Linguist/Transcriber - Chichewa/Nyanja (Remote)

About the role

LILT is building a team of Chichewa language specialists to support a multilingual speech-to-text project focused on African languages. You will work with existing Chichewa audio recordings (no recording needed) to create accurate transcripts that support advanced language technology. The project is expected to last about 2-3 months, with around 20-30 hours of work per week.

Key responsibilities

• PII tagging: identify and tag personal information in audio content, and mark background sounds and non-speech events according to the guidelines.
• Chichewa transcription: review and correct automatically generated transcripts against the audio, ensuring high fidelity to spoken content including noises and cross talk.
• Transcription QC: review finished transcripts for accuracy, completeness and adherence to guidelines, correct errors and give structured feedback on linguistic issues.

Required profile

• Native-level proficiency in Chichewa.
• Strong listening skills and close attention to detail.
• Prior experience with spoken language transcription or linguistic annotation is a strong advantage; a background in linguistics, language studies or translation is a plus.
• Good-quality headphones and a quiet place to work.
• Availability for around 20-30 hours per week over the 2-3 month project period; most tasks require a minimum of 2 hours per day or 10 hours per week.

What we offer

• Flexible schedule as an independent contractor, with no fixed hours, check-ins or micromanagement.
• Competitive rates and prompt payment.
• Access to diverse projects that expand your portfolio.

Applicants submit an application with an updated CV in English; a test may be required before joining the production phase. This is a 1099 contractor position, so there are no benefits and tax obligations are the applicant's responsibility.