of Japanese QA training sessions for freelancers.
• Provides advice on choice of words and cultural practices from a particular area of the world (e.g. Asia, the Americas, Europe).

Knowledge and Experience

• University graduate (Master’s) and qualified translator
• Substantial experience as a translator/reviser
• Proven translation, editing and revision skills
• Excellent command of the Japanese language, as an educated native speaker
• Excellent command of English
• Aware of cultural and linguistic variations

*Shortlisted candidates will be required to complete 2 translation tests as part of the interview process.

Apply on LinkedIn: Japanese Lead Translator | International Baccalaureate | LinkedIn