Language Strategy Manager

NYC Campaign Finance Board; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

NYC Campaign Finance Board is seeking a Language Strategy Manager to lead Spanish-language translation, localization, and QA. You will oversee the agency’s Spanish content quality, work with Marketing and Public Relations, and ensure culturally resonant messaging for NYC voters and candidates.

You will manage translation workflows, assess linguistic quality, and guide strategy for campaigns and community outreach in Spanish. This role emphasizes collaboration, high standards, and impact.

Qualifications

• Proficient in Spanish linguistics, translation, localization, and SEO best practices.
• Knowledge of cultural sensitivity and audience research for diverse NYC Spanish-speaking communities.
• Experience leading translation teams and establishing SOPs, SLAs, and QA processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead all Spanish-language translation, transcreation and localization work across print, digital, audio, video, and web content.
• Direct and optimize the Spanish language team’s use of translation management systems (RWS Trados and Smartling).
• Develop SLAs and quality standards for Spanish-language deliverables and ensure timely production.
• Mentor Language Access Specialists and expand linguistic resources as needed.

Skills

Advanced translation

Transcreation

Bilingual writing

Terminology & style guides

Quality assurance

Translation management systems

Cross-functional communication

Attention to detail

Campaign performance evaluation

Leadership & communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field

Tools

RWS Trados

Smartling

Job description

About The Campaign Finance Board

The Campaign Finance Board is a nonpartisan, independent city agency that empowers New Yorkers to have a greater impact on their elections. Our mission is to make local democracy more open, transparent, and equitable by removing barriers to participation.

About The Unit

Public Affairs Division

The Public Affairs division engages New Yorkers, informs them about elections, and boosts their participation in the democratic process. We make election information accessible and relevant, increase engagement with underrepresented communities, and cultivate a team that reflects our core values of purpose, curiosity, creativity, and collaboration.

Language Access Unit

The Language Access Unit is responsible for ensuring meaningful and intentional language access is provided to NYC voters and candidates. The unit renders languages services (translation, localization, transcreation, spoken interpretation, over‑the‑phone interpretation, and ASL/CART), and it leads the agency’s language access implementation strategy.

Job Description

Reporting to the Director of Language Access, the Language Strategy Manager will serve as the agency’s lead Spanish linguist, cultural consultant, and strategist, working closely with units across the division and the agency. The role ensures that all CFB Spanish-language content is accurate, culturally resonant, high-quality, and accessible for Spanish-speaking New Yorkers, enabling them to effectively engage with our programs and initiatives. This position also strengthens internal linguistic capacity, streamlines translation workflows, and supports the agency’s broader strategic language access efforts.

Spanish Language Services Management & Support

• Lead all Spanish-language translation, transcreation and localization work across print, digital, audio, video, and web content, serving as the agency’s highest-level linguistic approver.
• Direct and optimize the Spanish language team’s use of translation management systems (RWS Trados and Smartling) to improve quality and reduce turnaround times.
• Support Spanish SEO localization strategies to increase reach and engagement.
• Develop and implement SLAs for Spanish-language deliverables to ensure timely and high-quality production.
• Administer and update Spanish fluency assessments for internal and external staff supporting Spanish-speaking communities.
• Monitor, supervise, or support Spanish interpretation services for virtual and in‑person events.

Linguistic Quality Assurance

• Provide strategic leadership for Spanish-language quality assurance, setting standards for terminology, style, and translation memory governance.
• Establish and manage measurable linguistic standards that improve the quality of our Spanish language materials by updating and maintaining glossaries, style guides, and translation memories.
• Implement and manage structured linguistic QA processes, including integration of community and partner feedback to strengthen cultural and linguistic accuracy.

Cultural Insights and Strategy

• Lead end‑to‑end Spanish-language strategy for creative campaigns, including translation, transcreation, localization, QA, and original content development.
• Collaborate with Marketing & Digital Communications, and Public Relations, to shape Spanish-language audience strategy, messaging, creative briefs, and channel approaches from campaign inception.
• Offer expert linguistic and cultural insights ensuring that tone, terminology, and messaging are accurate, culturally resonant, and aligned with audience needs.
• Lead Spanish-language campaign performance reviews and transform linguistic, cultural, and creative findings into actionable recommendations for future work.
• Support the implementation of the agency’s broader language access strategies.

People Management & Team Development

• Lead, supervise, mentor and coach Language Access Specialist (Spanish) team member, and lead the expansion of internal and external linguistic resources for languages other than Spanish.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES & OTHER BEHAVIORS (KSAOs)

We're seeking individuals eager to make an impact, even if they don't tick every box on our job description. We believe in the power of diverse perspectives and the unique blend of lived experiences, non-traditional education pathways, practical know-how, and a variety of skills and abilities that each candidate brings to the table. If you're ready to learn and grow with us, we encourage you to apply and be part of our dynamic team.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of Spanish grammar, syntax, style, and regional variations relevant NYC’s diverse Spanish speaking communities.
• Knowledge of translation, transcreation, localization, and SEO best practices.
• Knowledge of cultural sensitivity principles and how cultural context informs meaning, tone, and messaging resonance.
• Knowledge of translation management systems (RWS Trados and Smartling), including terminology and translation memory management, workflow configuration and evaluation.
• Knowledge of language services best practices, standard operations procedures (SOP) and service level agreements (SLA) development, and operational performance measurement.
• Knowledge of spoken interpretation principles and best practices, particularly for virtual and in person events.
• Knowledge of linguistic feedback processes, content evaluation methods, and community input implementation.
• Knowledge of communications, audience research, multicultural marketing, and campaign planning for Spanish speaking populations.
• Knowledge of effective people management practices, including goal-setting, performance evaluation, mentorship and professional development.

Skills

• Advanced translation, transcreation and transcreation skills that produce Spanish language materials that are linguistically accurate and culturally resonant.
• Advanced bilingual writing, editing, reviewing, and linguistic approval skills across formats including print, digital, audio, video, and web.
• Advanced terminology and style guide development and management skills.
• Strong quality assurance and editorial skills, including detailed review, terminology and style consistency validation.
• Strong translation management system operational skills, optimizing automated workflows, managing termbases, and maintaining translation memories.
• Strong cross functional communication skills for advising internal stakeholders and vendors on integrating meaningful language access into planning and project development.
• Strong attention to detail and analytical skills for evaluating translation quality, flagging inconsistencies, and implementing corrective measures.
• Skills in evaluating Spanish language campaign performance using qualitative and quantitative linguistic and cultural competency metrics.
• Strong leadership and communication skills to set clear expectations, provide actionable feedback, facilitate staff member growth, and drive high‑performing, collaborative team environments.

Abilities

• Ability to lead high volume Spanish-language deliverables across formats, maintaining accuracy and consistency.
• Ability to establish and maintain SOPs and SLAs that drive towards continuous quality and efficiency improvements.
• Ability to design and maintain linguistic QA processes that scale across teams and evolving agency needs.
• Ability to communicate complex linguistic or cultural considerations to non linguists in clear, actionable ways.
• Ability to assess organizational needs and propose staffing/vending expansions in Spanish and languages other than Spanish.
• Ability to lead team operations with agency priorities, ensuring efficient use of resources while fostering creativity, accountability and innovation.

Other Characteristics

• Strong commitment to advancing language justice for Spanish speaking NYC voters, candidates and contributors.
• Strong cultural awareness and sensitivity when engaging with NYC’s diverse Spanish‑speaking communities.
• Adaptability in managing diverse projects, workflows and shifting campaign priorities.
• Strong accountability in maintaining quality, meeting deadlines, and upholding operational standards.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3-5 years of advanced expertise in Spanish linguistics and cultural competency consultation, including directly managing and building translation teams.
• American Translators Association (ATA) certification, or equivalent.
• RSW Trados, MemoQ, Phrase or Wordfast training certification.
• Experience developing marketing materials for Spanish speaking audiences.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college including or supplemented by at least twelve‑semester credits (or the equivalent of twelve‑semester credits) in accounting, auditing, business or public administration, computer science, economics, finance, statistics, graphic design, personnel or human resources administration, user experience design, or a closely related area of study and one year of satisfactory full‑time experience in accounting, auditing (including compliance or investigative auditing), business or public administration, business analysis, computer science, database administration, economics, finance, fiscal or economic management or research, statistics, graphic design, personnel or human resources administration, user experience design, or a closely related field; or
• A four‑year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and five years of experience as described in “1” above; or
• Education and/or experience equivalent to “1” above.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.