Localization Language Lead - Italian

2K; Madrid; Presencial; EUR 60.000 - 90.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

2K is seeking a Game Localization Lead for Italian to own linguistic direction across our portfolio. You will collaborate with developers, producers, QA, and publishing to ensure tone, accuracy, and cultural resonance.

You’ll lead VO casting, style guides, and glossaries, mentor junior linguists, and drive process improvements within the Global Loc 2.0 framework. This role demands deep Italian linguistic mastery and the ability to steer cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.

Formación

• Native fluent Italian with mastery of tone, grammar, and regional nuance.
• Advanced English fluency (written and spoken).
• Ability to work independently on complex language projects with judgment and creativity.
• Familiarity with platform-holder guidelines, naming conventions, and brand alignment.
• Experience with VO scripting and dubbing is a plus.
• Bachelor's degree in translation, linguistics, media, or related field preferred.

Responsabilidades

• Own the localization strategy, quality bar, and final sign-off for Italian content across all 2K titles.
• Review and edit in-game text, UI, scripts, and VO for tone, clarity, and cultural relevance.
• Develop, maintain, and enforce glossaries, style guides, and content policies for Italian market.
• Collaborate with localization producers, LQA, marketing, publishing, and devs to guide language decisions.
• Serve as main linguistic escalation point for Italian-related issues and QA challenges.
• Mentor entry- and mid-level linguists or vendors working on Italian content.
• Consult on Italian age rating requirements, terminology usage, and visual/language compliance.
• Lead VO casting and direct creative sessions during Italian VO production.
• Review builds to audit tone, consistency, and cultural resonance.
• Suggest process improvements to improve quality and turnaround time.

Conocimientos

Italian fluency

English fluency

Independence

Mentoring juniors

Cross-functional collaboration

Voiceover direction

Educación

Bachelor's degree in translation/linguistics/media

Herramientas

CAT tools

Translation memory

XLOC

JIRA

CMS

Descripción del empleo

TITLE: Localization Language Lead Italian

Who We Are

At 2K, we create some of the most iconic and culture-shaping video games in entertainment, including NBA® 2K, one of the top-selling franchises in the world, and legendary titles like BioShock®, Borderlands®, Mafia, Sid Meier’s Civilization®, and XCOM®, as well as fan favorites WWE® 2K, TopSpin®, and PGA TOUR® 2K. We build unforgettable experiences by pushing the boundaries of creativity, authenticity and innovation across every genre.

Our portfolio is brought to life by some of the most influential game development studios in the world. Visual Concepts, Firaxis Games, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games, 31st Union, Cloud Chamber, Gearbox, HB Studios, and 2K SportsLab create world-class experiences across platforms.

But what truly powers 2K is our people.

We believe the best ideas come from teams that feel empowered, supported, and inspired. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace where people are encouraged to come as they are and do their best work.

What We Need

As part of our Global Loc 2.0 evolution, 2K is deepening its investment in language-specific leadership to improve the voice, cultural authenticity, and overall quality of our localized content. We are seeking a Game Localization Lead to own the linguistic direction and execution strategy for all Italian content across 2K’s game portfolio.

This is an individual contributor role within the Content Localization (CLOC) team. You’ll serve as the key Italian language authority, working with minimal supervision across complex projects. You’ll apply deep linguistic and cultural expertise while partnering with developers, producers, QA, and publishing stakeholders to ensure language quality meets player expectations and platform-holder standards.

What You’ll Do

• Own the localization strategy, quality bar, and final sign-off for Italian content across all 2K titles
• Review and edit localized content (in-game text, UI, scripts, VO) for tone, clarity, fluency, and cultural relevance
• Develop, maintain, and enforce glossaries, style guides, and cultural content policies for the Italian market
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams—localization producers, embedded LQA, marketing, publishing, and dev to guide language decisions and alignment
• Serve as the main linguistic escalation point for Italian-related bugs, tone disputes, or QA challenges
• Supervise and provide feedback to entry- and mid-level linguists or vendors working on Italian content
• Consult with game studios and content owners on Italian age rating requirements, terminology usage, and visual/language compliance
• Lead VO casting, script review, and direct creative sessions during Italian voiceover production
• Regularly review in-development and near-final builds to audit for tone, consistency, and cultural resonance
• Recommend and help implement process improvements that improve quality, reduce error rates, or optimize turnaround time for Italian localization
• Participate in Global Loc 2.0 initiatives, working with senior leadership to shape evolving localization standards, practices, and tooling

What Will Make You A Great Fit

• Professional localization experience in games, tech, or entertainment
• Native fluency in Italian, with demonstrated mastery of tone, grammar, and regional nuance
• Advanced English fluency (written and spoken); capable of representing language decisions across global teams
• Proven ability to work independently on complex language projects, exercising judgment and creativity in ambiguous or conflicting situations
• Strong working knowledge of platform-holder guidelines, naming conventions, and brand alignment principles
• Comfortable overseeing or mentoring junior linguists and freelance vendors
• Familiarity with localization tools (e.g., CAT tools, translation memory systems, XLOC, JIRA, CMS)
• Deep understanding of Italian culture, media, and the Italian -speaking gaming audience
• Experience with VO scripting, dubbing production, and linguistic performance direction is a plus
• Bachelor's degree in translation, linguistics, media, or related field preferred

Why Join Us?

As a Game Localization Lead for Italian, you will directly shape how our players in Italy and other Italian -speaking regions experience our games. You’ll own language strategy, guide voice and tone across titles, and play a key role in 2K’s broader effort to deliver best-in-class localized content through a modern, embedded, and scalable localization model.

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation.

Please note that 2K Games and its studios never use instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews, and when emailing, only use 2K.com accounts.