Team Leader – Language Lead, Translation Services

Summary
Defence Construction Canada (DCC) is seeking a Team Leader – Language Lead to join our evolving Translation Services team—a collaborative group of professionals that thrives on producing high-quality timely work and that values professionalism, teamwork, and personal growth. The ideal candidate is a language specialist with an exceptional eye for detail, and experience building and maintaining language databases and providing language mentorship to a skilled translation team. Demonstrating superior translation and review skills, the Team Leader leads the ongoing development and implementation of strategies to guarantee consistent, high-quality linguistic output, tailored to meet organizational goals and stakeholder expectations.

Location: 100% remote or hybrid work environment; 2 days a week in the office in Ottawa

What you bring
You are passionate about language and skilled in both French and English. You have experience harnessing your superior translation and review skills to deliver polished and accurate French translation. Your expertise will drive the development of language resources and creative solutions, fostering a culture of collaboration and performance. Drawing on your strong leadership and human resources management skills, you will inspire your team to consistently achieve high-quality results while upholding our commitment to service excellence.

Your opportunity and responsibilities
Working closely with the Program Leader, Translation Services, you will establish and uphold rigorous linguistic standards while staying attuned to emerging trends and industry best practices. You'll take responsibility for developing, enriching, and maintaining comprehensive terminology management resources, ensuring our language tools remain authoritative and robust. A natural mentor and respected authority, you will guide translator-revisers, offering expert advice on linguistic nuance, translation excellence, and ongoing professional growth. You will arbitrate complex terminology and linguistic matters, standing as the team's primary reference for difficult or sensitive language issues. As a team supervisor, you will support recruitment, onboarding, and the ongoing professional development of your team.  

You will lead the development and implementation of strategies to guarantee consistent, high-quality linguistic output, tailored to meet organizational goals and stakeholder expectations. Your collaborative approach will see you working closely with internal partners and external stakeholders to align language practices with our broader communication objectives.

If you are ready to champion linguistic quality, inspire excellence, and shape the future of our language practices, we invite you to join us.

Your skills, experience, and fit

• Minimum: university degree in translation, terminology, linguistics, or related field.
• Experience: At least five years in translation, review, terminology management, and use of translation software, preferably in an agency setting.
• Comprehensive understanding of language, style, and translation standards.
• Demonstrated leadership and human resources management skills.
• Excellent review, editing, and proofreading skills to ensure clarity, accuracy, and consistency.
• Familiarity with standard translation tools, Microsoft Office, project management principles, and communications best practices.
• Membership in a professional association such as Ordre des traducteurs terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec or Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario is preferred.

As the successful candidate, you may fulfill your role in hybrid mode (2 days a week in the office) if you live in the National Capital Region. You may also work remotely in Canada (within easy commuting distance of a major centre or travel hub).

Meet the team
Join a small but growing collaborative translation team that works like an in-house agency, supporting a variety of business units and projects. In fact, we'll count on you to help build the unit– and our reputation. Day to day, you'll work as part of a supportive team of expert linguists that offers the full range of translation skills and expertise. We collaborate constantly and will look to you for your expert advice and insight as we meet the needs of internal client groups located wherever there are military bases across Canada. Here, you can grow your skills, help shape DCC's mission, and enjoy a strong culture where people know they are valued—as reflected in our 93% employee retention rate.

Check out your benefits
Working with us offers excellent opportunities for growth and advancement—and entitles you to one of the job market's best benefits packages valued at between 25 and 30% of your salary.

Your package includes:

Health and Wellness
o    100% employer-paid annual sick leave, and health and dental premiums
o    $400 wellness allowance to help cover expenses such as a gym membership
o    $1,500 for mental health services on top of regular $1,500 paramedical coverage
o    Telus Virtual Health Care and $750 Health Care Spending Account for some expenses not covered under provincial plans

Home and Family
o    Life, accidental-death, and short-term disability insurance
o    Enhanced inConfidence employee and family assistance program
o    Maternity and parental leave top-up plan to 93% of regular gross earnings for up to 37 weeks
o    Flexible workplace options, including $400 allowance every two years, to support working from home

Leave and Retirement
o    Public-service pension
o    Comprehensive vacation and other paid-leave plans, along with deluxe travel benefit plans

How to apply?
To be considered for this position, please submit a recent resume detailing your experience and a cover letter. Please use the cover letter to tell us about your recent experience as a linguistic expert and mentor. How do you feel that experience has prepared you to take on this role?