CONTRACT - Localization Specialist (Japanese)

4 Months ago • 1-3 Years • Localization

Job Summary

Job Description

This contract position requires a Localization Specialist (Japanese) to translate and review game text, voice scripts, marketing materials, and other documents for Nintendo products. Responsibilities include gaining a deep understanding of projects, communicating developer intent, providing cultural input, collaborating with internal/external partners, ensuring high-quality localization, and potentially contributing to marketing efforts. The role demands strong translation and interpreting skills, familiarity with Japanese culture, and experience with localization tools. The candidate will work with experienced staff, participate in feedback sessions, and potentially assist in the hiring process.
Must have:
  • 1-3 years localization experience
  • Strong Japanese translation & interpreting skills
  • Understanding of Japanese & US market preferences
  • Excellent communication & organizational skills
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
Good to have:
  • Knowledge of game development process
  • Familiarity with Nintendo franchises
  • Experience with localization tools (CAT tools)
  • Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 1
  • Familiarity with Slack, Jira, and Confluence
Perks:
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k)
  • Life and AD&D insurance
  • Paid sick leave
  • Paid holidays

Job Details

 
Nintendo of America Inc.
 

About Nintendo of America: From the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System™ more than 30 years ago, Nintendo’s mission has been to create smiles through unique entertainment experiences. Here at Nintendo of America Inc., we deliver on this mission by partnering closely with Nintendo Co., Ltd., to bring Nintendo’s iconic and cherished franchises including Mario™, Donkey Kong™, The Legend of Zelda™, Metroid™, Animal Crossing™, Pikmin™ and Splatoon™ across the Americas through our video games, hardware systems, and collaborations with partners on a range of other entertainment initiatives like feature films and theme parks.
  
Based in Redmond, Wash., Nintendo of America serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Americas. We are an equal opportunity employer offering a welcoming and inclusive environment in service to one another, our products, and the diverse consumers and communities we call home. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at . 

 
 
** This is a CONTRACT position
 
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:
  • LOCALIZATION
    • Translates and reviews game text, voice scripts, marketing materials, and supplementary development and
    • testing-related documents and materials as required to support Nintendo products and services through
    • launch and beyond.
    • Gains a deep understanding of assigned projects through hands-on game play, study of game
    • specifications, and collaboration with other team members.
    • Leverages expert knowledge of project to clearly communicate developer intent and enhance the user
    • experience through clear and well-translated text.
    • Provides cultural and creative input regarding localizing Nintendo products for the Americas.
    • Informs management in a timely manner regarding development schedule challenges, changes, and
    • delays.
    • Participates in table reads and other group feedback sessions.
    • Works with experienced staff and mentors to hone localization skills to follow Nintendo style for a variety of
    • franchises.
    • May communicate with first- and second-party developers regarding Nintendo product localization.
    • Builds and enhances relationships with Nintendo Company Limited (NCL) creative and development
    • partners.
    • May contribute to the naming process for game terms.
    • May assist with the planning and preparation for voice recording sessions.
    • Innovates and finds efficiencies in the localization process.
    • Collaborates closely with internal and external partners, especially testing resources, to ensure high quality
    • of localization.
    • May test and evaluate games and products and provide feedback regarding design and content for NOA
    • (Nintendo of America) territories.
    • May act as a product subject matter expert to assist other NOA (Nintendo of America) departments with
    • game-related support, including demonstrating games internally and capturing video and screenshots.
    • May collaborate with localization staff at NOE (Nintendo of Europe) to achieve alignment when necessary
    • by creating process efficiencies and leveraging resources.
    • May review machine translation, text from outsourcing and global partners for accuracy and consistency.
    • May review products for Legal and ESRB compliance and make recommendations for changes based on
    • target audience/business need.
    • May participate in content discussions and game evaluations and make recommendations on what games
    • are brought to market.
    • May provide guidance to improve overall game play, presentation, and user experience for product release
    • in the Americas.
    • Maintains awareness of culturalization topics, may identify issues and propose solutions as needed.
    • May act as liaison for NCL and development partners, including translating communication on behalf of
    • NOA.
    • May perform translation and interpreting for other departments and subsidiaries as required.
    • Interprets meetings, telephone calls, and video conferences related to game development and localization
    • and works to improve and maintain these skills.
    • May participate in the hiring process by participating in interviews.
    • May provide feedback on machine translation and other tools.
  • MARKETING
    • May interpret media interviews with developers.
    • Communicates product strengths, features, and differentiation points to upper management, Marketing,
    • and other internal stakeholders.
    • Reviews and evaluates product concepts and designs for acquisition, participates in planning marketing
    • strategies, provides input into the development of marketing materials, and/or coordinates resources.
    • Generates game-related content for websites, social media, and other consumer-facing portals.
    • May demonstrate games to media, participate in interviews, present on live streams, and support other
    • promotional efforts.
 

 
SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS:
  • One to three years of localization experience.
  • Knowledge and understanding of localization issues and market preferences recommended.
  • Ability to make recommendations regarding cultural/localization issues affecting software products.
  • Ability to grasp and preserve the creative vision of products during the localization process.
  • Knowledge of the game-development process helpful.
  • Experience producing high-quality results under tight deadlines.
  • Experience working with global teams helpful.
  • Familiarity with Nintendo franchises, products, and history.
  • Familiarity with historical and current video game industry for console, PC, and mobile markets preferred.
  • Strong communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
  • Proficient with Microsoft Office suite and ability to quickly become proficient with complex proprietary software.
  • Familiarity with Slack, Jira, and Confluence.
  • Familiarity with how tags work in programming languages preferred.
  • Ability to work in a highly confidential environment.
  • JAPANESE-BILINGUAL SPECIFIC:
    • Strong translation skills required.
    • Strong interpreting skills, including experience interpreting business meetings and/or conference calls.
    • Awareness and understanding of Japanese and US localization issues and market preferences
      recommended.
    • Familiarity with Japanese history, culture, customs and business protocol.
    • Familiarity with localization/CAT tools like translation memory, machine translation, and parsing tools, as
      well as content management systems preferred.
    • Undergraduate degree in Japanese, East Asian Studies, Linguistics, Translation, a related field, or
      equivalent experience.
    • Level 1 certification on the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test or equivalent in English if native Japanese
      speaker.
  • Requires basic knowledge of theories, principles and concepts within a job family; has exposure to current
    practices and procedures through coursework or internship.
  • Valid passport may be required.

     
 
  Applicants must be legally eligible to work in the United States to be considered. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.
  

** This is a CONTRACT position 

  

This position is hybrid in Redmond, WA. Hybrid positions require regular onsite work following the schedule and guidelines for their division. This position is not open to fully remote status at this time. 

  

This contract position has a base pay range of $29.40 - $44.10 per hour and is eligible for benefits through the employing agency. Agency benefits may include medical, dental and vision, 401(k), basic/supplemental life and AD&D insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, health and dependent care spending accounts, transportation benefits, employee assistance program, paid sick leave, and up to 6 paid holidays per year. All benefits are subject to elections, eligibility requirements, plan and program terms. Benefits offerings will be confirmed at the time of offer by the employing agency, and may differ depending on the employing agency partner.

   
 
#LI-Hybrid

JOB DATE: October 23, 2024

Similar Jobs

BitGo - Staff Backend Engineer

BitGo

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India (Hybrid)
6 Months ago
Evolution - Project Coordinator (Game Development)

Evolution

Riga, Latvia (On-Site)
4 Months ago
Dream Sports - SDE 2 - React Native

Dream Sports

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (On-Site)
4 Months ago
Xsolla - Software Engineer (Xsolla User Engagement)

Xsolla

Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory Of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (On-Site)
1 Week ago
Aesir Interactive - Senior Game Producer

Aesir Interactive

Munich, Bavaria, Germany (Hybrid)
1 Week ago
Universally Speaking - Korean Games Tester

Universally Speaking

Liverpool, England, United Kingdom (On-Site)
6 Days ago
Amber - Localization Quality Assurance (Indonesian)

Amber

Quebec, Canada (Hybrid)
1 Week ago
Universally Speaking - Russian Games Tester

Universally Speaking

Community Of Madrid, Spain (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
Universally Speaking - Italian Games Tester

Universally Speaking

Community Of Madrid, Spain (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
Altagram Group - Data Science Internship/Workstudent

Altagram Group

Germany (On-Site)
5 Days ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Similar Skill Jobs

Dream Sports - SDE 3 - Frontend

Dream Sports

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (On-Site)
5 Months ago
Amanotes - Senior Level Designer (New Games - Hybrid Casual Games)

Amanotes

Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Playtech - Integration Engineer

Playtech

Tallinn, Harju County, Estonia (On-Site)
4 Days ago
Rackspace Technology - Data Architect

Rackspace Technology

Vietnam (Remote)
6 Days ago
Dream Sports - Lead ML Scientist

Dream Sports

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (On-Site)
7 Months ago
Match Group - Product Operations Specialist

Match Group

San Francisco, California, United States (Hybrid)
5 Months ago
Dream Sports - Video Editor

Dream Sports

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Jagex - IT EUC Lead - 12 Month FTC

Jagex

Cambridge, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
1 Week ago
Larian Studios - RPG Designer | Concepteur des Jeux de rôle

Larian Studios

Quebec, Canada (On-Site)
2 Months ago
DraftKings - Senior Associate Delivery Manager

DraftKings

London, England, United Kingdom (On-Site)
4 Days ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Jobs in Redmond, Washington, United States

Globalization Partners - Customer Marketing Manager

Globalization Partners

United States (Remote)
1 Month ago
Payactiv - Software Engineer

Payactiv

Milpitas, California, United States (Hybrid)
5 Months ago
ByteDance - Product Manager - Legal - Information Systems - San Jose

ByteDance

San Jose, California, United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Next Level Business Services - .Net with L2 Production Support Raleigh, NC

Next Level Business Services

Raleigh, North Carolina, United States (On-Site)
5 Months ago
Rockstar Games - Senior Software Engineer (C#)

Rockstar Games

New York, New York, United States (On-Site)
8 Months ago
Ember Lab - Senior Lighting Designer

Ember Lab

California, United States (Hybrid)
2 Months ago
Riot Games - Staff Software Engineer III - VALORANT, Expressions Engineering

Riot Games

Los Angeles, California, United States (On-Site)
5 Months ago
Turtle Rock Studios - Senior VFX Artist

Turtle Rock Studios

California, United States (Remote)
1 Week ago
CharacterAI - Research Engineer, ML Systems

CharacterAI

New York, New York, United States (On-Site)
6 Days ago
Nintendo - Senior Engineer, CPU Debugger (NTD)

Nintendo

Redmond, Washington, United States (On-Site)
4 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Localization Jobs

Nintendo - Communication Coordinator Interpretation Specialist (m/f/d)

Nintendo

Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany (On-Site)
8 Months ago
Lionbridge Games - Software Linguistic Tester

Lionbridge Games

Masovian Voivodeship, Poland (On-Site)
1 Week ago
Altagram Group - Freelance Language Translators (m/f/d)

Altagram Group

Germany (Remote)
7 Months ago
Global Step - Localization QA Tester (LQA-Norwegian) – Part Time

Global Step

Portugal (On-Site)
5 Months ago
Electronic Arts - Videogame Tester - Finnish

Electronic Arts

Madrid, Community Of Madrid, Spain (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Amber - Localization Quality Assurance (Traditional Chinese TW)

Amber

Quebec, Canada (Hybrid)
1 Month ago
Nintendo - Senior Bilingual Communications Analyst

Nintendo

Redmond, Washington, United States (Hybrid)
9 Months ago
Dashtoon - Localization Specialist

Dashtoon

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India (On-Site)
6 Months ago
Nintendo - (Associate) Artwork Coordinator (m/f/d)

Nintendo

Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany (On-Site)
8 Months ago
Lionbridge Games - Korean to English (US) Gaming Translator

Lionbridge Games

(Remote)
6 Days ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

About The Company

Nintendo's mission is to put smiles on the faces of everyone we touch. We do so by creating new surprises for people across the world to enjoy together. We've forged our own path since 1889, when we began making hanafuda playing cards in Kyoto, Japan. Today, we’re fortunate to be able to share our characters, ideas and worlds through the medium of video games and the entertainment industry.


Nintendo of America, established in 1980 and based in Redmond, Washington, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo Co., Ltd. We are committed to delivering best-in-class products and services to our customers and to investing in the well-being of our employees as part of the global Nintendo family.


For more information about Nintendo please visit www.nintendo.com.

Redmond, Washington, United States (Hybrid)

Redmond, Washington, United States (Hybrid)

Redmond, Washington, United States (On-Site)

Redmond, Washington, United States (Hybrid)

Redmond, Washington, United States (Hybrid)

Redmond, Washington, United States (Hybrid)

Redmond, Washington, United States (Hybrid)

Redmond, Washington, United States (Hybrid)

Redmond, Washington, United States (Hybrid)

View All Jobs

Get notified when new jobs are added by Nintendo

Level Up Your Career in Game Development!

Transform Your Passion into Profession with Our Comprehensive Courses for Aspiring Game Developers.

Job Common Plug