Associate Producer - (Bilingual Japanese / English)

Sega; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Passion for video games

Job summary

SEGA of America in Irvine seeks an Associate Producer to coordinate localization and global production, bridging Japan, Irvine, and Europe teams to deliver titles on time and within budget. You will manage schedules, resources, and communications, support QA and marketing, and help drive post-mortems and continuous improvement while embracing language, culture, and player experience.

This role requires 1–3+ years in game production, near-native English and business-level Japanese, and a passion

Qualifications

• Typically has 1-3+ years of production, project management, localization or related experience within the game industry.
• Near-native English proficiency and business-level Japanese proficiency required; additional skills are a plus.
• Highly organized with attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Demonstrates an interest in localization and an understanding of localization processes.
• Ability to build and maintain production and localization schedules.
• Working knowledge of commonly used localization tools and formats, such as Excel, Word, XML, MemoQ, XLOC, and similar platforms.
• Comfortable working across regions, time zones, and languages, with an understanding of the challenges associated with global collaboration.
• Experience supporting localization and production projects.
• Experience collaborating with localization vendors and teams, as well as direct voice dubbing experience.

Responsibilities

• Gather and analyze information about assigned projects to understand scope and requirements.
• Serve as the international product owner, ensuring alignment with the vision and nature of the product.
• Develop resource plans and schedules for review by management and alignment with development teams.
• Support projects through internal approval and publishing processes.
• Break down assigned projects into manageable tasks and coordinate activities with stakeholders and assigned team members to support project completion.
• Coordinate communications, prepare and distribute documentation, facilitate localization activities, and track any project issues.
• Coordinate voiceover recording activities for localized titles.
• Partner with QA teams to support product quality efforts, vetting issues, and providing direction.
• Collaborate with marketing teams on external project-related activities and provide project guidance as needed.
• Maintain accurate project schedules and communicate regular status updates to stakeholders.
• Develop project post-mortem summaries and lessons learned documentation to support continuous improvement.
• Play assigned games and provide feedback and insight as needed.
• Ensure best practices, policies, and procedures are followed within assigned projects.
• Support promotional activities, including trade shows, media tours, and community engagement events as needed.
• Other responsibilities are performed as assigned or needed.

Skills

English proficiency

Japanese proficiency

Scheduling

Localization processes

Cross-functional collaboration

Project coordination

Tools

Excel

Word

XML

MemoQ

XLOC

Job description

Hybrid Work Model

SEGA of America is seeking an Associate Producer to help deliver world-class, Japan-originated products to Western markets. Our producers are internationally minded professionals who coordinate between Sega’s Japan-based development teams, Irvine-based J2E language teams and Europe-based language teams, distributed QA services, and NA/EU Marketing teams to deliver renowned SEGA and Atlus titles to market on time, within budget, and at target quality. We are seeking individuals who are passionate about games, language, multiculturalism, and creativity, and who can speak enthusiastically about the product.

As an Associate Producer, you will coordinate and bring structure to approved projects to ensure successful delivery on schedule, within budget, and at target quality. Leveraging prior production and localization experience, you will collaborate effectively with internal cross-functional departments and external teams to support assigned projects. Under the guidance of senior team members, you will provide full visibility into project status and help ensure work is effectively executed.

Associate Producers must possess strong business fundamentals, including an understanding of scheduling, budgeting, and risk management. They are expected to learn and apply processes and procedures related to video game production, localization, and publishing. A strong desire to actively learn, research, while continuously seeking opportunities to improve, grow, and contribute to the team’s success is essential for this role.

Responsibilities

• Gather and analyze information about assigned projects to understand scope and requirements.
• Serve as the international product owner, ensuring alignment with the vision and nature of the product.
• Develop resource plans and schedules for review by management and alignment with development teams.
• Support projects through internal approval and publishing processes.
• Break down assigned projects into manageable tasks and coordinate activities with stakeholders and assigned team members to support project completion.
• Coordinate communications, prepare and distribute documentation, facilitate localization activities, and track any project issues.
• Coordinate voiceover recording activities for localized titles.
• Partner with QA teams to support product quality efforts, vetting issues, and providing direction.
• Collaborate with marketing teams on external project-related activities and provide project guidance as needed.
• Maintain accurate project schedules and communicate regular status updates to stakeholders.
• Develop project post-mortem summaries and lessons learned documentation to support continuous improvement.
• Play assigned games and provide feedback and insight as needed.
• Ensure best practices, policies, and procedures are followed within assigned projects.
• Support promotional activities, including trade shows, media tours, and community engagement events as needed.
• Other responsibilities are performed as assigned or needed.

Qualifications and Skills

• Typically has 1-3+ years of production, project management, localization or related experience within the game industry.
• Near-native English proficiency and business-level Japanese proficiency required; additional skills are a plus.
• Highly organized with attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Demonstrates an interest in localization and an understanding of localization processes.
• Ability to build and maintain production and localization schedules.
• Working knowledge of commonly used localization tools and formats, such as Excel, Word, XML, MemoQ, XLOC, and similar platforms.
• Comfortable working across regions, time zones, and languages, with an understanding of the challenges associated with global collaboration.
• Experience supporting localization and production projects.
• Experience collaborating with localization vendors and teams, as well as direct voice dubbing experience.

Travel Requirements

• Some travel required, primarily domestic.
• Event staffing required approximately 2 to 3 times a year.
• Potential international travel required approximately 1 to 2 times a year.

Bonus

• Passion for video games, particularly Japanese games, with the ability to discuss game features, quality, and player experiences thoughtfully.