Expert Audio Transcriber, Swahili

Perle is hiring expert Swahili Audio Transcribers to support advanced AI speech recognition, dialogue, and evaluation systems used by leading AI labs and enterprises.

This is a remote, project-based contractor opportunity focused on high-accuracy Swahili transcription and linguistic annotation across multiple East African Swahili variants and speaking styles.

Contributors will work on audio ranging from:

• Clean studio recordings
• Conversational speech
• Real-world acoustic environments
• Informal and formal dialogue

This role requires expert linguistic judgment and attention to detail. Work directly impacts the quality and performance of AI speech systems.

About Perle

Perle is an AI infrastructure company building:

• Expert-driven training data
• Evaluation systems
• Applied AI products

The company works with organizations including:

• xAI
• Samsung
• ELM
• Unisys

Perle specializes in high-quality human expertise involving:

• Linguistic nuance
• Cultural understanding
• Domain expertise
• Language evaluation workflows

Dialect & Language Scope

Projects involve:

• Kiswahili Sanifu
• Tanzanian Swahili
• Kenyan Swahili
• Urban Swahili variants including Sheng

Audio may include:

• Swahili-English code-switching
• Regional variation
• Informal speech
• Borrowed English vocabulary

Primary speaker regions include:

• Tanzania
• Kenya
• Uganda
• Rwanda
• Eastern DRC

Responsibilities

• Transcribe audio recordings into accurate, time-aligned text

• Apply conventions for:

  • Speaker identification
  • Overlapping speech
  • Disfluencies
  • Fillers
  • False starts
  • Non-speech events

• Make informed orthographic decisions involving:

  • Dialectal variation
  • Sheng
  • Colloquial language
  • Code-switching

• Flag:

  • Ambiguous audio
  • Unclear speakers
  • Audio quality issues

• Self-review submissions to meet Perle’s quality standards

• Collaborate with QA reviewers on:

  • Calibration sessions
  • Edge cases
  • Style guide updates

Required Qualifications

• Native fluency in Swahili with lifelong residence or deep immersion in East Africa

• Strong mastery of:

  • Standard Swahili orthography
  • Regional Swahili variation
  • Tanzanian and Kenyan Swahili distinctions

• Ability to accurately transcribe:

  • Swahili-English code-switching
  • Sheng
  • Informal conversational speech

• Minimum 2 years of professional experience in:

  • Transcription
  • Captioning
  • Court reporting
  • Translation
  • Linguistic annotation
  • Broadcast transcription

• Demonstrated accuracy under deadline pressure

• Comfortable using:

  • Web-based annotation platforms
  • Variable-speed playback tools

• Reliable:

  • High-speed internet
  • Quality headphones
  • Quiet workspace

• Ability to maintain required weekly transcription volume

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in:

  • Swahili linguistics
  • Journalism
  • Translation
  • Education

• Experience annotating:

  • Swahili speech data
  • African-language datasets

• Familiarity with:

  • Bantu languages
  • Arabic loanword conventions
  • IPA notation
  • Phonetic transcription systems

• Experience with:

  • Verbatim transcription
  • Clean-verbatim transcription standards

Working With Perle

• Paid pilot task before onboarding
• Flexible scheduling
• Project-based compensation tied to complexity and turnaround
• Direct collaboration with Perle’s linguistic leads and QA specialists
• Eligibility for additional expert language projects

Application Process

Applicants apply through Winnow, Perle’s hiring platform.

The process includes:

• Candidate profile setup
• Automated interview
• Language evaluation workflow

Application review typically occurs within 24 hours for qualified candidates.