Language Data Specialist

Reports to: Product Manager, Kiwa Digital

Start: Immediately

Type: Fixed-term contract to 20 December 2026 — full-time (part-time considered)

Location: Remote, with hybrid workspace available in Wellington or Auckland

About us

Kiwa Digital delivers the production and technical side of an ongoing programme to build and maintain comprehensive, linguistically accurate dictionary of an endangered Indigenous language, delivered to the public through a dictionary app. The project involves gathering, processing and structuring entries and refining them to meet the standards of the partner language authority.

About the role

The Language Data Specialist creates, processes and prepares the language data at the heart of the dictionary. Working from a range of source materials, you build and structure entries — drawing on a strong feel for language and how dictionaries are put together — and make sure each is accurate, complete and consistent before it goes for approval. Final linguistic and cultural authority rests with the partner language authority, who approve every entry; you prepare the data to a high standard for that approval and report to the Product Manager.

Key responsibilities

• Creating and processing language data — build, structure and prepare entries from source materials; apply an understanding of language (spelling systems, parts of speech, pronunciation, meaning) to keep them accurate.
• Quality and consistency — check every batch before approval; raise questions for the language authority rather than making the final call.
• Data management — keep large, multi-source datasets clean, organised and version-controlled.
• Tools and automation — use AI tools including Claude to speed up repetitive processing (training given).
• Progress reporting — keep simple dashboards and reports current (demoted to last, framed as light).

About you

• Possible background in linguistics, languages, translation, education, TESOL, lexicography or a related field — gained through study, work or lived experience
• Interest in detailed language work: meticulous, consistent with words, meanings, spelling systems and structure
• Comfortable using technology and AI tools to process language data at scale — able to operate Claude confidently, with full training provided.
• Excel profficiency
• Able to manage multiple sources and workstreams in parallel
• A clear communicator who can flag questions, progress, risks and blockers plainly to the Product Manager
• An understanding of the sensitivity of Indigenous language and cultural material, and respect for the boundary between preparing the data and the language authority who approves it
• Respect for the sovereignty of the partner community over its language, data and cultural knowledge, and a willingness to follow the cultural protocols and governance that apply
• A commitment to strict confidentiality and to handling all project data securely and appropriately
• Highly desirable: experience with language-revitalisation, dictionary, archival or localisation projects; a second language, or experience learning or teaching one