Key Details

• Reporting to: Head of Global Recruitment

• Location: Iași, Romania – hybrid (3 days in the office, 2 days from home)

• Contract: Permanent, full time

• Team: Linguist Recruitment team and In-House Interpreting team

About The Role

Every day, people rely on Dals to be understood – in hospitals, courtrooms, police stations, schools and businesses. Behind every one of those conversations is a skilled linguist, and behind every linguist is our Linguist Recruitment team.

We are looking for a Linguist Supply Chain Manager to own and shape the freelance linguist supply chain that powers our services across more than 500 languages and dialects. You will make sure we have the right linguists, with the right skills, in the right places, at the right cost. You will also lead our In-House Interpreting team, who are at the heart of our service delivery.

This is an operations manager-level role for someone who combines strong people leadership with sharp analytical thinking. Linguist Recruitment is a fast-moving area: client demand shifts, new languages and regions emerge, and our processes and technology are always evolving. You will thrive here if you genuinely enjoy change, bring a positive, can-do attitude and help your team see opportunity rather than disruption.

You will be just as comfortable working independently – owning decisions, setting priorities and following through – as you are working as part of a collaborative leadership team. You'll also play a key part in our digital future, working with our Technology teams to shape how AI and automation can transform the linguist experience. Above all, you will have a real eye for detail: accurate data, compliant onboarding and well-managed costs are what keep our service reliable.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Freelance linguist supply chain

• Own the end-to-end freelance linguist supply chain – sourcing, recruitment, vetting, onboarding and retention – ensuring we have the capacity to meet current and future demand.

• Use demand data and forecasts to spot language, regional and skills gaps early, and build targeted plans to close them.

• Build and maintain a strong, engaged freelance linguist community, improving the linguist experience from first contact to first assignment and beyond.

• Ensure all linguists meet the required qualification, vetting and compliance standards, with accurate, audit-ready records.

Cost of supply

• Own and manage the cost of linguist supply, including pay rates, rate negotiations and recruitment spend.

• Monitor cost, margin and fill-rate trends, identifying where costs can be reduced without compromising quality or coverage.

• Contribute to budgets, forecasts and business cases with clear, evidence-based analysis.

In-House Interpreting team

• Lead, motivate and develop the In-House Interpreting team, balancing utilisation, quality and wellbeing.

• Plan schedules and capacity so in-house interpreters are deployed where they add most value alongside the freelance network.

People leadership

• Lead and coach the Linguist Recruitment team, setting clear goals, standards and priorities.

• Create a positive, open team culture where people feel supported through change and accountable for results.

• Recognise great performance and address underperformance promptly, fairly and consistently, working closely with People & Culture.

Analysis, insight and continuous improvement

• Own the KPIs and reporting for linguist supply – capacity, recruitment pipeline, time to onboard, fill rates, quality and cost.

• Dig into the detail to find root causes, then turn insight into practical, measurable action.

• Bring a structured continuous improvement approach (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen) to Linguist Recruitment – mapping processes, removing waste and reducing manual effort and rework.

• Build a culture where the team spots and suggests improvements, tests ideas quickly and shares what works.

• Make sure every improvement has a clear baseline, owner, success measure and review date, and is followed through until the benefit is proven.

• Simplify, standardise and automate processes, and embrace new systems and ways of working.

Technology, AI and the linguist life cycle

• Partner with our Technology and Product teams to design, test and roll out AI and automation across the linguist life cycle – from sourcing, screening and vetting to onboarding, engagement, scheduling and retention.

• Act as the voice of the business and our linguists: turn real operational challenges into clear requirements, and make sure new tools are practical, compliant and easy to use.

• Identify where AI can remove manual effort, speed up time to onboard, improve matching of linguists to demand and give better insight into capacity and cost.

• Lead user testing and adoption within your teams, track the benefits and keep improving tools based on feedback and data.

• Make sure AI is used responsibly, with appropriate human oversight, data protection (GDPR) and fairness for linguists and candidates.

Stakeholder management

• Build strong, trusted relationships with stakeholders across Operations, Client Services, Finance, Compliance, People & Culture and Technology, as well as senior leaders.

• Understand what each stakeholder needs from linguist supply, manage expectations and balance competing priorities openly and fairly.

• Influence and negotiate confidently – including with freelance linguists and external suppliers – to reach outcomes that work for the business, our clients and our linguists.

• Constructively challenge assumptions and requests, using data to explain impact, options and a clear recommendation.

• Give senior leaders clear, concise updates that support timely decisions, and represent Linguist Recruitment confidently in business reviews and steering meetings.

Leading change

• Lead your teams through ongoing change in Linguist Recruitment with clarity, positivity and pace.

• Bring stakeholders with you through change, making sure new ways of working are understood, adopted and embedded.

About You – Essential

• Experience at operations manager level (or equivalent), leading teams in a fast-paced recruitment, resourcing, workforce planning, supply chain or service environment.

• A proven people manager who motivates, develops and holds teams accountable – and brings out the best in others.

• Strong analytical skills: confident working with data, spotting trends, building reports and using evidence to make decisions.

• Experience managing costs, budgets or supplier rates, with a clear understanding of how operational decisions affect margin.

• Exceptional attention to detail – you notice what others miss and care about getting it right.

• Curious about technology and AI, and excited by how it can improve the way we work – you don't need to be technical, but you do need to be an enthusiastic adopter and champion of new tools.

• Adaptable and positive: you embrace change, stay calm under pressure and help others do the same.

• Able to work independently, take ownership and make decisions, while being a supportive, collaborative team player.

• Proven stakeholder management skills: you build trusted relationships at all levels, manage competing expectations and influence without relying on authority.

• A continuous improvement background, with clear examples of improving processes, reducing cost or waste, and measuring the results.

• Excellent communication skills, including the confidence to challenge constructively and present data-led recommendations to senior leaders.

• Excellent written and verbal English (C1 or above).

Desirable

• Experience in language services, interpreting or translation, or managing freelance / contractor networks.

• Experience of high-volume recruitment, vetting or onboarding.

• Experience leading interpreters or other client-facing professionals.

• Experience implementing new systems, automation or digital workflows.

• Experience working with Technology or Product teams to develop or implement AI tools – for example as a business lead, product owner or key user.

• A formal continuous improvement qualification (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma Green/Yellow Belt) or similar training.

• Additional languages are a bonus.

How Success Will Be Measured

• We consistently have the right linguist capacity across languages, regions and service types to meet demand.

• Language and regional gaps are identified early and closed quickly.

• The cost of supply is understood, controlled and improving, with savings achieved without compromising quality.

• Time to recruit and onboard linguists is reduced, with accurate and compliant records.

• The In-House Interpreting team is well utilised, engaged and delivering high-quality service.

• Your teams are motivated, engaged and confident through change.

• Stakeholders trust Linguist Recruitment: expectations are clear, issues are raised early and feedback on the service is positive.

• Senior leaders receive clear, reliable reporting and recommendations that enable timely decisions.

• A pipeline of continuous improvements is in place, with measurable savings in time, cost and rework.

• AI and automation tools are successfully adopted across the linguist life cycle, with measurable gains in speed, quality and linguist experience.

• Processes are simpler, more automated and ready to scale as we grow.

Your First 90 Days

We want you to make an impact quickly. In your first 90 days you will:

• Get to know your teams, stakeholders and our freelance linguist community, and understand what each needs from Linguist Recruitment.

• Review the end-to-end linguist supply chain – sourcing, vetting, onboarding, capacity and cost of supply – and identify the biggest gaps and opportunities.

• Review the In-House Interpreting team's utilisation, scheduling and ways of working.

• Agree the key KPIs and baselines you will use to measure performance and cost.

• Meet our Technology teams to understand our systems and AI roadmap, and identify where AI could add most value across the linguist life cycle.

• Set out your continuous improvement plan, with clear priorities, quick wins and longer-term goals, and share it with senior stakeholders.

What’s In It For You?

Join a language services company with over 20 years' experience delivering first-class interpreting and translation services to the public and private sectors in more than 500 languages and dialects. In this role, your work directly helps break down language barriers every single day – making sure people can access healthcare, justice and vital public services in a language they understand.

You will have real ownership of an area that is critical to our success, the backing of a supportive leadership team and the chance to shape how Linguist Recruitment grows and evolves.

• New starters welcome package

• Hybrid work set up (3 days in the office, 2 days from home)

• Private Medical & Mental & Dental insurance (Regina Maria)

• Meal Vouchers

• Yearly public transportation reimbursement %

• Yearly Eyeglasses Replacement Budget (600 RON)

• 22 Annual leave days, with +1 annual leave day per year worked

• Seniority bonus starting 2nd year of employment (2%), increasing exponentially until 5th year;

• Game/Recreation Room

• Roof top terrace

• Brand new modern office centrally located

• Monthly & Yearly Employee awards

• A collaborative, dynamic and growth-focused team

• Engagement and fun events throughout the year

• Training and career development opportunities within a new and rapid growing business

• Flexible Hybrid work set up (as planned with the team management)

• Summer & Xmas party

• Daily Breakfast in the office

• Coffee & Tea

• Fruits & Sweets

How To Apply

Please apply with your CV and a short cover letter (no more than one page). In your cover letter, please tell us:

• About a continuous improvement you led – what the problem was, what you changed and the measurable results it delivered.

• About a time you managed competing priorities across different stakeholders, and how you reached a positive outcome.

We review applications on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early.

About Dals

Everyone Understood

At Dals, we help people and organizations overcome the critical language challenges they face every day. Our first-class interpreting and translation services cover more than 500 languages, including BSL and other non-spoken languages. We connect clients and their service users with crucial expertise, whenever and wherever they need it – because the world is a better, fairer place when everyone is understood.

Our people are our future, and we take care of them. Through community partnerships and social value initiatives, we work continuously to make sure Dals has a positive impact on the world. We are proud to be:

• Disability Confident Committed employer

• Armed Forces Covenant pledger

• Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme awardee

• Mindful Employer

• Able Futures member

• Accredited Real Living Wage Employer

• Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion member

If you're a positive, detail-driven leader who loves data, people and change, we'd love to hear from you – apply today!

Applicants must be Romanian residents and, by the start of employment, have permission to work in Romania. You will also be required to complete a basic criminal record check for this role.

Dals is committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination, whether direct or indirect. We actively work with our staff and clients to ensure equal treatment for all individuals, irrespective of age, gender, marital status, race, ethnic origin, nationality, disability, sexuality or religion.

Find out more at https://dals.co.uk