Senior Program Manager

RWS•Seattle, WA

10d•$100,000 - $150,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We are looking for a senior, client-facing Program Manager with strong localization experience to support a strategic enterprise account. This role will serve as a key operational and client-facing lead, helping manage complex localization, multimedia, and AI-enabled workflow programs across multiple stakeholder groups. The role requires someone who can operate comfortably at both the strategic and tactical levels: building trusted client relationships, managing budgets and forecasts, quoting, driving intake and prioritization, handling escalations, and partnering closely with global production, engineering, linguistic, and account teams to ensure delivery excellence. This is a highly visible role for someone who brings structure to complex programs, can navigate ambiguity, and understands the commercial impact of operational decisions.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in localization, globalization, content operations, or language services.
Strong background managing complex enterprise localization programs.
Proven experience in client-facing project or program management.
Experience supporting large accounts or portfolios with revenue, budget, forecasting, and margin considerations.
Strong understanding of localization workflows, including translation, review, multimedia, DTP, engineering, QA, and publishing.
Experience working with global delivery teams across multiple time zones.
Ability to manage executive-level or senior stakeholder conversations with confidence.
Experience handling escalations, risk management, and corrective action planning.
Must be based in the Seattle / Redmond area and able to attend onsite client meetings as needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience with AI-enabled localization workflows, MT/LLM post-editing, automation, or content transformation programs.
Experience with multimedia localization, eLearning, SCORM/LMS publishing, or training content.
Familiarity with tools such as Trados, Phrase, GlobalLink, ADO, Jira, or similar localization and workflow platforms.
Experience supporting large enterprise technology clients.
PMP, localization certification, or equivalent program management training preferred.

Responsibilities

Act as a primary client-facing program lead for assigned workstreams and stakeholder groups.
Build strong relationships with client-side program owners, content owners, and operational stakeholders.
Attend onsite client meetings in the Seattle / Redmond area as needed.
Lead or support weekly status meetings, triage sessions, business reviews, post-mortems, and escalation discussions.
Translate client needs into clear operational actions, priorities, timelines, and ownership.
Proactively identify risks, blockers, and misalignment before they impact delivery.
Own intake, prioritization, status tracking, meeting follow-up, and cross-functional coordination.
Manage complex localization workflows across translation, multimedia, DTP, engineering, linguistic QA, publishing, and content operations.
Coordinate with global delivery teams to ensure work is planned, resourced, delivered, and communicated effectively.
Support the stabilization and streamlining of new or evolving workflows.
Help define and improve operating models, governance routines, and process documentation.
Drive continuous improvement across workflow efficiency, quality, visibility, and stakeholder experience.
Support an account portfolio with a strong commercial and operational lens.
Own or support budget tracking, forecasting, pipeline visibility, and monthly financial coordination.
Partner with Account Leadership, Finance, and Delivery leadership to monitor revenue, margin, capacity, and risk.
Help evaluate the financial impact of scope changes, workflow decisions, resourcing needs, and client requests.
Prepare or support quotes, estimates, budget updates, and commercial recommendations.
Identify opportunities to protect margin while maintaining client confidence and delivery quality.
Serve as a first-line escalation point for client-facing operational issues.
Lead issue triage, root cause discussions, corrective actions, and follow-through.
Partner with production, engineering, and linguistic teams to resolve delivery risks and quality concerns.
Ensure risks, dependencies, and client decisions are clearly documented and communicated.
Support governance requirements, SLA/KPI tracking, and continuous improvement reporting.
Partner closely with Account Management, Project Management, Engineering, Linguistic, Multimedia, DTP, Quality, and Finance teams.
Provide leadership without necessarily having direct line management responsibility.
Help reduce operational pressure on production and technical leads by owning the client-facing coordination layer.
Mentor or guide project team members where needed.
Promote clear communication, accountability, and proactive problem solving across the team.