Expert Audio Transcriber, Urdu

Perle; United States; On-site; USD 20,664,000 - 55,104,000; Full time

Job summary

Perle is seeking expert Urdu transcribers in the United States to convert audio into precise, time-aligned transcripts using Nastaliq script. You will decide orthography for dialects and code-switching, identify disfluencies, and annotate non-speech events to support AI model training.

You will work with Perle’s linguistic leads and QA team to calibrate quality. The role emphasizes expert linguistic judgment, not data entry, with pilots and flexible volume based on client projects, and

Qualifications

• Urdu native fluency with immersion in Pakistan/India.
• High accuracy reading and writing in Nastaliq script.
• Strong ear for regional Urdu accents and code-switching with consistent rules.
• At least two years of professional transcription/linguistic annotation experience.
• Ability to meet deadlines with accurate transcription at word level.
• Comfortable with web-based annotation platforms and variable-speed audio playback.

Responsibilities

• Transcribe audio recordings into accurate, time-aligned Urdu transcripts following Perle's style guide.
• Apply conventions for speaker IDs, overlaps, disfluencies, and non-speech events.
• Make orthographic decisions for dialectal and code-switched speech.
• Flag ambiguous segments and audio quality issues per project conventions.
• Self-review submissions against Perle's quality bar before delivery.
• Engage with QA reviewers on edge cases and style guide updates.

Skills

Urdu fluency

Nastaliq writing

Code-switching transcription

Disfluency handling

Annotation platforms

Audio transcription experience

Tools

Annotation platforms

Job description

THE ROLE

We are hiring expert Urdu transcribers to convert audio recordings of native speakers into precise, conventionally formatted written transcripts. The work powers speech recognition, dialogue, and evaluation systems for major AI labs. Audio ranges from clean studio recordings to natural conversational speech in real-world acoustic conditions.

You will be working at the level of expert linguistic judgment. This is not data entry. Decisions about orthography, code-switching, speaker attribution, disfluencies, and non-speech events shape the quality of every model trained on your output.

DIALECT AND SCOPE

Standard Urdu as spoken in Pakistan and India, with natural Urdu-English code-switching common in urban speech. Project audio captures formal registers, conversational Urdu, and regional variation across the major Urdu-speaking centers.

Primary speaker regions:

Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Delhi.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Transcribe audio recordings into accurate, time-aligned written text following Perle's project-specific style guide
• Apply correct conventions for speaker identification, overlapping speech, disfluencies, fillers, false starts, and non-speech events such as laughter, background noise, and music
• Make principled orthographic decisions for dialectal, colloquial, and code-switched speech
• Flag ambiguous segments, uncertain speakers, and audio quality issues using project conventions
• Self-review every submission against Perle's quality bar before delivery
• Engage with QA reviewers on edge cases, calibration sessions, and style guide updates

MUST HAVE

• Native fluency in Urdu with lifelong residence or deep immersion in Pakistan or an Urdu-speaking region of India
• High accuracy reading and writing in Nastaliq script
• Strong ear for regional Urdu accents and willingness to transcribe them following project conventions
• Comfortable transcribing Urdu-English code-switching with consistent script-mixing or Romanization rules
• At least two years of professional transcription, captioning, court reporting, broadcast, translation, or linguistic annotation experience
• Demonstrated accuracy at the word level under deadline pressure
• Comfortable with web-based annotation platforms and variable-speed audio playback
• Reliable high-speed internet, quality headphones, and a quiet workspace
• Ability to commit to defined volume per week during active project phases

NICE TO HAVE

• Background in Urdu linguistics, journalism, translation, education, or literature
• Prior experience annotating Urdu or Indic-language speech data
• Working knowledge of Hindi for cross-lingual audio or shared vocabulary cases
• Familiarity with IPA or other phonetic transcription systems
• Experience with verbatim versus clean-verbatim transcription conventions

HOW WE WORK WITH YOU

• Paid pilot task before full onboarding so both sides can calibrate
• Per-task or per-minute compensation, with rates tied to audio complexity and turnaround
• Flexible scheduling, with volume scaling up and down based on active client projects
• Direct working relationship with Perle's linguistic leads and QA team
• Eligible for invitation to additional Perle expert projects across related domains

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Perle hires experts on the basis of skill, language proficiency, and demonstrated quality. We welcome applicants from every background and every region where our target languages are spoken.

About Perle

Perle is an AI infrastructure company building expert-driven training data, evaluation systems, and applied AI products for the world's leading labs and enterprises. Our partners include xAI, Samsung, ELM, and Unisys. Headquartered in San Francisco with experts across more than forty markets, we specialize in the work that requires real human judgment: domain expertise, linguistic nuance, and cultural fidelity that generic data vendors cannot deliver.