Lead Localization Operations Program Manager

About the role

Leading Localization at Global Scale

Airbnb began in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests into their San Francisco home. Today, this experiment has blossomed into a global network with over 5 million hosts welcoming more than 2 billion guest arrivals. These hosts create unique stays and experiences, enabling guests to connect with communities in authentic ways. We are seeking a Technical Program Manager to join our Localization Operations team and help define how we deliver these culturally resonant experiences.

The Localization Operations team is the engine that ensures guests encounter Airbnb in their preferred language and cultural context. In this role, you will architect the future of localization at Airbnb. You will own the technical roadmap, driving process innovation and automation that allows our platform to scale across hundreds of languages and markets. Your work will ensure that every phrase, image, and interface feels native to each user, preserving the spirit of our hosts' offerings. This is a pivotal role for someone who thrives at the intersection of technology, language, and global operations.

As a Technical Program Manager, you will be the central orchestrator for complex localization initiatives. Your primary mission is to transform high-level business goals into tangible, executable technical strategies. You will partner with engineering, product, and external vendors to build the infrastructure that powers our localization ecosystem. Your decisions will directly impact the speed and quality with which we enter new markets. You will be accountable for the end-to-end journey of localization, ensuring that solutions are robust, scalable, and aligned with Airbnb's core values.

A typical day in this role involves significant ownership and cross-functional influence. You will manage the lifecycle of localization programs from conception to completion, serving as the single point of accountability for technical execution. You will act as a trusted advisor to localization leadership, breaking down strategic priorities into detailed technical roadmaps. When tradeoffs arise, you will surface them early to ensure alignment and manage risk. You will also lead the design and implementation of scalable solutions, leveraging current technology to improve quality, reduce cost, and increase delivery speed.

Your technical leadership will shape the direction of localization for years to come. You will work closely with localization leadership and internationalization engineering partners to define the long-term tech vision. This involves managing technical integrations with external Language Service and Technology providers. You will evaluate and implement solutions that keep Airbnb at the forefront of language technology. Your guidance will ensure that our tools, processes, and technologies evolve alongside the global tech landscape.

This role demands a high degree of technical fluency and business acumen. You must be comfortable navigating complex language technology APIs and machine translation pipelines. You will distill intricate AI and ML concepts into clear narratives for both technical and non-technical audiences. Your communication skills must be exceptional, allowing you to influence senior leadership and drive operational excellence. You will translate abstract ideas into concrete actions that deliver measurable business value.

To succeed in this position, you need a proven track record of managing technically complex programs. You should have 9 or more years of experience in Technical Program Management or a related field. Your history should demonstrate the ability to own end-to-end journeys for global, high-stakes initiatives. You must be a self-starter who can operate independently while coordinating across a matrix of teams.

Specific expertise in localization and internationalization is essential. You should have a deep understanding of the challenges involved in delivering content across different languages and cultures. Experience with machine translation, MT pipelines, and AI-driven content evaluation systems is highly valued. You will be responsible for establishing quality gates and review checkpoints. This ensures that translations maintain accuracy, tone, and cultural relevance at every level.

You will also champion a culture of continuous improvement. This involves creating frameworks to measure the success of localization efforts. You will analyze data to identify bottlenecks and refine processes. Your insights will help streamline workflows and accelerate time-to-market for new language markets. You will map cross-functional dependencies to remove friction and streamline the entire localization lifecycle.

This is an opportunity to define a critical function within a world-class organization. If you are passionate about technology, language, and global scale, we encourage you to apply. You will have the freedom to innovate and the impact to shape the future of travel. Please confirm specific details regarding the role on the official application page.

What you'll do

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