Manager, Localization (YouTube)

Disney Entertainment segment includes the company’s full portfolio of entertainment media and content businesses globally, including streaming. The Digital Marketing team oversees the creative, publishing, and operations of Disney Entertainment's global portfolio, building authentic stories that create lasting relationships with new audiences and fuel fandom across key brands. 

The YouTube Localization team makes sure that storytelling travels, enabling worldwide distribution of content by overseeing localization, media asset management, quality control, and global delivery across Disney's portfolio of YouTube channels, so every story meets audiences in the language and context where they'll feel it most. 

Job Summary:

The Manager, YouTube Localization leads the operational execution of localization workflows supporting Disney Entertainment's global YouTube portfolio. This role owns the end-to-end lifecycle of localized content from source asset intake through localization, quality control, stakeholder review, and final delivery — partnering closely with the Mastering team to ensure assets are technically ready for distribution across international markets. 

The Manager serves as the primary operational partner for internal creative teams, regional stakeholders, and external localization vendors, balancing creative intent with scalable, nimble processes that can turn around quickly as priorities and trends shift. This role also looks for opportunities to improve workflows through automation and fresh thinking, revisiting processes regularly rather than letting them go stale, and identifies emerging technologies that can help. 

The ideal candidate combines strong project management skills with experience in digital media operations, localization, technical quality control, and vendor management, and brings genuine curiosity about how stories connect across cultures and markets. Success in this role requires exceptional organization and communication, the ability to manage multiple concurrent productions in a fast-paced global environment, and a consistent eye toward what's actually driving audience engagement and business results. 

Responsibilities:  

• Gather, organize, and track localization assets for YouTube content

• Communicate with localization vendors to request bids, confirm deliverables, and manage timelines 

• Maintain localization records and update documentation using established templates and systems (e.g., Airtable, Box) 

• Coordinate with the Mastering team to confirm localized assets meet technical specifications and that all required deliverables are fulfilled

• Traffic assets to key stakeholders and reviewers 

• Generate, maintain, and distribute localization-focused project trackers to stakeholders, flagging milestones, delays, and issues, and proposing solutions 

• Assist in tracking localization budgets, costs, and invoicing, working with Digital Marketing's Finance and Operations teams

• Manage assets into and within designated repositories, archives, and catalogs 

• Liaise with YouTube Creative and Publishing teams to ensure content delivers as required and on time to fulfill Digital Marketing plans 

• Participate in team meetings and share updates on assigned tasks 

Responsibilities and Duties of the Role: 

Localization & Global Content Operations  

• Own end-to-end localization operations supporting Disney Entertainment's YouTube content portfolio.

• Manage localization schedules, milestones, budgets, and delivery timelines across multiple concurrent productions. 

• Coordinate the creation and delivery of localized dubbing, subtitling, accessibility assets, translated metadata, titles, graphics, and marketing materials.Perform and oversee quality control to ensure localized assets meet Disney and platform creative and linguistic standards. 

• Route assets through internal review and approval workflows while incorporating stakeholder feedback. 

• Manage localization budgets, purchase orders, invoicing, and forecasting in partnership with Finance and Operations.

• Maintain asset repositories, metadata, documentation, and reporting across Airtable, Box, and internal asset management systems. 

• Coordinate distribution of localized assets to regional publishing partners, helping content reach audiences the way it was meant to be experienced. 

• Build and maintain strong partnerships with regional stakeholders and cross-functional teams — the connective tissue that helps every story travel well.

• Manage and mentor team, delegating work, reviewing output, and supporting team growth and development. 

Vendor Management & Oversight 

• Serve as the primary operational point of contact for external localization vendors, agencies, and freelance partners.

• Solicit, evaluate, and negotiate vendor bids and rate cards; issue and manage work orders and statements of work. 

• Monitor vendor performance against SLAs, quality benchmarks, and delivery timelines; conduct regular vendor performance reviews. 

• Identify, vet, and onboard new localization vendors as language coverage or capacity needs expand.

• Manage vendor escalations and resolve delivery or quality disputes, balancing creative standards with schedule and budget realities. 

• Partner with Legal and Platform Operations on vendor contracts, renewals, rate structures, and compliance requirements. 

• Build collaborative vendor relationships that raise the bar over time rather than resetting with every project. 

Media Delivery Support 

• Partner with the Mastering teams to ensure localized assets are technically conformed, versioned, and packaged for final delivery.

• Confirm localized media assets meet technical delivery specifications and publishing requirements prior to distribution. 

• Troubleshoot delivery issues related to localized versions in partnership with Creative, Publishing, and Mastering teams. 

• Maintain delivery logs and documentation for localized asset versions across YouTube and cross-platform distribution. 

Process Improvement & Innovation 

• Evaluate emerging localization technologies and workflow automation to improve operational efficiency and content quality.

• Pilot and optimize the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) for translation, script adaptation, metadata localization, subtitle generation, and quality assurance. 

• Identify opportunities to streamline localization workflows through automation while maintaining Disney's creative standards and technical requirements. 

• Partner with internal Platform Operations and other enterprise technology teams to assess new capabilities and recommend scalable solutions for global content distribution.

• Bring a fresh, curious perspective to recurring workflow challenges, comfortable revisiting processes that no longer serve the work.

Required Education, Experience/Skills/Training:

Required Skills 

• Demonstrated knowledge of audiovisual localization workflows, including dubbing, subtitling, accessibility, metadata localization, and quality control.

• Strong understanding of digital content production, localization scheduling, budgeting, and delivery workflows, preferably for YouTube or other digital media platforms. 

• Experience managing localization vendors, external agencies, and cross-functional stakeholders across multiple concurrent projects, including bid negotiation, SLA management, and vendor performance evaluation. 

• Knowledge of digital video formats, media specifications, file-based workflows, and quality control standards, with comfort partnering closely with mastering and other technical teams.

• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to prioritize competing deadlines and turn things around quickly in a fast-paced environment. 

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to build strong relationships across creative, technical, operational, and business teams. 

• Demonstrated problem-solving skills with the ability to identify risks, troubleshoot issues, and proactively drive projects to resolution.

• Experience managing project budgets, vendor bids, purchase orders, invoicing, and cost tracking, with an eye toward what's actually driving engagement and return on investment. 

• Strong attention to detail with a commitment to operational excellence and delivering high-quality, emotionally resonant content. 

• Experience working with project management, asset management, and collaboration platforms such as Airtable, Box, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, SharePoint, Smartsheet, Frame.io, or similar tools.

• Familiarity with AI-assisted localization technologies, Large Language Models (LLMs), machine translation, workflow automation, or emerging localization technologies is highly desirable. 

• A naturally curious, adaptable mindset, comfortable trying new approaches and quick to spot what's no longer working. 

• Passion for digital media, streaming platforms, and YouTube, with an affinity for key Disney brands and experiences.  Genuine enthusiasm for sharing the team's work and story with others. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience supporting multilingual content distribution across global markets.

• Experience supporting content across Brands, Franchises, Parks, Cruise Lines, Marketing, and/or Public Affairs verticals. 

• Experience with media asset management (MAM), digital asset management (DAM), or localization management systems. 

• Familiarity with subtitle authoring, localization QA tools, and media delivery platforms.

• Experience working with external localization vendors including dubbing studios, subtitling providers, and media service partners. 

• Understanding of YouTube platform requirements, metadata, publishing workflows, and content policies. 

Required Experience 

• 5+ years of experience in audiovisual localization, digital media operations, project management, post-production, or digital content production.

• Experience managing complex, multi-language localization projects from planning through delivery. 

• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives involving creative, production, operations, legal, finance, and external vendors. 

• Experience managing project schedules, budgets, risk mitigation, and stakeholder communications.

• Experience supporting global content distribution for streaming, broadcast, social, or digital platforms is preferred. 

Education 

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Film & Television, Media Production, Business Administration, Localization, Project Management, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

• PMP, Agile, Scrum, localization certifications (e.g., ATA, GALA, or equivalent), or AI/Localization certifications are a plus. 

• Localization or translation management certification (e.g., GALA, ATA, MIIS, Localization Academy) preferred. 

• Experience with merging localization technologies, translation management systems (TMS), and CAT tools is a plus.