Senior Sign Language Specialist / Canada Remote Only

CaptionCall by Sorenson • , BC

7d • Remote

About The Position

This is a Canada Remote Only Position. The Senior Sign Language Specialist will be responsible for maintaining and expanding Sorenson's ASL sign dictionary, annotating ASL video using advanced gloss conventions, partnering with AI/ML engineering teams, and reviewing text-to-sign avatar output. The role also involves leading linguistic calibration sessions, mentoring other specialists, and maintaining accurate records of annotation work. The company is a leading provider of language services for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing, aiming to increase accessibility and inclusion through communication solutions.

Requirements

• Bilingual in ASL in English, with the ability to produce and quality-assure professional English transcriptions from ASL source content.
• Deep working knowledge of ASL linguistics — gloss conventions, non-manual markers, classifier predicates, role shift, and ASL grammar.
• Active and informed participant in the Deaf community, with awareness of regional and generational ASL variation.
• Experience producing or annotating ASL content for instructional, research, interpreting, or media purposes.
• Strong written English for documentation, task specifications, and cross-team collaboration.
• Comfortable working with computer-based annotation tools and learning new software.
• Attention to detail, consistency, and a willingness to follow and improve standardized conventions.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with peer Specialists, the Lead, and engineering teams.
• Proficiency with standard productivity and collaboration tools (Microsoft Office, Confluence, JIRA, or equivalent).
• Positive attitude, team player, strong interpersonal communication skills, and able to work across research, engineering, and business departments.

Nice To Haves

• American Sign Language as a primary or native language.
• Prior experience with annotation tools such as ELAN, CVAT, or comparable platforms.
• Experience working with AI/ML teams, technology companies, or research groups that produce sign language data.
• Experience reviewing or evaluating signed avatars, animations, or generated ASL content.
• Experience writing or reviewing annotation guidelines, style guides, or convention documentation.
• Familiarity with sign language corpora, lexicography, or dictionary projects.
• Experience mentoring or training other annotators or linguists.
• Familiarity with PSE, SEE, and other North American signing varieties.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and expand Sorenson's ASL sign dictionary — author new entries, review and update existing entries, document regional and register variants, and resolve disputed entries with the Lead.
• Annotate ASL video using advanced gloss conventions, including classifier predicates (locative, instrument, semantic, body-part, and element classifiers), non-manual markers, role shift, and prosody.
• Partner with AI/ML engineering teams to clarify linguistic requirements for training data, review model outputs for linguistic accuracy, and provide feedback on edge cases.
• Review text-to-sign avatar output for ASL grammatical accuracy, naturalness, and cultural appropriateness; document issues using standardized rubrics.
• Lead weekly linguistic calibration sessions; own gloss and classifier convention documentation and decision logs.
• Mentor Sign Language Specialists during cross-functional rotations.
• Maintain accurate records of annotation work, decisions, and edge cases in team tooling and documentation systems.

Benefits

• Pay Range: Actual pay may vary up or down depending on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this position may be eligible for incentive compensation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior