Japanese Content Writer

About us

Our mission is to become the de facto way people learn foreign languages. We begin by teaching the next billion people English and Spanish.

English is the global language of business, culture, and communication, and over 1.5 billion people around the world are actively trying to learn right now. Others dream of communicating with the half-billion native Spanish speakers across the globe. The problem is that it's nearly impossible to learn to speak a language without constant access to a speaking partner. Grammar and vocab apps don't really help – you need to actually converse with someone.

Speak is on a journey to fix this. We're creating an AI-powered experience that replicates the flow of a conversation, without needing a human on the other end. The goal is to make it radically more accessible to be able to have conversations in a foreign language and eventually help hundreds of millions of people gain fluency who otherwise wouldn't be able to.

We started on this journey over five years ago and we've still got a long ways to go. We're thoughtfully adding new team members only when we think they can truly play a big role in our mission.

Speak launched first in South Korea where we have quickly grown to become the top grossing education app in the country. We have now delivered this winning product to more than 30 countries globally and are continuing to expand to more markets in the coming months. The company is well funded, raising a recent Series B backed by investors like OpenAI, Founders Fund, Y Combinator, Khosla Ventures, Lachy Groom, Josh Buckley, and others. We’re a team of 50 based primarily in SF, Seoul, and Ljubljana.

About this role

We are looking for a full-time Japanese English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) content writer to join Speak’s content team in creating high-quality language learning in-app content for the Japanese market.

We are looking for a superstar writer and curriculum developer who understands Japanese English learners' thought processes when approaching English learning. We seek someone who has a full understanding of Japanese and English as languages AND has a history of successfully teaching or creating learning modules/materials for English learners in Japan.

In addition to script-writing, teaching, and curriculum expertise, we also want this role to have a strong product sense and understanding of how best teaching and technology can be integrated through content.

What you’ll be doing

• Curriculum design and writing - Design curriculum and write learning materials (e.g., lesson scripts, activities, vocabulary lists) in a systematic way for English learners (and especially Japanese English learners) at different levels of English proficiency.
• Manage or facilitate content projects - Either having end-to-end ownership or participating in content projects from content planning to writing, to production all the way to launch.
• Content maintenance and iteration - Iterate and polish content based on QA, user testing, user feedback, and/or peer review.
• Translation and localization - Perform English-Japanese translation and localization for in-app learning and marketing content.
• Content development and prototyping - Participate in developing innovative learning content powered by advanced AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) technology.
• Content strategies and decision-making - Participate in content team meetings, discussions, and decision-making; As a member of the Japan content team, facilitate the development of content strategies that suit Japan’s market needs and are aligned with the company's vision and goals.
• Communication and collaboration with international team members - This can take place face-to-face, remotely, asynchronously, or through business travel, whichever makes sense.

What we’re looking for

• Experience and expertise in English teaching curriculum design and pedagogy
• Strong curriculum planning and writing skills
• Native Japanese and near-native English writing and speaking skills
• Deep understanding of the status quo of English learning in Japan and empathy for Japanese English learners
• Strong product sense when designing and writing content with great attention to detail
• Strong willingness and collaboration skills for content planning, operations, and strategy
• Passion for technology-assisted language learning and willingness to learn and use advanced technologies for all aspects of work (Notion, internal tools, etc.)
• A fast learner, team player, skilled communicator, and creative problem-solver

Nice to have

• Translation/localization experience preferred
• Content development and project management experience preferred
• Basic data analytics knowledge and experience preferred

Why work at Speak

1. Join a fantastic, tight-knit team at the right time: we're growing super quickly, we just raised our Series B and an additional extension from some of the top investors in the valley, and we've achieved product-market fit in our initial markets. You'd join at a magical time when a single person could significantly change the course of the company.
2. Do your life's work with people you’ll love working with: we care strongly about our craft and want every person at Speak to feel like they're growing every day. We believe in the idea that working with people you both enjoy and have respect for makes everything better. We hire thoughtfully and only work with people we admire deeply.
3. Global in nature: We're live in over 30 countries and launching in a number of new markets soon. We have dedicated offices in San Francisco, Ljubljana, Seoul, and Tokyo, and you’ll have the opportunity to talk to users in each of these regions on a regular basis as well as travel.
4. Impact people's lives in a major way: Learning a language is one of the single most life-changing skills one can learn, and right now 99% of people never achieve their goal because the process is broken. We’re helping millions of people achieve their goals and improve their lives.

Speak does not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.