Staff TPM: Lead AI-Powered Dev Productivity with Equity

Duolingo; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 163,000 - 272,000; Full time

Job summary

Duolingo is seeking a Staff TPM to drive doubling developer productivity and guide cross‑functional programs with engineering, product, and data science. You’ll shape strategy, lead large-scale transformations, and partner with DevAmp, AI tooling, to deliver measurable impact.

This role requires strong executive presence, technical credibility, and the ability to relocate to Seattle. You will mentor TPMs and engineers, manage risk, and deliver high‑visibility initiatives with autonomy.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a TPM, Engineering Lead, or Engineering Manager.
• BS/MS in CS or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale technical transformation programs with measurable organizational impact.
• Strong executive presence and influence in a matrix environment.
• Deep technical credibility—enough to challenge architectural assumptions and earn trust of engineers.
• Proven ability to build and implement detailed plans amid ambiguity and dependencies.
• Track record of standing up new programs or practices from scratch in ambiguous, high-visibility environments.
• Ability to relocate to Seattle, WA.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the roadmap for doubling developer productivity across Duolingo — aligning engineering, product, and data science around a shared vision, sequencing the work, and holding teams accountable to measurable outcomes.
• Lead organizational change management as engineering teams adopt new ways of working — building alignment, communicating progress to executives and ICs alike, and helping teams internalize new processes and tooling.
• Partner closely with Developer Amplification (DevAmp) Area leads to accelerate developer productivity through AI-powered tooling, ensuring programs have clear goals, measurable impact, and sustained momentum across engineering squads.
• Lead the delivery of strategic, high-impact cross-functional initiatives from conceptualization to launch, operating with significant autonomy across multiple workstreams.
• Partner with engineering, product, data science, QA, and executive leadership to ensure communication and alignment; serve as the connective tissue between Duolingo strategy and day-to-day execution.
• Leverage deep technical expertise to develop detailed plans with key milestones and goals, identify and mitigate risks, resolve dependencies, remove blockers, and ensure timely and smooth launches.
• Establish and evangelize engineering practices that drive step-change improvements in developer productivity — coaching engineering leads and TPMs on new ways of working and how to measure their impact.
• Drive decisions when difficult tradeoffs must be made, including those with cross-organizational or company-level impact; model how to navigate hard problems with analytical rigor and a calm, decisive presence.
• Identify systemic issues impacting delivery efficiency company-wide and take swift, collaborative action to resolve them.
• Guide and develop other TPMs and engineering leads, scaling best practices across teams and continuously improving how the organization operates.

Skills

TPM leadership

Executive presence

Technical credibility

Ambiguity management

Education

B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science or equivalent

Tools

AWS

Job description

Duolingo is seeking a Staff TPM to drive doubling developer productivity and guide cross‑functional programs with engineering, product, and data science. You’ll shape strategy, lead large-scale transformations, and partner with DevAmp, AI tooling, to deliver measurable impact.

This role requires strong executive presence, technical credibility, and the ability to relocate to Seattle. You will mentor TPMs and engineers, manage risk, and deliver high‑visibility initiatives with autonomy.