Program Manager (Linguistic Validation)

RWS Group is a global AI solutions company that empowers enterprises to communicate with global audiences through language technology and expert services. The Program Manager (Linguistic Validation) is responsible for implementing account-specific programs, managing project teams, and ensuring client satisfaction while meeting profitability and quality targets. This role requires collaboration with various departments and oversight of project performance, including risk management and process improvement.

Responsibilities:

• Ensures that correct processes, methodologies, and risk assessment are used on all projects
• Using revenue forecasting and sales pipeline data, defines and executes Project Management staffing and cross training plans such that trained resources are available as needed and capacity is efficiently utilized
• Monitors process performance against profitability, on time delivery, and quality targets. Proactively identifies risks to ensure attainment of targets and engages cross functionally to mitigate risks
• Owns the operational component of the client relationship, ensuring that client requirements are captured and upheld. Leads and participates in client meetings, status updates, and Quarterly and other Business Reviews
• Actively manages any reported deficiency in RWS deliverables, ensuring appropriate internal escalation and engagement of Sales, Department Management, and Quality Management
• Ensures timely and professional completion of root cause investigations, resolution, effectiveness verification, and client-facing CAPA reports
• Participates in RFP responses for new opportunities and client-facing bid defence meetings
• Partners with key stakeholders are informed as appropriate regarding critical account activities, potential threats and opportunities and recommends appropriate actions
• Conduct regular performance reviews with direct reports and manage required follow-up. Ensures proper employee retention
• Builds, mentors, and manages the Project Management team to ensure each account is appropriately staffed based on volume and complexity
• Monitoring, mentoring and motivation of Project Management team members, including ensuring appropriate training and development, and succession planning
• Owns onboarding and mentoring of team members
• Contribute to team development activities and foster a positive, collaborative culture
• Motivate and support extended project teams, coordinating tasks effectively and escalating resource or quality issues promptly
• Collaborate with internal teams cross-functionally, and senior management to resolve problems and deliver high-quality outcomes
• Participate in initiatives to improve processes, and business strategies
• Closely monitor project financials, ensuring adherence to budgets and profitability targets. Participate in revenue forecasting and lead revenue recognition activities for the assigned portfolio
• Identify opportunities for account growth and contribute to proposals that support revenue expansion
• Escalate risks or issues that may impact commercial outcomes and client retention
• Ensure all work aligns with client requirements and commercial expectations
• Adhere to RWS project processes and procedures
• Apply best methodologies for strategic project planning to include high level of understanding of key stakeholders, decision making authority, clarity of message, and proper client facing communication
• Identify and lead process improvement opportunities, ensuring continuous improvement and operational excellence
• Maintain consistency and quality across all deliverables
• Responsible client KPI data collection and reporting
• Take ownership of personal development by seeking feedback and learning opportunities
• Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, and commitment to client satisfaction and team success

Requirements:

• The Program Manager is responsible for the implementation of account-specific programs (workflows, technology, project management, vendors) to achieve set targets for profitability, client satisfaction, on time delivery, and quality
• The Program Manager builds and manages the Project Management team(s) and serves as the main point of escalation for account-related issues
• The Program Manager oversees the execution of each account-specific program, monitors performance against targets, and ensures appropriate real-time interventions required to achieve targets
• This position actively partners with Sales, Account Management, Technical Services, Vendor Management, Quality Management, and other support departments to achieve revenue and profitability targets
• The Program Manager has team management responsibilities and direct reports
• Ensures that correct processes, methodologies, and risk assessment are used on all projects
• Using revenue forecasting and sales pipeline data, defines and executes Project Management staffing and cross training plans such that trained resources are available as needed and capacity is efficiently utilized
• Monitors process performance against profitability, on time delivery, and quality targets
• Proactively identifies risks to ensure attainment of targets and engages cross functionally to mitigate risks
• Owns the operational component of the client relationship, ensuring that client requirements are captured and upheld
• Leads and participates in client meetings, status updates, and Quarterly and other Business Reviews
• Actively manages any reported deficiency in RWS deliverables, ensuring appropriate internal escalation and engagement of Sales, Department Management, and Quality Management
• Ensures timely and professional completion of root cause investigations, resolution, effectiveness verification, and client-facing CAPA reports
• Participates in RFP responses for new opportunities and client-facing bid defence meetings
• Partners with key stakeholders are informed as appropriate regarding critical account activities, potential threats and opportunities and recommends appropriate actions
• Conduct regular performance reviews with direct reports and manage required follow-up
• Ensures proper employee retention
• Builds, mentors, and manages the Project Management team to ensure each account is appropriately staffed based on volume and complexity
• Monitoring, mentoring and motivation of Project Management team members, including ensuring appropriate training and development, and succession planning
• Owns onboarding and mentoring of team members
• Contribute to team development activities and foster a positive, collaborative culture
• Motivate and support extended project teams, coordinating tasks effectively and escalating resource or quality issues promptly
• Collaborate with internal teams cross-functionally, and senior management to resolve problems and deliver high-quality outcomes
• Participate in initiatives to improve processes, and business strategies
• Closely monitor project financials, ensuring adherence to budgets and profitability targets
• Participate in revenue forecasting and lead revenue recognition activities for the assigned portfolio
• Identify opportunities for account growth and contribute to proposals that support revenue expansion
• Escalate risks or issues that may impact commercial outcomes and client retention
• Ensure all work aligns with client requirements and commercial expectations
• Adhere to RWS project processes and procedures
• Apply best methodologies for strategic project planning to include high level of understanding of key stakeholders, decision making authority, clarity of message, and proper client facing communication
• Identify and lead process improvement opportunities, ensuring continuous improvement and operational excellence
• Maintain consistency and quality across all deliverables
• Responsible client KPI data collection and reporting
• Take ownership of personal development by seeking feedback and learning opportunities
• Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, and commitment to client satisfaction and team success
• Provide leadership for employees and provide clear direction, while meeting goals and objectives in a respectful manner
• Ability to make decisions and lead employees through job-related issues
• Strong documentation skills and knowledge base maintenance
• Demonstrates a developing awareness of commercial priorities and supports accurate task completion and reporting
• Familiar with digital tools such as Microsoft Office and enterprise platforms, with a proactive attitude toward learning new systems and service models
• Understands budget principles and supports cost-conscious approaches to task delivery
• Clear and professional communication skills with colleagues, clients, and internal stakeholders
• Strong project analysis skills and ability to apply measurable metrics and KPIs
• Strong business acumen with the ability to build credibility and comfortably interact with clients
• Demonstrates a solutions-oriented mindset, proactively identifying and resolving challenges
• Able to identify routine delivery challenges and suggest practical improvements
• Supports cross-functional tasks to help maintain delivery alignment and stakeholder satisfaction
• Demonstrates planning and organisational skills that contribute to team efficiency
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present information clearly
• Applies a practical approach to problem-solving with a focus on consistency and quality
• Experience working in a structured, deadline-driven environment with multiple tasks or projects
• Experience with communication, training and leading of employees through changes in procedures, client requirements, and other production processing issues
• Experience working in a Project and/or Program Management role or similar, with proven experience in client management, and team leadership
• Fostering team collaboration and inclusivity, with emerging confidence in supporting others
• Participates in procedural and operational change management through engagement and feedback
• Models adaptability and resilience, encouraging teams to embrace new tools, processes and ways of working
• Proactively identifies opportunities to improve team performance and service outcomes
• Demonstrates professionalism, integrity, and accountability in all work activities
• Demonstrates and reinforces expected values and behaviours through actions, setting the standard for how the team collaborates, communicates, and delivers
• Forward thinking, proactive, and solutions-oriented
• Shares knowledge and supports the development of others through collaboration and communication
• Confident in working with colleagues across departments
• Able to meet deadlines and work under pressure
• Four-year college/university degree in Business, Linguistics, Social or Applied Sciences, or other related field. Masters or MBA a plus
• More than five years demonstrated experience coordinating complex projects within the localization or translation industry. Experience in Life Sciences or Linguistic Validation is strongly desired
• Successful customer service/account management experience, generally a minimum of six years, including at least five years' experience within the translation industry
• Demonstrated successful leadership or mentoring experience, minimum of four years
• Advanced computing skills, including experience with translation management systems, CAT tools and AI-assisted productivity tools
• PMP Certification a plus
• Verbal and written fluency in at least one foreign language a plus