John Michael Voss

Native languages: German & English 

Other working languages: French → DE/EN; Italian → DE/EN; Serbian/Croatian → DE/EN CAT tools: SDL Trados Studio 2022 (own license), Phrase, and others 

Years of experience in legal translation: 10+ years 

Total years of translation experience: 20+ years

Contact 

Phone: +49 4885 9015905 

Mobile: +49 151 55276233 

Email: john_michael_voss@hotmail.com

Summary

Professional translator with more than a decade of experience in legal, institutional, and technical documentation, working for international clients in high‑security and high‑responsibility environments. My background includes extensive work with contracts, agreements, mandates, compliance documents, legal correspondence, policy papers, tenders, audits, and institutional reports.

Over the years, I have translated thousands of legal and institutional documents for clients such as Microsoft, Bentley, and major German and European industrial and defence manufacturers. 

This includes EU‑related legal texts (existing rules, draft law initiatives, complaints and response procedures) and large‑volume legal and technical documentation (50–300 pages), such as operational mandates, contractual frameworks, technical manuals, and legal analyses. 

I bring practical insight from long term assignments in EU, OSCE and African missions, as well as from industrial and military technical settings.

Used to working to deadlines, strict confidentiality, complex terminology, and environments where accuracy has operational consequences.

Core Services

• Translation
• Legal and technical translation
• Proofreading
• Editing
• MTPE (Machine Translation Post‑Editing)
• Terminology research
• On‑site interpreting (technical/industrial)
• Technical facilitation between multinational teams

Fields of Expertise

Legal, Institutional, Financial

• International contracts and agreements
• Letters to Shareholders
• Financial Documents, Annual Accounts, Audits (FLEXWORD, Freshfields…)
• Coached a process for the leading European manufacturer of chimneys, where the German accounting department was liquidated and the whole department carried over to another country. This went on over several weeks and required legal and financial knowledge.
• Mandates, Memoranda of Understanding, Terms of Reference, AGB, Compliance
• Legal correspondence and official communications
• Policy papers, mission reports, institutional documentation
• Human rights, administrative law, international law
• Security‑sector reform and governance
• Extensive experience translating European Patents

Technical & Industrial

• Mechanical engineering
• Machinery, assembly processes, maintenance
• Technical manuals, parts lists, schematics
• Industrial audits and quality documentation
• Automotive systems
• Military technology (U‑boats, armoured vehicles, torpedoes)

IT & Corporate

• Software/UI texts
• Marketing and product descriptions
• Corporate communication

Selected Translation Projects

(Client names anonymized where required)

Submarine documentation (1‑year project)

Translation of technical manuals, parts lists, and operational documentation for the sale of German naval systems to a foreign government.

Armoured vehicle manufacturer, Munich (10‑week on‑site assignment)

Translation and interpreting for a Scottish engineering team; assembly processes, mechanical components, parts lists; shift‑based factory work.

Torpedo manufacturer, Italy (multi‑month project)

Translation of detailed operational and maintenance manuals for both training and live torpedoes used by the German Navy.

IT & corporate clients

Regular translation of technical, legal, and marketing content for Microsoft, Bentley, and other international companies.

Forensic and investigative work

Translation and analytical support for research teams and industrial audits

Technical Facilitator / Interpreter (2022–present)

Supporting multinational engineering teams in German companies by combining translation, technical understanding, and hands‑on assistance. Tasks include:

• Interpreting during troubleshooting and commissioning
• Understanding machine functions and workflows
• Bridging cultural and communication gaps
• Ensuring clarity between teams from different countries

This role goes significantly beyond traditional interpreting and relies on mechanical knowledge and practical problem‑solving.

Earlier Institutional Experience (Condensed for relevance)

• Legal Advisor, CTSAMVM – South Sudan (2018–2021) Drafting contracts, legal analyses, mission documents, and reports for international conferences.
• PAE ACOTA – West Africa (2016–2018) Human rights and administrative documentation in English and French.
• EU & OSCE Missions (2003–2011) – Afghanistan, DR Congo, Bosnia, Kosovo Legal drafting, policy documents, agreements, disciplinary frameworks, and international correspondence.

Education

• Licence en Droit (Bachelor International Private Law) – Sorbonne, Paris (with distinction)
• Business Administration – Ruhr University Bochum
• Abitur – Konrad‑Adenauer‑Gymnasium Bonn

Additional Skills

• Strong intercultural competence
• Experience living and working in Muslim countries
• High resilience in conflict and post‑conflict environments
• Mechanical and technical aptitude
• Confidentiality and procedural discipline

Nationality

German & US