Localization Manager

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Localization Manager to lead an enterprise translation and localization program supporting Commercial, Medical, and Government Affairs teams within a pharmaceutical environment. This individual will own the localization process end-to-end, including translation workflows, vendor management, quality oversight, documentation, budget management, process improvements, and technology enablement.

Responsibilities

• Translation & Localization Program Management: Own the localization lifecycle from intake and scoping through final delivery and quality control. Manage multilingual content across digital, print, web, social, email, campaigns, and other enterprise content. Ensure translation workflows are efficient, scalable, documented, and compliant.
• Vendor Management: Manage relationships with Language Service Providers and external translation vendors. Monitor vendor performance, quality, timelines, and SLAs. Resolve vendor performance issues and implement corrective actions when deadlines or quality standards are not met. Conduct vendor evaluations and support contract and budget management.
• Process Improvement: Identify gaps and inefficiencies within existing translation workflows. Implement process enhancements that improve quality, speed, consistency, and cost efficiency. Develop documentation, best practices, and standardized operating procedures.
• Quality & Linguistic Asset Management: Establish and maintain translation quality frameworks. Manage linguistic assets, terminology, translation memories, and termbases. Ensure translated content meets quality, brand, and regulatory requirements.
• Technology & Innovation: Partner with technology and product teams to improve localization workflows. Evaluate and implement translation technology and automation. Support the evolution of AI-assisted and machine translation capabilities while maintaining appropriate human review and quality controls.
• Budget & Program Governance: Support program budgeting and financial oversight. Track KPIs related to translation quality, cost, turnaround time, vendor performance, and overall program health. Provide reporting and recommendations to leadership.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Marketing, Medical Affairs, Government Affairs, Legal/Regulatory teams, and external agencies. Support localization requirements for product launches and ongoing pharmaceutical content.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Linguistics, Translation/Localization, Communications, Marketing, or equivalent professional experience.
• 8+ years of enterprise localization/translation program management experience.
• Strong understanding of translation workflows, localization operations, and quality management.
• Experience with enterprise Translation Management Systems (TMS) and localization technologies.
• Experience managing translation vendors / LSPs.
• Demonstrated leadership and process improvement experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in complex, ambiguous environments.

Qualifications

• Preferred: Pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, or other highly regulated industry experience.
• Preferred: Experience working under FDA/regulatory requirements.
• Preferred: Experience with Veeva.
• Preferred: Experience with Jira and/or Workfront.
• Preferred: Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud, including InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop.
• Preferred: Multimedia localization experience, including video subtitling and voiceover.
• Preferred: Experience with AI/ML, machine translation, or LLM-assisted translation workflows.
• Preferred: Experience building a Localization Center of Excellence.
• Preferred: Professional Spanish proficiency or experience with US Spanish localization.
• Preferred: Multilingual experience.

Skills

• Strong enterprise translation/localization program management experience
• Understanding of the translation process from end to end
• Translation process expertise
• Vendor / Language Service Provider management
• Leadership experience at a team-lead/program-lead level
• Ability to work with translation technology (CAT tools, localization file formats, TMS)
• Strong communication and stakeholder management
• Ability to support Pacific Time hours

Pay

$35–56/hr

Schedule

100% Remote (PST hours)