Sam Jermy, Project Manager
Our Project Managers are key to our clients’ experience with Rubric. Thanks to their focus and dedication, we’re able to deliver high-quality translations on time, every time—as well as providing the personal touch that makes the Rubric difference. Project management plays a pivotal role in the localization process, connecting clients, translators, and developers to keep everything running smoothly. Project Manager Sam Jermy tells us more…
Hi Sam, can you tell us a bit about your role? What does a Rubric Project Manager do?
Well, it’s a job that varies a lot from day to day! Of course, we’re responsible for managing localization projects through to completion. But a lot of it is actually about managing the relationships with our clients.
As a Project Manager (PM), I work directly with clients across multiple accounts. Every client, and every project, is different, so we discuss what their localization needs are and how Rubric can help. Because I understand the processes and the tools involved—which not all clients do, especially when they first start working with us—I can advise them on the best way to achieve their goals.
We have regular check-ins to make sure everything is on track and discuss any issues or queries. But it’s not purely transactional—we want to build long-term relationships with clients, where we’re fully integrated into their localization process. That means we need to look at the bigger picture. How do the different projects and pieces of content fit together? How can we improve our clients’ user experience across content types? What else do they have coming up? Do we have the right tools in place to support them? Are we meeting their longer-term goals? We’re always thinking ahead to anticipate client needs.
As well as supporting clients, I work very closely with our translators. You could say I translate the client’s needs for the translators – I enable them to do their job by making sure they have the right content in the right format, and all the tools and resources they need to translate it effectively. I’m also their point of contact for any questions or clarifications.
As a PM, I manage my accounts on a granular, day-to-day level, while our Program Managers provide broader oversight and support. They’re always on hand to help if something unexpected comes up, or if I want to talk something through. And I’m constantly talking to our development team to make sure have the right tools, working in the most efficient way, for each client. It’s really helpful that we have Localization Workflow Engineers, who can bridge the gap between what the client needs and what’s possible on the technology front. A lot of my clients have a technology focus, so this is something they’re very interested in.
How did you get into this role?
Unlike some of our PMs, I don’t have a translation background. I have a PhD in English literature, so I’m very interested in good writing and how we can optimize the source content for translation.
Rubric has a culture of continuous improvement, so there’s a strong focus on professional development and ongoing learning. All the PMs complete external qualifications with APM (Association for Project Management), to learn the fundamentals of project management, and there’s internal training too. So, although we come from lots of different backgrounds, clients can be confident we all have the right skills and can provide a consistent experience.
What do you like about working for Rubric?
I like the fact that we build such close relationships with clients. We take the time to get to really know them and build up a deep understanding of their business needs.
It’s a great working culture too. It’s not siloed at all—everyone works together and helps each other out. I feel very supported. I like the focus on technology, and the development team are so approachable and agile. Everything they do is about improving processes and making things work better. So, if you ever have an idea that could reduce manual effort, they’re always open to talking it through and exploring solutions.
And what do you like to do when you’re not at work?
It might not sound very relaxing, but I really enjoy horror movies! Halloween is my favorite time of the year…
Meet more of our team