What is a translation Project Manager?

15th February 2016

Emily Robertshaw

Are you considering a role as a Project Manager? Or are you currently studying languages and want to know about your career options? We’ve put together everything you need to know about being a Project Manager in the translation industry and we also chat to our own Project Managers about their experience.

 

What does a typical day look like at Andiamo?

First things first, we get the kettle on and start checking through emails. We write our to-do list at the end of each day so any new requests or enquiries will be added to that list.

Checking for quality is an essential task. At Andiamo! we check all of the translations in-house before delivering them to the client. If possible, we check as much as we can in the morning, so if we have any queries for the translators theres plenty of time to resolve them that day.

Customer care is very important, so whether we’ve done just one job for a client or we’ve worked with them for 15 years, we always call them regularly to see how everything is going. Every day our project managers check through their tasks on our business management system to remind them of their follow-ups.

Dealing with new quote requests should be done as quickly as possible. When an enquiry from a regular client comes in, their allocated project manager acknowledges the client immediately and will then prepare a quote as soon as any other urgent tasks have been dealt with.

When a new request comes in it is the project manager’s job to find the most suitable supplier to take on the work. The PM will have a record of preferred suppliers for each of their regular clients. Consulting with our vendor controller is also a good place to start for new language requests, followed by contacting and negotiating with suitable freelancers.

Every week our Projects Team Leader, Jane, holds a projects team meeting to discuss everyone’s current projects. This is an opportunity to bounce ideas off each other and ensure everything’s on track for delivery. Working as part of a team, it’s also an ideal opportunity to say if you need assistance to complete all of your tasks on time. Our project managers take time each week to catch up on essential admin, such as updating their Trados Translation Memories (TMs) ensuring that they’re ready to use each time a new quote request comes in.

What are the key skills required for the role of a Project Manager?

 

What are the most fulfilling aspects of being a Project Manager?

 

What are the most challenging aspects of being a Project Manager?

Andiamo’s advice for students who are considering working as a Project Manager:

 

 

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