Director of Talent Acquisition

Summary

Join LILT as their Director of Talent and spearhead the evolution and strategic growth of global talent initiatives. As a pivotal member of the leadership team, you will build and implement a transformative expert acquisition strategy. This vital role focuses on strategically scaling LILT’s global expert base, particularly for multilingual AI data solutions, ensuring access to proficient domain experts. You will develop and implement innovative talent strategies to guarantee superior service quality and sufficient resources for continued growth. Close collaboration with cross-functional teams is crucial to align talent management initiatives with business goals. The position requires managing a global vendor management program, fostering a vibrant community of language professionals, and utilizing data analytics to optimize processes. You will also work closely with LILT’s Quality function on Linguist performance management.

Requirements

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in quality assurance and/or talent acquisition and vendor management within the language services industry
• Proven expertise in expert scoring methodologies and approaches
• Strong understanding of both human and machine translation workflows and quality assessment
• Demonstrated ability to develop talent acquisition/training programs
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills
• Experience leading and managing a team of talent managers
• Proficiency in using CAT tools and quality assurance software, as well as vendor management systems and talent acquisition platforms
• Strong understanding of industry best practices and standards (ISO 17100, etc.) and quality management principles (including ISO 9001); demonstrated experience with managing and maintaining ISO 9001 and ISO 17100
• Experience in recruiting talent for multilingual data solutions
• Solid organizational skills including meticulous attention to detail and multitasking skills
• Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure
• Proven ability to implement project management best practices and methodologies
• Experience managing project budgets and resources
• Detail-oriented and results-driven
• Proactive and adaptable in a fast-paced environment
• Passion for quality and continuous improvement
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team
• Fluency in English required
• Proven track record of scaling a global vendor base and managing vendor performance
• Extensive experience in specialized sourcing
• Established network of connections within the expert community
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment

Responsibilities

• Scale comprehensive expert acquisition strategies to source, attract, and onboard worldwide domain experts, including specialist sourcing for rare languages, regulated industries, voice and media talent, data annotators and engineers
• Integrate AI and automated solutions into LILT’s systems, tooling and processes for sourcing, screening, testing and onboarding
• Lead the end-to-end recruitment process, including sourcing, testing, screening, interviewing, and onboarding
• Manage a global vendor management program, ensuring compliance and quality standards
• Negotiate contracts and manage relationships with freelance linguists and vendor partners
• Actively monitor and evaluate vendor performance, both human and AI translation outputs
• Partner with LILT’s Product and Research teams to develop and drive pioneering initiatives
• Cultivate and nurture a vibrant and engaged community of language professionals
• Execute community engagement initiatives, including online forums, webinars, workshops, and networking events
• Foster a culture of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning
• Act as a liaison between the company and the linguist community, representing the company's values and mission
• Manage community feedback and address concerns promptly and effectively
• Utilize data analytics to track and measure talent acquisition and community engagement metrics
• Identify trends and insights to optimize talent acquisition and vendor management processes
• Implement data-driven strategies to improve vendor performance and quality
• Provide regular reports and updates to senior management on talent and community performance
• Develop and manage budgets related to quality and talent management. Seek out new strategies and initiatives to optimise cost to produce
• Drive the execution of cost control initiatives; assemble team(s) of appropriate stakeholders, and effectively manage their contributions to achieve timely progress on goals and overall delivery and results
• A leader in emerging technologies in the language services sector
• Apply deep knowledge of the language industry to inform talent acquisition and community engagement strategies
• Maintain strong connections within the linguist community and industry associations
• Bought into and achieve buy-in from their team on cross functional initiatives that are aligned to corporate goals; drive the implementation of such cross-functional initiatives with manager level and above
• Build and fully understand the budget governing their function and make informed decisions on staffing, headcount and costs within budget constraints
• Work closely with LILT’s Quality function on Linguist performance management (OTD, QRMs, error rates)
• Attend virtual and in-person meetings where location permits
• Use software systems and AI tools

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with AI-driven language technologies
• Fluency in additional languages
• Experience with remote team management