Localisation Lead

About Us: At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core. And innovation is everywhere. But our company is more than datasets, lines of code or A/B tests. We’re the thrill of the first night in a new place. The excitement of the next morning. The friends you encounter. The journeys you take. The sights you see. And the memories you make. Through our products, partners and people, we make it easier for everyone to experience the world. Role Overview: The Localisation Lead is responsible for production, delivery and quality of localisation for their market and ensures all localisation requirements are delivered on time, within budget and in line with local market needs. They help ensure that our platform and channels are culturally resonant, brand-aligned and market-optimized. In this role, the Localisation Lead oversees the quality of their language for all streams of localisation, working closely with the central Quality Team. They will monitor and optimise language quality, and identify and escalate systemic issues affecting quality. They will also oversee product testing for their market conducted by third party vendors. The Localisation Lead acts as the ambassador for localisation in the market(s), proactively building relationships with key stakeholders. They will also look for opportunities for market-specific localisation strategy - as well as informing central localisation strategy - to deliver a more locally-relevant and customer-centric experience. Key Job Responsibilities and Duties: Delivery: Ensure on-time delivery of localisation work for their language(s)/market(s)Quality Monitoring: Monitor quality of localized content for their market, provide feedback to quality vendors, address issues with translation vendors, take a lead role in arbitrations, and escalate recurring issues to the central Quality Team as required; Quality Monitoring: Oversee localisation product testing for their market; Manage localisation assets (Localisation Style Guides, Glossaries, Translation Memories); Vendor Management: Assess and onboard new vendors; Build and foster rapport with vendor linguists; Localisation services: Provide urgent ad-hoc marketing translations as required; Provide consultation on selected localisation services such as transcreation, voice-over, post-editing, etc.; Strategy: Provide local market perspective to inform central localisation strategy as required; Identify localisation opportunities in customer journey to enhance international customer experience for their market; Be ambassador for localisation and establish relationships with key localisation stakeholders in the market; Provide cultural, linguistic, and market consultation to the business as required; Facilitate research, experimentation, and A/B testing as required. Qualifications & Skills: 5+ years experience in a similar localisation role in the online space In order to manage the Japanese asset, full business/native proficiency in Japanese is a must, along with business fluency in English due to work with international stakeholders from different markets Proven experience in translation, localisation and language quality management; Experience managing linguistic teams and/or multiple Language Service Providers; Deep understanding of the end-to-end localisation processes; Good knowledge of localisation technology, incl. CATs, TMSs, MT and post-editing Good understanding of internationalization with experience in product testing and bug reporting Experience in creative writing, media or online marketing industry a plus Excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills with ability to influence diverse stakeholders across business and leadership levels. Manage relationships with global vendors to ensure seamless collaboration and high-quality service delivery. Proficiency in Japanese is required to effectively oversee quality standards and support localisation initiatives for the Japanese market. Benefits & Perks - Global Impact, Personal Relevance: Booking.com’s Total Rewards Philosophy is not only about compensation but also about benefits. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, as well unique-to-Booking.com benefits which include: Annual paid time off and generous paid leave scheme including: parent, grandparent, bereavement, and care leave Hybrid working including flexible working arrangements, and up to 20 days per year working from abroad (home country)Industry leading product discounts - up to 1400 per year - for yourself, including automatic Genius Level 3 status and Booking.com wallet credit Inclusion at Booking.com: Take it from our Chief People Officer, Paulo Pisano: “At Booking.com, the diversity of our people doesn’t just create a unique workplace, it also creates a better and more inclusive travel experience for everyone. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. It’s a place where you can make your mark and have a real impact in travel and tech.”Booking.com is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We strive to move well beyond traditional equal opportunity and work to create an environment that allows everyone to thrive. #J-18808-Ljbffr