Japanese Simultaneous Interpreter

Goken America; Lincoln (AL); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A global engineering services company in Alabama is looking for a skilled interpreter who can convert spoken statements and written materials between Japanese and English. The ideal candidate should have at least 2 years of simultaneous interpretation experience and a strong educational background in linguistics or a related field. Knowledge of Microsoft Office is required. This role provides an opportunity to work in a dynamic environment and engage with diverse teams.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of relevant simultaneous interpretation experience required.
• Knowledge of desktop publishing or machine translation software is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Convert spoken and written material between Japanese and English.
• Provide simultaneous interpretation in meetings and office settings.
• Translate technical and administrative documents as needed.

Skills

Simultaneous interpretation

Document translation

Language proficiency in Japanese and English

Communication skills

Education

BA or MA in Foreign Language, Linguistics, Translation, or Interpreting

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio (USA) with Engineering Centers in Pune, India and Yokohama, Japan, Goken is a global Engineering Services and Product Development company founded in 2004. We partner with OEMs and suppliers across the mobility space, as well as clients in non-mobility industries, to deliver innovative solutions and accelerate product development. At Goken, we embrace our motto of “Time to Innovate” by pushing boundaries, cultivating entrepreneurial thinking, and empowering individuals who thrive on tackling challenges, embrace fresh ideas, and are driven to create solutions that shape the future. This mindset fuels our mission and empowers our teams to solve complex problems, deliver measurable value, and move our clients and industries forward. Our Vision is to empower associates to drive innovation and lead meaningful change wherever it’s needed, ensuring we stay ahead of the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. Our Mission is to build trust that fosters greatness in our people, excellence in our clients, and positive impact in the communities we serve.

Summary

This role will support simultaneous interpretation from Japanese to English and English to Japanese for a large scale automotive OEM.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for converting spoken statements or written material from Japanese to English and English to Japanese in a meeting and office environment setting.
• Speech interpretation may involve listening to, understanding and memorizing content, then reproducing statements, questions and speeches in Japanese and/or English.
• Written materials primarily include technical, administrative and presentation documents.
• The ability to provide simultaneous interpretation from Japanese to English (J to E) and English to Japanese (E to J) would be ideal, but at the very least, the ability to provide quality consecutive interpretation in both directions is mandatory. While simultaneous interpretation would be preferred, it is still required.
• Skilled in translating documents between Japanese and English.
• Perform translation as needed.

Qualifications

• BA or MA in Foreign Language, Linguistics, Translation, Interpreting or native in both English and Japanese.
• 2+ years of relevant Simultaneous interpretation experience required.
• If a candidate has native level of fluency in both English and Japanese, preferably he or she has BA or BS in degrees related to automotive, life science, medical, business, public relations, or IT field.
• Automotive technical simultaneous interpreter experience is preferred.
• Prior experience in simultaneous interpretation at Japanese OEMs is preferred.
• Language proficiency certification a plus, but not required.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office (especially Word, PowerPoint, and Excel).
• Knowledge of desktop publishing (DP) or use machine translation software a plus.

Goken is committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive, and engaging workplace across all global locations. We value diversity and provide equal opportunities for career growth and professional development, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law.