Lead Localization Program Manager

No global movement springs from individuals. It takes an entire team united behind something big. Airbnb helps anyone belong anywhere as the world’s largest community-driven hospitality company. Every day, we connect thousands of guests and hosts online, leading to meaningful experiences in the real world. We’re helping people live like locals in parts unknown while breaking down cultural barriers and bringing people together. 

Do you wake up everyday asking yourself how you can impact the creation of a truly local experience that delights global users? Are you comfortable with change management? Are you a self-driven globalization program manager? Do you love working with content, design, marketing and engineering teams? Do you want to be part of one of the teams that is actively working on bringing to life Airbnb’s mission, where everyone can belong anywhere? Do you love to work in a fast-paced, fun, fast-growing company? Do you like to work in a multicultural team? Do you love owning the localization strategy for your product portfolio?

If you answered yes to all the questions above, we would love to talk to you, as the Localization team at Airbnb is looking for a highly experienced Lead Localization Program Manager.

Responsibilities:

• You manage the localization success of prioritized core product teams.
• The Airbnb Lead LPM role & responsibility goes beyond the traditional focus of localizing content:
• You proactively partner with all internal Airbnb teams and functions to deliver world-class globalized product features, community support content and marketing campaigns that are culturally-relevant and linguistically-appropriate. 
• You offer your expertise to help core teams recognize and integrate international requirements from the start in product features and campaigns leveraging the network of in-country Language Managers, local Marketing Managers and Sales Operations points of contact.
• You own the local product experience and remove all risks from international launches. You are the go-to person for internationalization requirements. 
• You coordinate with internationalization engineering when stakeholders need guidance on coding world-ready features or consuming our translation pipeline.
• You advise and agree on the most appropriate localization strategy for each launch with Airbnb core teams and continuously promote best practices. You partner with the launching team PM to integrate the Localization milestones on the launch schedule.  
• You are accountable for all localization deliverables to all requesting teams in your portfolio. You coordinate LQAs with our QA PM for every launch.
• You behave like an owner and entrepreneur. You are not just a point of contact that people reach out to, you are driving, you are propositive and action oriented.
  
• You have a passion for continuously improving processes and services across the Localization team functions, our translation vendor, all other internal Airbnb functions in collaboration with the Internationalization engineering team to deliver high quality, cost-effective and time efficient product localization.
• You will flex your process optimization and organizational muscle driving cross-functional initiatives.
• You facilitate strategic meetings including preparing agendas, keeping conversation on-track and establishing action items and owners.

• You ensure pertinent information is communicated and understood throughout the global team and relevant product development teams.
• You own the creation and management of high level Localization project & program timelines.
• You provide up-to-date visibility into large projects, and progress against our team goals.

Requirements:

• Track record of managing and releasing complex and high-quality globalized products and marketing campaigns in partnership with core product teams, beyond just as a translation service manager.
• Knowledgeable about internationalization requirements.
• Deep knowledge of the localization process and what it takes to create product features and campaigns that can be recognized as truly local experiences by our Hosts and Guests.
• Experience in establishing processes, supporting teams, developing relationships, and managing end-to-end for a portfolio of concurrent programs.
• Track record of being a self-starter, self-motivated and outcome-oriented individual who seeks ownership and accountability.
• Comfortable with ambiguity in a fluid organization.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. Concise, fact-based and informative. Able to convey complex information simply.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Must be able to prioritize and manage conflicting demands.
• Passionate and enthusiastic about excellence and attention to detail.

Preferred 

• 10+ years in Localization Operations, Localization Program Management, International Product Management, or equivalent roles, helping core product and marketing teams to successfully launch internationally.