Senior Data Scientist, Growth Forecasting

Duolingo; New York (NY); On-site; USD 183,000 - 247,000; Full time

Job summary

Duolingo is seeking a Senior Data Scientist for Growth Forecasting to advance user growth forecasting across our product portfolio. You will collaborate with Product, Finance, and Strategy to improve quarterly forecasts and translate insights for senior leadership.

The role emphasizes methodological advances, mentorship of junior data scientists, and building repeatable forecasting processes in a high-growth consumer tech environment.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Data Science, Statistics, Economics or related quantitative field.
• Experience building forecasts in real-world settings with messy data.
• Ability to translate results into actionable recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Join a small team focused on User Growth forecasting and mentor junior data scientists.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to reflect product development and strategy in forecasts.
• Translate complex analytical findings into narratives for senior leadership.
• Develop and validate methodological advances aligned with business priorities.
• Build robust, repeatable forecasting processes.

Skills

Forecasting

SQL

Python

Analytical thinking

Communication

Education

Graduate degree in Data Science/Statistics/Economics

Tools

SQL

Python

AI analysis tools

Analytics engineering

Job description

Senior Data Scientist, Growth Forecasting

Our mission at Duolingo is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. It’s a big mission, and that’s where you come in!

At Duolingo, you’ll join a team that cares about educating our users, experimenting with big ideas, making fact-based decisions, and finding innovative solutions to complex problems. You’ll have limitless learning opportunities and daily collaborations with world-class minds — while doing work that’s both meaningful and fun.

Join our life-changing mission to develop education for our half a billion (and growing!) learners around the world.

This person will be part of our Growth Data Science team, collaborating with peers and cross-functional partners in Product, Finance, and Strategy to continuously improve our forecasting capabilities. They will drive methodological advances and deliver trustworthy business-critical quarterly forecasts, built on a deep understanding of the dynamics of user growth across Duolingo’s product portfolio.

• Join a small team of data scientists focused on User Growth forecasting. Collaborate with peers and mentor junior data scientists to ensure that our forecasts remain trustworthy and reliably delivered.
• Work with diverse stakeholders to develop forecasts that reflect a deep understanding of our product development, big bets, and evolving business strategy.
• Translate complex analytical findings into clear narratives for senior leadership and cross-functional partners. Influence strategic decisions through a combination of technical depth and effective communication.
• Develop and validate methodological advances to our forecasts, aligning methodological strengths with business priorities.
• Build systems and processes that ensure our forecasting process is robust and repeatable.

You have...

• Applied industry experience building forecasts in messy real world settings where details, confounds, and the validity of assumptions matter.
• A graduate degree in Data Science, Statistics, Economics, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent demonstrated expertise in formal analytical techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to connect technical results to real-world recommendations, and to translate product and business changes into technical requirements.
• Strong command of SQL, Python, AI analysis tools, and data/analytics engineering ecosystems.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to distill complex quantitative work into crisp, actionable insights for diverse audiences.

Exceptional candidates will have...

• Experience operating at a high-growth consumer technology company, including experience with user growth forecasting specifically.
• Experience at a public company, including the analytical demands that come with investor-grade reporting and forecasting.

Accommodations: We will do everything we can within reason to make sure that your interview takes place in an environment that fairly and accurately assesses your skills. If you need assistance or accommodation, please contact [e-mail].

Equal Employment Opportunity: Duolingo is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

Fraud Warning: Unfortunately, there is a rise in scammers pretending to be real Duolingo employees. Duolingo and our employees will never ask for your Social Security number, bank details, or passport info, and we’ll never ask you to deposit a check, purchase equipment, or exchange money during the interview process. Real Duolingo employees always use an email that ends in @duolingo.com or @recruiting.duolingo.com. Stay alert and double-check these details before sharing any information.

By applying for this position your data will be processed as per the Duolingo Applicant Privacy Notice.

The offered salary is dependent upon several factors, including work experience, skills, and internal peer comparisons. The posted range is subject to change in the future. For this role, base salary is supplemented by equity compensation. We encourage you to talk with your recruiter for more information related to compensation for this role!

Salary Range:

$182,800 — $247,300 USD

AI in Hiring: Duolingo uses AI technology to assist in our hiring process. We want to be transparent about how we use this technology and your rights. We use Greenhouse Software's Talent Matching feature to assist with reviewing applications for the skills and experience we have decided are important for this role.

How it works:

• Talent Matching reviews your resume and responses to application questions to determine the extent to which your qualifications match the job requirements selected for this role. These requirements and their desired weighting are established by our recruiters in collaboration with hiring managers.
• All Talent Matching output is reviewed by our recruiting and hiring teams, who make the final decision on each application. Talent Matching does not automatically disposition any candidate or make hiring decisions.