Japanese Language Lead (AI)

TL;DR

Japanese Language Lead (AI): Managing and auditing Japanese language data for voice AI models with an accent on linguistic accuracy, pronunciation, and prosody. Focus on establishing ground truth for TTS output, managing annotation quality, and solving complex linguistic edge cases.

Location: Remote (Preference for availability during US Pacific business hours)

Salary: $25 – $35 per hour

Company

hirify.global is an AI startup pioneering new model architectures, such as State Space Models (SSMs), to build efficient, large-scale foundation models.

What you will do

• Act as the primary linguistic resource and point of contact for all Japanese voice AI quality decisions.
• Manage end-to-end language quality, including auditing data and monitoring product performance.
• Evaluate TTS output to provide ground truth assessments of pronunciation, prosody, and naturalness.
• Develop and update annotation guidelines, rubrics, and onboarding materials for annotators.
• Investigate customer-reported language-specific issues to identify root causes.
• Coordinate project deliverables and timelines with the Human Evals Manager.

Requirements

• Native-level proficiency in Japanese as spoken in Japan.
• Strong written English proficiency for guidelines, reports, and team communication.
• Strong foundation in linguistics, specifically in phonetics, prosody, and intonation.
• Experience with data annotation, transcription, or language quality assurance.
• Ability to work independently and manage complex feedback cycles without close oversight.
• Authorization to work in your country of residence.

Nice to have

• Experience with audio evaluation, TTS, or STT.
• Experience training, mentoring, or managing other annotators.
• Conversational spoken English proficiency for meetings and calibration syncs.
• Experience working with distributed, remote teams.

Culture & Benefits

• Fast-paced execution environment focused on novel and cutting-edge AI.
• Open and inclusive culture aimed at providing resources for individual success.
• Flexible scheduling with a target of roughly 40 hours per week.
• Ongoing contractor engagement renewable by mutual agreement.