This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. German to English
  3. Human Resources

Sachgebietsleiter

English translation: don't translate (or ask client)

17:54 Feb 10, 2009
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Human Resources / Job titles
German term or phrase: Sachgebietsleiter
There is unfortunately no help with this term as it is simply referred to in a one-off question:
Wird der Titel „Sachgebietsleiter“ weiterhin verwandt?
Other titles in the text are fairly standard (Bereichsleiter, Abteilungsleiter and so on). I've thought up a few possibilities so far such as discipline manager/expert, head of section and the more literal subject area manager but I can find no confirmation of any of my ideas on the internet. By googling I've found chief of the expert staff, but that seems to me to be more of a description of someone's role rather than a title in itself. I'd be grateful for any help with this. TIA.
AnnS
Local time: 02:22
English translation:don't translate (or ask client)
Explanation:
I'm assuming that this is a question about job titles in one specific company (if not, my remarks don't apply). But if it refers to one company's use, you have in my view only have 2 options - 1) leave it untranslated, in inverted commas (with an explanation if you have one that makes sense in the client's context - e.g., as a translation, "Will the title 'Sachgebietsleiter' continue to be used for people in lower management positions?") or 2) ask the client what it refers to and whether they already have a translation for it - otherwise you risk creating something that no-one can relate to the [German-language] situation on the ground. It's pointless using a term like "head of section" if the person reading it cannot identify which jobs in the German company you are referring to.
Selected response from:

Armorel Young
Local time: 02:22
Grading comment
I followed this advice to the letter. Thanks for your input, Armorel. Many thanks also to everyone who contributed/suggested possible translations for the term. The main problem was that by the time I'd finished I had a choice of about eight terms, any one of which might have been 'right' - or alternatively none. I have asked the client whether they have a usual translation for this, but no news yet. If ever I do find out, I'll post it here.
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3don't translate (or ask client)
Armorel Young
3 +1Technical Expertise Manager
Peter Manda (X)
3junior project manager (plus the German term in parentheses)
Lirka
Summary of reference entries provided
Sachgebietsleiter - a "lower management position"
casper (X)

  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
don't translate (or ask client)


Explanation:
I'm assuming that this is a question about job titles in one specific company (if not, my remarks don't apply). But if it refers to one company's use, you have in my view only have 2 options - 1) leave it untranslated, in inverted commas (with an explanation if you have one that makes sense in the client's context - e.g., as a translation, "Will the title 'Sachgebietsleiter' continue to be used for people in lower management positions?") or 2) ask the client what it refers to and whether they already have a translation for it - otherwise you risk creating something that no-one can relate to the [German-language] situation on the ground. It's pointless using a term like "head of section" if the person reading it cannot identify which jobs in the German company you are referring to.

Armorel Young
Local time: 02:22
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 166
Grading comment
I followed this advice to the letter. Thanks for your input, Armorel. Many thanks also to everyone who contributed/suggested possible translations for the term. The main problem was that by the time I'd finished I had a choice of about eight terms, any one of which might have been 'right' - or alternatively none. I have asked the client whether they have a usual translation for this, but no news yet. If ever I do find out, I'll post it here.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jutta Wappel: Very sensible advice!
7 mins
agree  hazmatgerman (X): Standard fare, actually. The term points to a rather (large) bureaucratic organization though. Closest I can think of would be "desk" as in governmental organigrams.
11 hrs
agree  David Moore (X)
16 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
junior project manager (plus the German term in parentheses)


Explanation:
Why not translate it somehow, for example, "junior project manager" to differentiate it from the more senior "Projektleiter" and add the German word in parentheses?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs (2009-02-11 10:20:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Refernce: http://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/jobs/uk/junior project manager....

Lirka
Austria
Local time: 03:22
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 13

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  hazmatgerman (X): Vielleicht weil nichts im Quelltext auf Projektmanager hinweist und "Leiter" nicht zu "junior" paßt?//Kann, muß nicht.
1 hr
  -> Manager is doch Leiter, nicht wahr? Well...based on casper's reference specifying ranks, I thought it worked. There are many types of managers, from lower to upper; thus junior
agree  Peter Manda (X): not precise, but not wrong and definitely an alternative
6 hrs
  -> Thanks a lot, Peter, for confirming!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

23 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Technical Expertise Manager


Explanation:
The title is often also used in Japanese companies (専門課長 or 専門係長) and generally describes a (usually junior) group leader who oversees a particular area of specialty. So, depending on the company you can also see this in English as "Specialty Area Manager" or "Technical Subject Area Manager" and similar variations.

Peter Manda (X)
Local time: 21:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lirka
46 mins
  -> yup. thanks.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)




Reference comments


39 mins
Reference: Sachgebietsleiter - a "lower management position"

Reference information:
Eight were in top or middle management (director; division director or Bereichsleiter; department head or Abteilungsleiter; head of a major computer center); four were in lower management positions (the ranks from project manager or Projektleiter down to Sachgebietsleiter);
http://tinyurl.com/d684ba

casper (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 33
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search