Project Manager, Gaming Localization Production

This role at LILT calls for a seasoned Project Manager to steer the operational execution of a significant localisation initiative for a major international gaming publisher. The scope is broad, encompassing the localisation of content across numerous game titles, diverse platforms, and a multitude of languages. This involves not only in-game text but also marketing materials, user acquisition content, cinematics, trailers, and supporting print and digital collateral. The successful candidate will serve as a crucial operational liaison, orchestrating the efforts of linguists, desktop publishing specialists, video experts, and internal teams to ensure the timely delivery of localised assets, particularly for critical release deadlines.

This is a hands-on, delivery-focused position ideal for an individual with prior experience managing localisation programmes specifically for a game publisher. You should be comfortable taking ownership of intricate, multi-faceted project schedules that operate under intense time pressures.

Your responsibilities will span the entire lifecycle of localisation projects, from the initial stages of quoting and defining project scope through to scheduling, resource allocation, and meticulous budget tracking. This culminates in the final delivery of localised content and subsequent invoicing. The role demands managing various localisation workstreams concurrently, ensuring that transcreation and marketing content accurately reflect the original intent, tone, and cultural nuances for user acquisition campaigns, marketing efforts, and in-game copy.

A significant part of the role involves coordinating the localisation of video assets, including trailers and cinematics. This includes managing subtitling, voice-over production (both AI-driven and human), and the technical aspects of video rendering, editing, and final quality control. You will also oversee desktop publishing (DTP) workflows for localised packaging, manuals, and marketing materials, collaborating with DTP specialists to maintain design integrity across different languages.

Ensuring linguistic and mechanical quality is paramount. This involves conducting thorough quality assurance checks on all projects, diligently tracking any issues to resolution, and using recurring themes to refine style guides, glossaries, and the onboarding process for linguists.

As the primary day-to-day contact for delivery-related matters, you'll manage a smooth workflow from initial quoting, through local market review stages, to project completion. This includes proactively identifying and flagging risks, and conducting regular status updates and retrospective meetings. Building strong relationships with the client and driving overall customer satisfaction will be key objectives, particularly when managing high-volume, high-stakes workstreams.

You will be responsible for constructing and maintaining detailed project schedules and resourcing plans, likely utilising tools such as Workfront, Google Sheets, and JIRA. Managing content intake, review cycles, and publishing workflows in alignment with the client's content and web teams is also a core function. Furthermore, you'll leverage LILT's proprietary AI localisation tools and contribute to the maintenance and growth of customer-specific translation memories and termbases to ensure consistency and efficiency across projects. Supporting vendor management, which includes onboarding and evaluating linguists and other specialist vendors for the account, will also be part of your remit. Finally, you will collaborate with and support other project managers on the account, sharing best practices in production workflows and quality standards.

What They're Looking For

The ideal candidate will possess demonstrable experience as a project manager within the localisation industry, with a specific track record of delivering programmes for gaming clients or publishers. You should have practical, hands-on experience managing multiple, concurrent localisation workstreams, including transcreation, subtitling, DTP, video rendering/editing, and linguistic/mechanical quality assurance, across various languages.

A strong understanding of content management systems like AEM, along with project management and issue-tracking tools such as Workfront and JIRA (or comparable alternatives), is essential. Experience with AI-powered localisation tools and familiarity with translation memory and terminology management systems are also required. Proficiency in Google Workspace, including Docs, Sheets, and Slides, for reporting, tracking, and client-facing documentation is expected.

The ability to effectively manage high-volume, high-stakes client accounts, coupled with excellent stakeholder management skills across internal teams, external linguists, and client contacts, is crucial. Comfort with budget tracking and vendor/linguist management as part of daily delivery tasks is a must. You should possess robust organisational skills and be adept at handling multiple concurrent workstreams with tight deadlines. Clear, confident written and verbal communication in English is a fundamental requirement for this role.

In South Africa, project management roles in the localisation industry can vary significantly in remuneration based on experience, specific skills, and the scale of the projects managed. For a role with this level of responsibility, particularly with a focus on the gaming sector, one might expect a competitive salary package. Common employers in this space range from specialised localisation service providers to large technology and media companies with global operations. Career progression often involves moving into senior project management, programme management, or even client-facing account management roles, with opportunities to specialise in particular industries or technologies.

• Proven experience as a project manager in the localization industry, with direct experience delivering programs for a game publisher or games customer.
• Hands-on experience managing transcreation, subtitling, DTP, video rendering/editing and linguistic/mechanical QC workflows concurrently across multiple languages.
• Strong working knowledge of AEM, Workfront and Jira (or directly comparable content, work-management and issue-tracking tools).
• Practical experience with AI localization tools and translation memory / terminology management.
• Confident user of Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides) for reporting, tracking and customer-facing documentation.
• Experience managing high-volume, high-stakes customer accounts, with excellent stakeholder management across internal teams, linguists and customer contacts.
• Comfort with budget tracking and vendor/linguist management as part of day-to-day delivery.
• Strong organizational skills and comfort managing multiple concurrent, deadline-driven workstreams.
• Clear, confident written and verbal communication in English.