Responsibilities
- Work on projects depending on workload and team’s needs.
- Estimate and plan projects from start to finish, with built-in contingencies.
- Work with the Senior Production Manager and global team to ensure that the project’s specific workflows and technical processes are well documented and regularly updated.
- Lead project planning process and “kick-off” meetings and ongoing project-related meetings, as needed.
- Work closely with Solutions Team, the Senior Production Manager, and the client directly to understand the scope and requirements of each project.
- Advise clients on best practices and agree on project processes and timelines.
- Monitor and coordinate project processes (pre-and post-production plan, postmortems, resources, QA plan, risk mitigation plans, CAPAs etc.) and collaborate with the teams in charge of those different areas of expertise.
- Align with Global Resource Management Team on the projects’ resourcing in order to ensure that projects are resourced, perform according to the project instructions, client expectations, the company's procedures and within target’s project margins.
- Oversee the project schedule, making sure that all parties deliver according to project schedule and company’s standards.
- Continuously manage and adapt the work plan and resources required in consultation and agreement with the client and the rest of global team.
- Work with the company's stakeholders to determine workflow and best processes to maximize productivity and minimize costs.
- Follow the development of the project daily through a quick and efficient communication with the client, receiving and following up on issues, changes in specifications, deadlines, or any other kind of related matters to the project.
- Liaise with external vendors and internal resources involved in own projects, keeping a relationship tending to go beyond a simple supplier-customer relation with the aim of getting vendor's members involved and an important part of the whole creative localization process.
- Keep a constant and open dialogue with the other PMs across accounts, building good working relationships with all the global team members.
- Make independent decisions on work methods to be used on projects, while liaising with the global teams and Senior Production Managers and following established standards and procedures defined by the company and the clients.
- Communicate regularly and professionally with clients, liaising with them to understand their goals and expectations and anticipating/addressing client needs and concerns to prevent issues.
- Escalate and investigate with the Senior Production Managers and corresponding stakeholders any complaints or potential risks to the performance of a project according to KWS standards.
- Proactively contribute to process and tool improvement initiatives at all levels (internal or client-facing, local or international).
- Input financial data, both sales and purchases, in administration tool for tracking, invoicing, cost control and quoting purposes.
- Manage internal/external costs, monitor profit margin on projects.
- Act when margins are below target, liaising with the Senior Production Managers and rest of the global teams to address it.
- Manage projects finances, including the necessary pre-invoice checks, WIP/Accrual management, forecast and quote assessments in an efficient and timely manner.
- Manage cost estimates with vendors, making sure they follow the internal procedures and best practices.
- Ensure continued sustainability of the project in terms of budget, profitability, quality and client retention.
- Ensure project data in the company's reports is accurate, updated, and complete.
- Provide support to new members and work with the Senior Production Managers to prepare a training plan that will help achieve department objectives and goals, while covering all the necessary project needs.
- Take responsibility for personal learning and training needs escalating any possible training needs.
Requirements
- Ability to manage projects of different sizes, genres, and platforms ensuring profitability, quality, and on-time delivery.
- Strong communication skills to liaise with clients, internal teams, and vendors.
- Experience in project planning, scheduling, and risk mitigation.
- Ability to monitor and coordinate project processes including pre- and post-production plans, QA plans, and CAPAs.
- Proficiency in managing project finances, including cost control, margin monitoring, and invoicing.
- Ability to work with global teams across different time zones.
- Experience in making independent decisions on work methods while adhering to company and client standards.
- Proven ability to escalate and investigate project performance issues according to company standards.
- Experience in contributing to process and tool improvement initiatives.
Nice to Have
- Experience in game localization or media translation industry.
- Familiarity with 24-hour follow-the-sun workflows.
- Prior experience working with AAA or indie game developers.
- Background in managing teams or mentoring new members.
Work Arrangement
Remote (Worldwide)
Team
Structure: Project Manager reports to the relevant Senior Production Manager, partners with Portfolio Directors, Senior Production Managers, and Project Manager peers, and works with global teams including Solutions Team, Resource Management, and client-facing stakeholders.
Additional Information
- Fluency in Japanese is required.
- The role involves working with global teams across Asia, Oceania, Europe, and the Americas.
- The company runs 24-hour follow-the-sun workflows, implying potential for flexible or non-standard working hours.
- Project Manager is expected to build strong relationships with vendors beyond a supplier-customer dynamic.
- Training and personal development responsibilities include supporting new team members and identifying training needs.
