Job Description Linguistic Validation (LV) Project Planning Client Team Lead

Primary Purpose Under the general supervision of the LV Project Planning Supervisor or Department Manager, the LV Project Planning Client Team Lead is a key member of the Project Planning team and serves as a primary client contact and first-level escalation point to client team members.

The role oversees day-to-day project activities within a team and ensures that production and project objectives are met including budgetary and KPI requirements. The position analyzes trends and regularly meets with teams to discuss open and emerging business issues for assigned accounts. Utilizing problem solving abilities, the LV Project Planning Client Team Lead uncovers problems with systems, identifies areas for development, and makes recommendations for solutions.

The role leads or actively contributes to special projects including implementing client-focused process improvements and liaises with the Account Management team to target specific areas for business growth within existing client relationships; assisting the team in achieving those goals where applicable. The LV Project Planning Client Team Lead serves in a production capacity by providing clients with accurate and timely cost estimates (quotes) and processing jobs of varying complexity submitted for LV translation projects based upon customer needs and company/translator production capabilities. The position routinely and effectively manages multiple complex projects simultaneously and independently.

The LV Project Planning Client Team Lead has team management responsibilities including project assignment, monitoring, and re-assignment as needed, effectively coordinating team projects or department work groups, and mentoring staff. The role assists the Supervisor and/or Manager of the Project Planning Department in administering the department’s functions and operations including ensuring all client projects are completed in an efficient, accurate, and timely manner within budget and transmitted to clients as required.

Essential Functions Client service

• Communicates directly with assigned clients and builds collaborative relationships, identifies areas for improvement in current processes, and implements solutions that result in measurable efficiencies and quality improvements.

• Actively participates in client-facing meetings to ensure clients are kept informed regarding the status of projects and updated on the progress of process-improvement initiatives. Ensures client needs are addressed and issues are resolved.

• Analyzes trends and proposes, develops, implements and documents client-focused process improvement projects and/or action plans.

• Serves as first-level escalation point for Project Planners assigned to the client team, and provides guidance in resolving issues and escalating when appropriate.

• Independently troubleshoots and problem-solves issues, and determines best course of action for timely, effective and accurate resolution. Effectively performs root cause analysis. Project planning

• Communicates with clients to obtain specifications and other information to provide accurate and timely quotes, to ensure their needs are met and issues are resolved, to describe company products and services, and to maintain and expand customer base.

• Researches prior translation projects, questionnaires, and other project documentation to determine whether incoming project is the same or similar, avoid duplication, and provide archive discount.

• Prepares quotations and processes jobs of varying degrees of complexity, type and size in accordance with client specifications through word counts, estimating necessary formatting and translator time, and related project considerations, and generates on spreadsheet according to standard procedures.

• Provides follow through consultation with clients on changes to projects, priorities, and other updates.

• Coordinates with colleagues on the client team and in other departments for the purpose of ensuring efficient workflow and to ensure cost and time estimates are accurate and within company capabilities based upon available resources, and that orders are processed according to client requests.

• Maintains up-to-date information in charts, spreadsheets, logs, and company database(s) as needed to ensure ongoing logs needed for future reference and retrieval.

• Coordinates with the Finance Department to ensure timely and accurate processing of invoices and payments for projects.

• Transfers project files within company electronic filing system to facilitate processing.

• Generates project file folders (specification sheet, purchase order, other related documentation), and makes files available to Technical Services in a timely manner.

• Recommends policies, procedures and/or actions for the purpose of improving efficiency and product quality, and for providing direction for meeting the company's project management objectives.

• Understands and adheres to company Quality Management System (QMS) requirements. Assists with root cause analysis. Resource coordination

• Works closely with Vendor Management on resource needs and planning. • Effectively manages unpredictable situations. Teamwork

• Assists in scheduling and assigning work within the team, setting work methods and performance standards. Modifies work assignments according to complexity and staff availability as necessary to meet the department’s objectives.

• Assists in evaluation of team members in a timely and professional manner for the purpose of ensuring their department and individual performance objectives are met.

• Receives, reviews and responds to questions from Project Planning staff for the purposes of employee development and resolving issues and implementing corrective measures as necessary to ensure proper workflow and client satisfaction, escalating as necessary to the department Supervisor and/or Manager.

• Coaches, develops and mentors staff.

• May participate in the selection process of new employees. Additional Duties

• Performs other related duties, as assigned, for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the Project Planning Department or other company goals and objectives.

 

Equipment

• Uses standard office equipment such as personal computer, scanner, copier, and telephone/headset.

Work Schedules

• Twelve months per year, standard work schedule as needed to successfully meet individual and department goals and objectives, and meet employee and client needs, including a reasonable amount of additional hours as necessary. Hours of work may include nights and weekends as needed.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to provide leadership for employees and clear direction, goals and objectives in a respectful manner.

• Ability to communicate and lead others through changes in procedures, client requirements and other operational issues.

• Ability to make decision and lead employees through problems on job-related issues.

• Strong organizational skills in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

• Ability to prioritize and coordinate competing work demands, and maintain composure under pressure.

• Fluent communication skills of written and verbal English.

• Ability to report work orally and in writing as required.

• Ability to carry out instructions furnished in written or oral form.

• Ability to understand, apply and use personal computers and software applications (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat, CAT tools, Office 365/Skype, CRM /other production software).

• A team player who can collaborate effectively with a diverse group of individuals.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality of information regarding company financial and other information.

• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.

• Ability to resolve customer service issues in a professional and efficient manner.

• Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment in relation to performance of work responsibilities, working with minimal supervision.

• Ability to resolve customer service and production issues in a professional and efficient manner.

• Quality focus and detail oriented. 

• Ability to complete root cause analysis.

• Familiarity with and understanding of inter-departmental functions. Physical and Mental Demands, Work Hazards Works in standard office building environment. See the Summary of Physical, Sensory and Environmental Requirements Needed to Perform Essential Job Duties for this position.

Qualification Profile

Any combination of education and experience providing the required skill and knowledge for successful performance would be qualifying.

Typical qualifications would be equivalent to: • Four-year college degree or equivalent in Business, English, Foreign Language, Sales/Marketing, Social or Applied Science, or other related field.

• Minimum four years successful project planning experience within the translation/localization industry, with preference for background working with linguistic validation projects.

• Successful customer service/account management experience, generally a minimum of four years, including at least three years’ experience within the translation industry.

• Successful leadership or mentoring experience. Prior supervisory experience preferred.

• PMP Certification a plus.

• Multi-language reading comprehension and written proficiency a plus.