Localization Operations Manager

We power people’s progress.

At Preply, we’re all about creating life-changing learning experiences. We help people discover the magic of the perfect tutor, craft a personalised learning journey, and stay motivated to keep growing. Our approach is human-led, tech-enabled - and it’s creating real impact.

We’ve just reached unicorn status with a $150M Series D, accelerating our vision to transform education through human-led, AI-enhanced learning. Today, 100,000+ tutors teach 90+ languages to learners in 180 countries - and we’re only getting started. As a category-defining company, we’re shaping what the future of learning looks like at global scale.

Every Preply lesson sparks change, fuels ambition, and drives progress that matters. Joining Preply means helping define the future of education at global scale, and building something that truly matters for millions of people, every day.

Meet the team!

At Preply, we're on a mission to create world-class, localized experiences that connect learners and tutors across the globe. As a Localization Operations Manager, you'll play a key role in shaping how our product resonates across different languages and cultures.

You'll be joining a dynamic, cross-functional team that is passionate about ensuring every user experience feels authentic and impactful, no matter where they are in the world. We thrive on innovation, collaboration, and a data-driven approach to quality, balancing linguistic excellence with the speed of global expansion.

About the Role

We are seeking a strategic, people-focused and execution-driven Localization Operations Manager to oversee localization operations end-to-end while directly managing 3+ Localization Project Managers.

You will be accountable for team performance, operational health, and the long-term evolution of localization operations as a strategic capability at Preply.

This is not only about delivering projects, it’s about building a high-performing team and a scalable localization ecosystem that supports Preply’s global growth.

What you’ll be doing

1. Localization Operations Strategy & Ownership

• Own and evolve the operations end-to-end localization operating model across key business domains and act as the accountable owner of localization operational health and scalability

• Design and continuously optimize workflows that adapt to new content types, features, and evolving business needs

• Ensure localization is embedded fully in content development cycles to prevent reactive execution

2. Data, Measurement & Performance Framework

• Evolve the localization operations measurement framework, defining and reporting on clear success metrics across speed, cost and scalability, integrating it with the existing quality measurement framework.

• Go beyond activity tracking to connect localization efforts with measurable outcomes and company goals (e.g., feature adoption, user engagement, market performance, expansion readiness)and provide clarity and transparency to senior cross-functional stakeholders via reporting mechanisms.

• Lead quarterly capacity planning, demand forecasting and utilization optimization

This role is accountable not only for defining and monitoring metrics, but for ensuring that localization becomes a data-informed function that continuously improves and clearly demonstrates its impact on business outcomes.

3. Team Leadership & Development

• Directly manage 3+ Localization Project Managers: Provide strategic oversight while empowering project managers to independently own their domains

• Elevate team capabilities in stakeholder management, operational thinking, and data-driven decision-making

• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and disciplined execution

Success in this area means building a team that operates autonomously, delivers consistently, and demonstrates readiness for next-level growth.

4. Project & Delivery Excellence

• Ensure complex, multi-language product localization initiatives are delivered with predictability and quality

• Oversee timelines, resource allocation, and risk mitigation across concurrent initiatives

• Promote and standardize best practices across the team to drive consistency and efficiency

• Act as point of contact for selected workstreams (planning, end-to-end project delivery)

5. Vendor Strategy & Process Governance

• Define and monitor vendor KPIs aligned with quality, cost-efficiency and scalability goals

• Collaborate with Quality workstream on evolving vendor and QA strategy

• Optimize vendor mix and pricing models to balance speed, quality and financial sustainability

• Drive governance, documentation, and process standardization across the localization ecosystem

6. Technology & Innovation

• Represent localization operations in tooling and automation initiatives by defining strategic operational requirements and scalability needs to inform tooling decisions

• Partner closely with the Technical Localization Project Manager, who owns execution and implementation

• Identify opportunities where automation and AI can meaningfully improve efficiency, quality, and scalability

What you need to succeed

• 7+ years of localization experience, including senior-level project management

• 2+ years of people management experience (direct management preferred) and demonstrated success building and developing high-performing teams

• Proven track record of scaling localization operations in fast-growing tech environments

• Experience managing complex, multi-language product localization ecosystems

• Strong operational mindset with experience defining KPIs and performance tracking

• Strategic thinking with the ability to connect operations to business impact

• Experience leading vendor strategy and external partnerships

• Strong stakeholder management skills across senior cross-functional leaders

• Experience driving AI adoption or automation initiatives in localization

• Familiarity with localization tools, CAT tools, and workflow platforms

• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills

• Professional fluency in English

• Native proficiency in Polish, Japanese, Korean, Turkish or Arabic is a plus

• EdTech or marketplace experience is a plus
  

Why you’ll love it at Preply

• An open, collaborative, dynamic and diverse culture;

• A generous monthly allowance for lessons on Preply.com, Learning & Development budget and time off for your self-development;

• A competitive financial package with equity, leave allowance and health insurance;

• Not in Barcelona? We offer an attractive relocation package to join us in our Preply Barcelona Hub;

• Access to free mental health support platforms;

• Access to Gympass-partnered wellness and gym centers throughout Spain to promote and support well-being and physical health;

• The opportunity to shape the lives of learners and tutors through language learning and teaching in 175 countries (and counting!).

Our Principles

• Care to change the world - We are passionate about our work and care deeply about its impact to be life changing.

• We do it for learners - For both Preply and tutors, learners are why we do what we do. Every day we focus on empowering tutors to deliver an exceptional learning experience.

• Keep perfecting - To create an outstanding customer experience, we focus on simplicity, smoothness, and enjoyment, continually perfecting it as every detail matters.

• Now is the time - In a fast-paced world, it matters how quickly we act. Now is the time to make great things happen.

• Disciplined execution - What makes us disciplined is the excellence in our execution. We set clear goals, focus on what matters, and utilize our resources efficiently.

• Dive deep - We leverage business acumen and curiosity to investigate disparities between numbers and stories, unlocking meaningful insights to guide our decisions.

• Growth mindset - We proactively seek growth opportunities and believe today's best performance becomes tomorrow's starting point. We humbly embrace feedback and learn from setbacks.

• Raise the bar - We raise our performance standards continuously, alongside each new hire and promotion. We build diverse and high-performing teams that can make a real difference.

• Challenge, disagree and commit - We value open and candid communication, even when we don’t fully agree. We speak our minds, challenge when necessary, and fully commit to decisions once made.

• One Preply - We prioritize collaboration, inclusion, and the success of our team over personal ambitions. Together, we support and celebrate each other's progress.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Preply.com is committed to creating an inclusive environment where people of diverse backgrounds can thrive. We believe that the presence of different opinions and viewpoints is a key ingredient for our success as a multicultural Ed-Tech company. That means that Preply will consider all applications for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or veteran status.