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Senior

Linguist

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Closes on November 30, 2026

LinguisticsLomé, TogoContractSenior

JOB VACANCY

Recruitment of Linguists

01. ABOUT UMBAJI

Umbaji is a technology company dedicated to developing advanced artificial intelligence solutions that address the specific needs and realities of the African continent.

Our work focuses on designing and developing Large Language Models (LLMs) for African languages, as well as building intelligent assistant systems tailored to specialized domains, including education, culture, and automation.

Through our initiatives, we contribute to the preservation, development, and technological advancement of African linguistic resources, enabling artificial intelligence systems to understand, process, and generate content in local languages.

Our Vision: Making artificial intelligence accessible, useful, and relevant to Africa.

02. POSITION OVERVIEW

As part of the expansion of our artificial intelligence and language technology initiatives, Umbaji is recruiting qualified Linguists to support the collection, processing, verification, and validation of multilingual linguistic resources.

Selected candidates will contribute to producing high-quality language datasets essential for training, evaluating, and improving artificial intelligence models designed for the target languages.

03. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the project team, selected Linguists will be responsible for:

  • Linguistic Transcription: Accurately transcribing audio recordings, spoken utterances, and other linguistic content in the target languages.
  • Multilingual Translation: Producing accurate and contextually appropriate translations between the target languages and French or English, according to project requirements.
  • Quality Assurance: Reviewing and verifying the linguistic accuracy, consistency, and compliance of completed transcriptions and translations.
  • Linguistic Review and Correction: Identifying and correcting errors related to transcription, translation, spelling, grammar, terminology, and sentence construction.
  • Compliance with Linguistic Standards: Strictly adhering to established transcription conventions, annotation guidelines, and project-specific quality standards.
  • Linguistic Resource Validation: Contributing to the evaluation, validation, and continuous improvement of linguistic datasets and resources.
  • Linguistic and Cultural Accuracy: Ensuring that processed content preserves the linguistic, cultural, and contextual characteristics of the languages concerned.

04. REQUIRED LANGUAGES

Applicants must demonstrate excellent proficiency in at least one of the following languages:

  • Adangbe
  • Adele
  • Akan
  • Akaselem
  • Anii
  • Lebanese Arabic
  • Baatonum
  • Bago-kusuntu
  • Dagbani
  • Delo
  • French
  • Ga
  • Gbé (maxi)
  • Gbé (xwla)
  • Ginyanga
  • Hausa
  • Ifè
  • Igo
  • Ikposso
  • Kambolé
  • Kébou
  • Krache
  • Kusaal
  • Lama
  • Lelemi
  • Lukpa
  • Mampruli
  • Moba (ben)
  • Pidgin
  • Waama
  • Woudou
  • Yoruba

Important: Applicants must clearly indicate the language or languages they speak, along with their respective levels of spoken and written proficiency.

05. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants are expected to meet the following criteria:

  • Hold a Master’s degree or PhD in Linguistics, Language Studies, Translation, or a closely related discipline.
  • Demonstrate excellent spoken and written proficiency in at least one of the target languages.
  • Have a good command of French, both written and spoken.
  • Possess strong skills in transcription, translation, linguistic analysis, and text revision.
  • Demonstrate the ability to accurately follow linguistic protocols, project instructions, and quality assurance standards.
  • Exhibit precision, reliability, and exceptional attention to detail.
  • Understand linguistic variations and the cultural characteristics associated with their language of expertise.

Preferred Experience: Previous academic or professional experience in transcription, translation, linguistic annotation, corpus development, or language data processing will be considered an advantage.

06. REQUIRED SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

Successful candidates should demonstrate:

  • Excellent listening, comprehension, and linguistic analysis skills.
  • Strong observation abilities and critical thinking.
  • A high degree of accuracy, consistency, and attention to detail.
  • The ability to maintain quality standards while performing repetitive and detail-oriented tasks.
  • Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently and meet deadlines.
  • The capacity to learn and adapt quickly to new digital tools and workflows.
  • A strong sense of responsibility, confidentiality, and professional ethics.

07. WORKING CONDITIONS

  • Initial Training: Selected candidates will receive training on project-specific annotation tools, linguistic methodologies, and quality assurance procedures before commencing their assignments.
  • Work Arrangement: Assignments may be conducted on-site or remotely, depending on operational needs and project requirements.
  • Project Support: Linguists will receive methodological guidance and appropriate support throughout their assignments.
  • Professional Environment: Selected candidates will contribute to technology initiatives focused on advancing and promoting African languages through artificial intelligence.

08. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Interested and qualified candidates are invited to submit an application containing:

  1. An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) highlighting relevant academic qualifications and professional experience.
  2. A cover letter explaining their interest in the position and outlining their linguistic expertise.
  3. A list of languages spoken, clearly specifying their level of oral and written proficiency in each language.

UMBAJI
Building artificial intelligence that understands Africa's languages and realities.