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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Written Translation Specialist

💰 $48,000 - $95,000

LocalizationTranslationLinguisticsContentLanguage Services

🎯 Role Definition

We are seeking a meticulous Written Translation Specialist who transforms source content into fluent, culturally appropriate target-language copy while preserving meaning, tone, and intent. This role delivers accurate translations for documents, product content, marketing materials, UX/UI strings, legal/medical records, technical manuals, and online assets. The ideal candidate leverages CAT tools, translation memories, glossaries, and QA workflows to ensure consistency and scalability across projects, collaborates with localization and product teams, and drives continuous improvements in terminology, style guides, and translation processes.

Key SEO and LLM keywords: Written Translation Specialist, translation, localization, CAT tools, translation memory, post-editing MT, terminology management, linguistic QA, multilingual content, localization engineer, editing and proofreading.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Junior Translator / Linguist
  • Translation Project Coordinator
  • Bilingual Content Writer / Copywriter

Advancement To:

  • Senior Translator / Lead Linguist
  • Localization Manager / Program Manager
  • Language Team Lead / Head of Localization

Lateral Moves:

  • Localization Engineer
  • Content Strategist for Multilingual Markets
  • QA Linguist / Terminology Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Translate a wide range of written materials (technical manuals, legal contracts, marketing campaigns, website copy, product descriptions, help center articles, UX/UI strings, software strings, and regulatory documents) from source language(s) to target language(s), ensuring accuracy, cultural appropriateness, and correct register and tone for the intended audience.
  • Produce natural, idiomatic target-language copy that preserves the original meaning, style, and intent while optimizing for readability and brand voice; adapt content for local markets when required (transcreation).
  • Perform thorough editing and proofreading of translations (self-edit and peer-edit) to catch grammar, punctuation, style, and consistency issues before delivery; apply style guide rules and client-specific conventions.
  • Conduct post-editing of machine translation output (PEMT) to reach defined quality levels and meet productivity targets while ensuring fluency and correctness.
  • Build, maintain, and optimize translation memories (TMs) and align legacy bilingual content to create and update TMs for consistent reuse and cost efficiency.
  • Create and maintain bilingual and multilingual glossaries and termbases, defining approved translations, usage notes, and contextual examples to enforce consistent terminology across projects.
  • Execute linguistic quality assurance (LQA) checks using automated QA tools and manual review processes to identify and remediate terminology inconsistencies, untranslated segments, formatting errors, and localization issues.
  • Use industry-standard CAT tools (e.g., SDL Trados Studio, memoQ, Memsource/XTM, Smartling, Lokalise) to manage segments, leverage translation memories, and apply terminology lists; set up projects and export/import localized files.
  • Handle a variety of localized file formats (HTML, XML, JSON, XLIFF, .resx, .properties, InDesign files, Microsoft Office documents) while preserving markup, placeholders, and code integrity during translation.
  • Collaborate with product managers, UX designers, engineers, and PMs to clarify content context, resolve ambiguous source text, and ensure proper handling of placeholders, variables, and UI constraints.
  • Convert source content into SEO-optimized localized content where required — adapt keywords, meta descriptions, and on-page copy to target language search intent while retaining natural phrasing.
  • Participate in linguistic reviews and in-country reviews with subject-matter experts and stakeholders to gather feedback and incorporate culturally appropriate adaptations.
  • Support quality measurement and tracking by contributing rated LQA samples, feedback logs, and metrics used to evaluate vendor and in-house translator performance.
  • Provide detailed translation notes and context for translated segments where literal translation would distort meaning or user experience; document localization decisions for future reference.
  • Develop and update language-specific style guides and writing standards, including register, capitalization, punctuation, units, date/time formats, and cultural dos/don’ts.
  • Localize and proofread marketing and creative assets, ensuring that tone, humor, and brand messaging translate effectively and remain persuasive in the target market (transcreation tasks).
  • Manage and prioritize multiple translation tasks and deadlines across projects using project management and collaboration tools; escalate and communicate risks and constraints to project managers.
  • Train and mentor junior translators and reviewers on best practices, CAT tool workflows, and the organization’s style and terminology standards.
  • Coordinate with external vendors and freelance linguists: provide reference materials, style guides, and feedback; perform vendor selection and quality assessments where applicable.
  • Ensure confidentiality and compliance when translating sensitive or regulated content (legal, medical, financial), following data protection and client-specific security protocols.
  • Evaluate and recommend MT engines and workflows for specific content types; tune and test MT systems and custom glossaries to optimize quality and reduce turnaround time.
  • Prepare and deliver polished bilingual or localized deliverables, including QA reports, change logs, and updated TMs/glossaries, ensuring version control and traceability.
  • Resolve post-delivery issues and client queries promptly, perform revisions based on feedback, and document corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

Secondary Functions

  • Contribute to localization process improvements: propose automation, scripting, or engineering solutions (basic localization engineering) to streamline file handling, batch processing, and format conversions.
  • Participate in cross-functional localization planning sessions to estimate effort, recommend localization priorities, and align content release timelines with product roadmaps.
  • Support vendor management activities by evaluating vendor quotes, reviewing samples, and participating in onboarding and qualification of freelance linguists.
  • Assist in localization quality dashboards by providing linguistic input to KPIs (quality scores, on-time delivery, cost-per-word) and recommending corrective measures.
  • Help manage multilingual SEO initiatives through localized keyword research collaboration and integration with marketing teams.
  • Maintain up-to-date awareness of industry trends, CAT tool updates, and MT advancements; recommend adoption of new tools or plugins that increase throughput and quality.
  • Provide ad-hoc language consultancy to internal teams (legal, marketing, product) to ensure translations meet regulatory and brand requirements.
  • Support disaster recovery and continuity planning for translation assets, ensuring backups and secure storage of translation memories and termbases.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficiency with leading CAT tools and localization platforms (SDL Trados Studio, memoQ, Memsource/XTM, Smartling, Lokalise, Wordfast).
  • Hands-on experience with translation memory management, bilingual alignment, and termbase creation (MultiTerm, TBX, Glossary exports).
  • Practical experience with post-editing machine translation (MTPE) workflows, quality thresholds, and productivity optimization for neural MT engines.
  • Familiarity with multilingual file formats and localization engineering basics (XLIFF, HTML, XML, JSON, .resx, .properties, InDesign packaging) and the ability to preserve tags/placeholders during translation.
  • Strong linguistic quality assurance (LQA) skills and experience using QA tools (QA Distiller, Xbench, Verifika, built-in CAT QA).
  • Experience with SEO localization best practices — keyword adaptation, meta tags localization, and transcreation for search intent.
  • Knowledge of localization project workflows and collaboration tools (JIRA, Asana, Trello, Slack, Basecamp) and ability to follow sprint/AGILE release cycles.
  • Ability to create and maintain style guides, glossaries, and client-specific linguistic resources; strong documentation skills.
  • Basic scripting or familiarity with localization automation (regular expressions, Excel macros, or simple Python scripting) is a plus.
  • Domain expertise in at least one specialized field (legal, medical, technical, financial, marketing) with demonstrated experience translating subject-matter content.
  • Experience with quality metrics reporting and vendor performance evaluation; comfortable preparing LQA reports and dashboards.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional attention to detail and strong commitment to linguistic accuracy and cultural appropriateness.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills for collaborating with product, engineering, and client teams, and for writing clear translation notes.
  • Strong time management and prioritization skills; ability to manage multiple projects and meet tight deadlines without sacrificing quality.
  • Cultural sensitivity and awareness of regional nuances to inform localization decisions and transcreation.
  • Problem-solving mindset with the ability to recommend practical localization solutions for ambiguous or poorly written source text.
  • Team player attitude; experience mentoring or training junior linguists and collaborating across distributed teams.
  • Client-focused and service-oriented, with experience managing client expectations and handling feedback constructively.
  • Adaptability to new tools, changing requirements, and evolving MT/CAT ecosystems.
  • Critical thinking and editorial judgment to make appropriate translation choices when direct equivalents do not exist.
  • Confidentiality and integrity in handling sensitive or regulated content.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Translation, Applied Linguistics, Languages, English, Communications, or a related field. Equivalent professional translation experience may be accepted.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Translation, Localization Management, Computational Linguistics, or relevant postgraduate training.
  • Professional certifications such as ATA (American Translators Association), ITI, CIOL, or university translation programs.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Translation Studies / Applied Linguistics
  • Modern Languages and Linguistics
  • Technical Communication / Technical Writing
  • Computer Science (for localization engineering crossover)
  • Marketing / Communications (for transcreation and SEO localization)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–6 years professional translation experience for mid-level roles; 5+ years for senior specialist positions. Entry-level specialist roles may accept 1–2 years with strong CAT tool proficiency.

Preferred:

  • 3+ years translating in the target language for commercial, technical, legal, or medical domains.
  • Proven track record using CAT tools, managing translation memories, and applying QA processes.
  • Experience with machine translation post-editing and implementing MT workflows.
  • Demonstrated experience working with cross-functional teams and delivering multilingual content for web, mobile, and print channels.
  • Portfolio or samples of translated work and references from prior clients or employers.
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