Sr. Manager, Localization

Elastic, the Search AI Company, enables everyone to find the answers they need in real time, using all their data, at scale — unleashing the potential of businesses and people. The Elastic Search AI Platform, used by more than 50% of the Fortune 500, brings together the precision of search and the intelligence of AI to enable everyone to accelerate the results that matter. By taking advantage of all structured and unstructured data — securing and protecting private information more effectively — Elastic’s complete, cloud-based solutions for search, security, and observability help organizations deliver on the promise of AI.

What is The Role

Elastic is seeking an experienced localization leader to build and manage our global localization program. You'll be responsible for developing and driving our localization strategy, building a high-performing team, and ensuring the successful delivery of multilingual content across our marketing channels.

In this role, you'll own our end-to-end localization program, from technology selection to team development, and drive our expansion into new markets. Your impact will extend across the organization as you shape our global voice, build world-class localization capabilities, and contribute directly to our international growth and success.

What You Will Be Doing

• Develop and implement a comprehensive localization strategy aligned with our global business objectives
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Product, Marketing, and Engineering to ensure seamless content localization
• Gather, analyze and report on data, establish localization plans to scale the localization program within Elastic
• Build, lead, and mentor a team of localization professionals, including project managers and linguistic specialists
• Maintain relationships with and measure the performance of language service providers (LSPs)
• Manage our localization technology solutions, including Translation Management Systems (TMS), and measure their performance. We use Smartling.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to optimize localization workflows, processes, and best practices
• Manage the localization budget and track key performance metrics
• Define and maintain translation quality standards, style guides, and glossaries
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency and quality

What You Bring

• 8-10+ years of hands-on experience in localization management, with at least 5 years in a leadership role
• Proven track record of building and scaling localization programs in a high-growth technology company
• Extensive experience partnering with regional marketers
• Deep understanding of enterprise localization workflows, tools, and best practices
• Demonstrated experience selecting and implementing localization technology, including TMS platforms
• Strong vendor management experience, including LSP evaluation and relationship building
• Track record of successful budget management for multi-million dollar localization programs
• Experience developing style guides, glossaries, and quality standards across multiple languages
• Strong analytical skills with experience using data to drive process improvements
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder management abilities

Bonus Points

• Experience with enterprise software or SaaS product localization
• Hands-on experience with AI and machine translation and post-editing workflows
• Background in technical content localization
• Professional certification in localization management
• Multilingual ability
• Experience with agile development methodologies

#LI-MLS

Compensation for this role is in the form of base salary.  This role does not have a variable compensation component.  

The typical starting salary range for new hires in this role is listed below.  In select locations (including Seattle WA, Los Angeles CA, the San Francisco Bay Area CA, and the New York City Metro Area), an alternate range may apply as specified below. 

These ranges represent the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting.  We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the ranges may be modified in the future.  

An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

Elastic believes that employees should have the opportunity to share in the value that we create together for our sharehold