Localization Vendor Manager

Shopify’s mission is to make commerce better for everyone. From building a new product feature for our commerce platform, to helping a merchant troubleshoot an issue over the phone, we want to empower our ecosystem through our work.

Having a unified vision, a north star, is vitally important to ensure that we are all headed in the same direction. No matter the size or experience, we want to power every merchant’s experience. This is why we’re all here.

Shopify is now permanently remote, and we’re working towards a future that is digital by design. That location you see above? Consider it merely an example of hundreds of potential locations across North America where Shopify is hiring. Learn more here: https://www.shopify.com/careers/work-anywhere

The Intl. Content & Localization team is responsible for translation and cultural adaptation of most things Shopify creates on the Marketing side, from beautiful landing pages to marketing campaigns and videos. We treat each country we enter differently since it is not just about translation, it is about providing our audience with an experience that feels local, and we do it at scale.

Our team is looking for an experienced Localization Vendor Manager to manage the relationship with all localization vendors and freelancers as it scales. 

As a Localization Vendor Manager, you will be actively recruiting freelance translators, trans-creators, content writers, copywriters, voice-over talents, subject matter experts, or any other providers of translation and localization services.

You will design and implement procedures to ensure that our providers are competent, continuously maintain and improve their quality, and offer us the best rate. The procedures include onboarding forms, testing, job feedback, training seminars, provider rankings, and service-level agreements.

As a Vendor Manager, you own the overall relationship with our localization vendors/freelancers and maintain regular dialogue on all business and logistical elements of the relationship, including performance criteria such as quality, delivery, and cost. 

You will work with the leadership within the group to ensure that their business requirements are codified in vendor contracts. Your role is to ensure that any outsourced localization work supports the success of the overall team.

If you enjoy facilitating the working relationship between in-house employees and external partners, this role is for you. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Define appropriate test procedures for resource qualification, handle test translations, and other work samples; develop standards and guidelines for vendors/freelancers when/where needed
• Help identify, sign, and on-board new vendors/freelancers to build a strong and scalable vendor network, based on production needs 
• Anticipate and plan resource demand
• Active management of supplier database; compile and maintain vendor data and work documents
• Liaise with accounts department on invoicing and payment status
• Evaluate and track vendor performance 
• Act as an escalation point for vendors
• Negotiate contracts and rates with all vendors handling marketing localization at Shopify
• Own the overall vendor strategy for Shopify translation and localization in collaboration with your team’s leadership
• Drive and track vendor performance through data and metrics; use data to identify trends, opportunities and risks and translate those insights into actions to drive long-term growth
• Forecast and manage vendor spend through product allocation and other financial and analytical approaches
• As required, participates in all phases of specific projects. Identifies, assesses, and manages risks to the success of the projects and global initiatives
• Cultivates relationships with vendors, freelancers and cross-functional partners

• Substantial vendor management experience, ideally on the client side 
• Experience in the localization or internationalization industry; demonstrated knowledge of internationalization and localization standards and best practices
• Strong knowledge of the localization vendor landscape with experience on the localization vendor side
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills - this is a must
• Must be able to travel globally on occasion
• Experience negotiating, writing and enacting contracts (from RFP to signature), working closely with internal and vendor Legal teams and Procurement
• Experience working with multiple vendors concurrently
• High sense of urgency 
• Experience in negotiating and persuasion
• Strong interpersonal skills, gracious under pressure and with difficult personalities
• Highly adaptable and agile in a fast-paced hyper-growth environment; able to thrive within ambiguity and to effectively time manage under pressure
• Comfortable and capable of working in a global organization across multiple timezones with scaled localization programs across various regions and locales while leading as an individual contributor
• Self-starter that is capable of independently pushing projects to completion with minimal supervision but as part of a team
• A second language is a plus but not required
• Memsource, Smartling and/or TMS equivalent experience as well as Coupa, Jira, Slack, Zapier experience is a plus

At Shopify, we are committed to building and fostering an environment where our employees feel included, valued, and heard. Our belief is that a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion enables us to truly make commerce better for everyone. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, people from gender and sexually diverse communities and/or people with intersectional identities. Please take a look at our 2020 Sustainability Report to learn more about Shopify's commitments.