Project Manager with Japanese

Established in 1998 and working in over 60 languages, the Keywords Group is a fast-growing plc., listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market. Keywords is an international service provider to the global Video Game Industry with offices in Dublin, Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Montreal, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Milan, Rio de Janeiro, New Delhi and more. Working on a worldwide basis, we provide a range of linguistic, testing, quality control and customer support services to Video Game Developers and Publishers alike.

The Project Manager will consistently meet or exceed client expectations by ensuring exceptional service, quality, and cost efficiency on every project.

Working with clients, colleagues across different accounts and a broad spectrum of resources, the Project Manager is expected to develop and grow those relationships whilst achieving/exceeding the expected margins by providing creative, technical, and business solutions.

The PM is expected to manage projects of different sizes, genres and platforms and ensure their profitability, quality and on time delivery within the timeframe agreed with the client.

They will be reporting to the relevant Senior Production Manager, responsible for assigned client deliverables and will partner with Portfolio Directors, Senior Production Managers & Project Manager peers to ensure the successful completion of client deliverables & outcomes (on time/on budget/first time right).

• Project Management

Work on projects, depending on workload and on the team’s needs. Estimate and plan projects from start to finish, with built-in contingencies. Work with the Senior Production Manager and global team to ensure that the project’s specific workflows and technical processes are well documented and regularly updated. Lead project planning process and “kick-off” meetings and ongoing project-related meetings, as needed.

Work closely with Solutions Team, the Senior Production Manager, and the client directly to understand the scope and requirements of each project. Advise clients on best practices and agree on project processes and timelines.

Monitor and coordinate project processes (pre-and post-production plan, postmortems, resources, QA plan, risk mitigation plans, CAPAs etc.) and collaborate with the teams in charge of those different areas of expertise.

Align with Global Resource Management Team on the projects’ resourcing in order to ensure that projects are resourced, perform according to the project instructions, client expectations, the company's procedures and within target’s project margins.

Oversee the project schedule, making sure that all parties deliver according to project schedule and company’s standards. Continuously manage and adapt the work plan and resources required in consultation and agreement with the client and the rest of global team. Work with the company's stakeholders to determine workflow and best processes to maximize productivity and minimize costs.

• Communication

Follow the development of the project daily through a quick and efficient communication with the client, receiving and following up on issues, changes in specifications, deadlines, or any other kind of related matters to the project.

Liaise with external vendors and internal resources involved in own projects, keeping a relationship tending to go beyond a simple supplier-customer relation with the aim of getting vendor's members involved and an important part of the whole creative localization process.

Keep a constant and open dialogue with the other PMs across accounts, building good working relationships with all the global team members. Make independent decisions on work methods to be used on projects, while liaising with the global teams and Senior Production Managers and following established standards and procedures defined by the company and the clients.

Communicate regularly and professionally with clients, liaising with them to understand their goals and expectations and anticipating/addressing client needs and concerns to prevent issues.

Escalate and investigate with the Senior Production Managers and corresponding stakeholders any complaints or potential risks to the performance of a project according to KWS standards. Proactively contribute to process and tool improvement initiatives at all levels (internal or client-facing, local or international).

• Financial Performance

Input financial data, both sales and purchases, in administration tool for tracking, invoicing, cost control and quoting purposes. Manage internal/external costs, monitor profit margin on projects. Act when margins are below target, liaising with the Senior Production Managers and rest of the global teams to address it.

Manage projects finances, including the necessary pre-invoice checks, WIP/Accrual management, forecast and quote assessments in an efficient and timely manner.

Manage cost estimates with vendors, making sure they follow the internal procedures and best practices. Ensure continued sustainability of the project in terms of budget, profitability, quality and client retention. Ensure project data in the company's reports is accurate, updated, and complete.

• Personal Development

Provide support to new members and work with the Senior Production Managers to prepare a training plan that will help achieve department objectives and goals, while covering all the necessary project needs. Take responsibility for personal learning and training needs escalating any possible training needs.

• Experience either on videogames and/or localization sectors, be it on client or vendor side, with degree in Business, Audio, Translation, Computer Science or Games Development as an advantage.
• Knowledge of production and/or CAT Tools is an advantage.
• Good knowledge of PC and MS Office products is essential.
• Excellent English verbal and written communication skills. Japanese knowledge mandatory (Level N-3 minimum require)
• Ability to use good judgment to prioritize tasks.
• Good organizational and analytical skills.
• Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines in a remote, fast-paced, complex global environment.
• Able to manage sensitive and confidential information.
• Must be motivated and a team player, be predisposed for personal learning and training and effectively apply business specific technology and methodologies.