Amazon is looking to hire an Australian linguist ahead of its launch locally within the next year.
Potentially linked to the company’s Alexa voice assistant technology, the job listing described the role as having a focus on “speech and language data, primarily in the areas of transcription, text annotation, and general data analysis deliverables”.
Basic qualifications needed for the position include “excellent proficiency” with verbal and written Australian English and the ability to “keep up with changing project conventions and new projects”.
Applicants also need to be willing to work with speech involving various dialects and accents. The position will be based in Amazon’s offices in Boston, Massachusetts.
Other listings on the Amazon Jobs website include positions for linguists proficient in American English, Canadian English and Canadian French.
Google Home last week became the first major smart speaker to arrive in Australia, with the company declaring the device “speaks ‘Strayan” and had been adjusted for local users.
Previous reports had indicated Australia could miss out on Amazon Echo smart speakers due to difficulties understanding the ‘Australian twang’.
