Senior Creative Director of Marketing

Duolingo; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision for self/​

Mental health benefits

Fertility benefits

Parental and adoption leave

401(k) with generous match

20 days PTO + 2 weeks winter break

Homebuyer bonus (in US)

Competitive salary and equity

Professional development stipend

Transportation reimbursement

In-house meals

Annual international retreat

Job summary

Duolingo seeks a Senior Creative Director to set the brand vision and lead a team delivering culturally resonant, high-impact work across campaigns, social, partnerships, and user acquisition.

You will raise the creative bar, translate bold ideas into clear concepts, and guide execution from brief through launch, in close collaboration with Brand Marketing, Growth, International Marketing, Product, Design, BD, and global agency partners.

Qualifications

• Experience leading creative teams in marketing and brand roles.
• Proven track record shipping integrated campaigns across channels.
• Ability to translate insights into iconic, culture-driving ideas.
• Experience with IP-led brands and global brand development.
• Excellent communication and feedback skills with senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of creatives and inspire high‑quality craft across campaigns, social, partnerships, and user acquisition.
• Own the creative direction across channels (social, video, experiential, partnerships) from insight to execution.
• Collaborate with Brand Marketing, Growth Marketing, Product, Design, and BD partners.
• Shape briefs, make strategic trade‑offs, and ensure work aligns with brand strategy and KPIs.
• Oversee agency and partner relationships across markets to raise quality and speed.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Brand leadership

Creative direction

Team management

Stakeholder management

Job description

• We’re looking for a Senior Creative Director to set the creative vision for Duolingo’s brand building and marketing efforts and lead a team that delivers culturally resonant, high-impact work across campaigns, social, partnerships, and user acquisition
• You will raise the creative bar, turn bold ideas into clear concepts, and guide execution from brief through launch—collaborating closely with Brand Marketing and Growth, International Marketing, Product, Design, BD and global agency partners to build an iconic brand with measurable business impact
• Reporting to the Head of Brand Marketing, this role will lead other creative leaders in the Marketing function
• Drive all creative work in the Marketing function, ensuring it consistently ladders up to the company strategy and moves key brand and business metrics
• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of creatives; set a high bar for craft, narrative, and taste while creating space for diverse voices and experimentation
• Turn great ideas into end‑to‑end campaign concepts; guide direction across channels (social, video, experiential, partnerships), from insight to execution
• Partner with Brand Marketing to shape briefs, make strategic trade‑offs, and deliver work that’s part of culture and drives brand love and growth
• Partner with Growth Marketing to build a performance marketing creative studio enabling our user acquisition efforts across the globe
• Partner with our Country Marketing team to lead and evolve our global agency roster; ensure scopes, standards, and handoffs produce A+ creative worldwide
• Oversee creative feedback and quality across all project stages; provide clear, timely decisions that keep momentum without sacrificing excellence
• Inspire the organization with industry trends, creative references, and new platforms; codify what’s “on‑brand” and how we measure brand success

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision for employees as well as eligible partners and dependents
• Mental health benefits such as therapy sessions and coaching to support you to be your best self
• Fertility benefits to support your family planning journey
• Fully paid parental and adoption leave
• Fully paid subscription to Care.com and paid backup days for dependents and your fur family
• 401(k) with generous match and immediate vesting
• 20 days of paid time off, with two additional weeks off for winter break
• First-time home buyer bonus (in Pittsburgh)
• Competitive salaries and equity
• Yearly stipend for professional development
• Transportation reimbursement for however you get to work
• Lunch prepared daily by our in-house chefs
• Annual international retreat for all full-time employees
• Monthly events celebrating our team and their amazing work
• On-site gym and massages
• Game room for taking brain breaks

• Experience managing agencies and external partners across markets, with a reputation for raising quality and speed
• Excellent communication and feedback skills; you simplify complex topics, make fast, sound calls, and bring others along
• Experience in brand/creative roles with significant time leading other creative leaders; proven success shipping integrated campaigns across a wide range of budgets at a high bar
• A track record of turning insights into iconic, culture-driving ideas and guiding multi-disciplinary teams from concept to launch
• Demonstrated ability to set vision, influence senior stakeholders, and connect creative decisions to strategy, KPIs, and ROI
• The ability to work from or relocate to New York City or London, UK
• Experience working with IP-led brands
• Global brand experience, including creative leadership across multiple regions and cultures
• A portfolio demonstrating world-class craft and storytelling - work that drives buzz and earned media attention instead of relying on paid channels for distribution
• Deep familiarity with social media and creator ecosystems, and how to translate cultural signals into breakthrough brand ideas
• Experience establishing clear creative operating mechanisms with marketing, product, and design partners