Localization Manager - Spanish

Do you believe language can shape trust and global impact? Can you balance hands‑on linguistic expertise with program‑level accountability? Are you ready to lead complex, multi‑language initiatives that connect CFA Institute with professionals worldwide?

The Localization Manager is responsible for the end‑to‑end delivery, quality, and continuous improvement of localization programs supporting CFA Institute products and services. This role combines linguistic expertise with program management, ensuring that localized content is accurate, timely, and aligned with CFA Institute standards and regional requirements. Acting as a subject matter expert in workflows, tooling, and linguistic quality, the Localization Manager translates business needs into scalable solutions and drives operational excellence across the localization lifecycle.

This position is based in the UK and reports to the Director, Localization Management.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Localization Program Delivery
  • Own end-to-end delivery and content quality of localization projects across products, languages, and releases.
  • Ensure alignment with key stakeholders on scope, timelines, and resource requirements in alignment with business priorities across assigned projects.
  • Manage the full localization project lifecycle, from requirements intake through final delivery and validation.
  • Ensure localized content meets quality, regulatory, and market-specific requirements.
  • Monitor delivery performance against timelines, quality benchmarks, and cost considerations.
• Requirements & Process Optimization
  • Elicit, document, and manage localization requirements across stakeholders and project phases.
  • Analyze current (“as-is”) workflows and design improved (“to-be”) processes to increase efficiency and scalability.
  • Establish and maintain standardized workflows, documentation, and governance practices.
  • Ensure strong version control, traceability, and auditability across content and releases.
• Localization Tooling & Technology Collaboration
  • Facilitate cross-teams coordination in the management of the localization platform (Phrase).
  • Design and maintain segmentation rules, filters, and automation to maximize translation memory leverage.
  • Evaluate and optimize machine translation (MT) usage, including configuration and performance assessment.
  • Partner with technology teams to support system integrations and workflow enhancements.
• Language Review Ownership
  • Perform hands-on linguistic review within Phrase and during LQA of all localized content (e.g., Chinese or Spanish Latin America) for accuracy, consistency, and fitness for purpose.
  • Govern translation memories, glossaries, and termbases to ensure consistency and reuse.
  • Execute QA processes, interpret results, and implement corrective actions with a focus on root-cause resolution.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert for linguistic quality and localization standards.
• Vendor & Stakeholder Collaboration
  • Collaborate with external language service providers to ensure quality and adherence to standards.
  • Coordinate with internal stakeholders (product, SMEs, content, technology) to align delivery plans and priorities.
  • Provide clear guidance, feedback, and issue resolution to maintain delivery quality and timelines.
  • Build effective working relationships to support seamless localization execution.
  • Monitor and manage vendor performance against quality, cost and SLA commitments.
  • Drive continuous improvement through structured vendor feedback and performance tracking.
• Project Cost Governance & Compliance
  • Ensure transparency and control of localisation costs, including oversight of word counts, translation memory (TM) analysis, discount application and invoicing across assigned projects.
  • Validate that negotiated pricing and savings are consistently applied and auditable across vendor delivery.
  • Ensure adherence to agreed standards for financial reporting, cost tracking and financial governance.
  • Identify and mitigate risks across localisation delivery, quality, timelines and compliance.
• Content Security & Data Management
  • Ensure all content submitted to the language vendor is processed through approved, secure platforms and workflows.
  • Ensure strict controls are being adhered to by the language vendor in prohibiting the use of public AI tools, public MT engines, personal accounts or unmanaged environments.
  • Ensure cross-functional alignment to maintain compliant, secure and auditable localisation operations.
• Performance & Continuous Improvement
  • Track and report on localization metrics (quality, turnaround time, efficiency).
  • Analyze trends and identify opportunities for process, tooling, and quality improvements.
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives, including automation and AI-enabled localization practices.
  • Contribute to the evolution of localization best practices and standards within CFA Institute.
  • Work in partnership with delivery teams and champion localization requirements to be considered early in content creation, product design and release planning.
  • Provide market specific research and recommendations related to product market readiness specific to your main market (China or Spanish Latin America).

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 4–6+ years of experience in localization, translation, or project/program delivery.
• Native-level fluency in Spanish (Latin America) is necessary, with demonstrable professional translation, review and LQA experience.
• Proven experience translating and reviewing documentation, ideally in the financial, educational or regulated content domains.
• Proven experience creating, maintaining and governing glossaries, termbases and translation memories.
• Proven expertise in CAT tools file engineering and segmentation strategy, including creation and maintenance of complex segmentation rules, regex and filters (ideally within MemoQ, or Trados or Phrase).
• Experience working in complex, multi-stakeholder environments; education, credentialing, or regulated industries preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing localization projects end-to-end.
• Demonstrated expertise in localization tools and workflows (Phrase, MemoQ, Trados, XTM or similar).
• Strong knowledge of translation memory management, terminology governance, and linguistic QA.
• Practical understanding of machine translation and AI-assisted localization.
• Experience in requirements gathering, process mapping, and workflow optimization.
• Ability to analyze data and apply insights to improve outcomes.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees, including health coverage, generous time off, competitive retirement plans, flexible work options, and wellbeing and development programs.

About CFA Institute: CFA Institute is the global leader in investment excellence and ethics. With nearly 200,000 charterholders across 160 markets, we promote professional growth, uphold ethical standards, and help advance better financial markets. Join a global organization committed to putting investors first.