VP of Strategy and Corporate Development

Drive Capital; New York (NY); On-site; USD 330,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Duolingo is seeking a VP of Strategy and Corporate Development to join their Senior Leadership Team in New York. Suitable candidates will have over 20 years of relevant work experience, mainly in technology companies, and will drive strategy and planning impacting growth via M&A activities.

The successful candidate will collaborate with product and technical teams to manage and align corporate development initiatives. This role offers a hybrid work schedule from the New York office and an impressive salary range between $330,000 and $550,000.

Qualifications

• 20+ years relevant work experience in strategy, consulting, or product management.
• Demonstrated understanding of Duolingo's business and growth opportunities.
• Track record of success in fast-paced entrepreneurial environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategies spanning growth, monetization, and new subjects.
• Influence product experiments through insights generation.
• Drive company-wide strategy and planning initiatives.

Skills

Strategic planning

M&A expertise

Team leadership

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Job description

About The Role

We’re looking for a VP of Strategy and Corporate Development to join Duolingo’s Senior Leadership Team and drive strategy, planning and our growth via M&A. Reporting to the Chief Business Officer, the VP of Strategy and Corporate Development will manage our Strategy and Business Operations and Corporate Development functions. Strategy and Business Operations at Duolingo is fast moving and iterative and represents the majority of this role. We’re seeking a leader who’s excited to work at a founder‑led company, comfortable with ambiguity, and collaborates well with product and technical teams. Corporate Development at Duolingo supports key company priorities, with a focus on acqui‑hires and targeted capability acquisitions rather than large transformational deals. We’ve used M&A to build functions, establish offices, and expand into new subjects. We’re excited to continue and expand our M&A activity. This role is based in our Pittsburgh, PA or New York, NY office on a hybrid (4+1) work schedule.

Responsibilities

• Partner with leaders across the company to develop strategies spanning our main Pillars: Growth, Monetization, Language Learning, and New Subjects (Math, Music and Chess).
• Generate insights that directly influence product experiments and drive impact.
• Run company‑wide strategy and planning, driving alignment on strategic direction and resource allocation, including leading planning for Duolingo Board of Directors meetings.
• Support Duolingo’s growth through M&A, fully aligned with our strategy and key priorities, and working closely with Duolingo’s product and executive teams.
• Own Corporate Development end‑to‑end: source, evaluate, negotiate, and close acquisitions; coordinate cross‑functional diligence; and drive thoughtful integration.
• Lead and manage Strategy and Business Operations and Corporate Development teams (~10 people), setting the bar for your functional craft and empathizing with your team as people.
• Encourage your team to continue embracing new tools and technologies for insight generation and analysis, automation, and communication.

Qualifications

• 20+ years relevant work experience in strategy, consulting, M&A, investment banking, or product management, and significant experience in technology companies.
• A demonstrated understanding of Duolingo’s business and future growth opportunities.
• A demonstrated track record of success in fast paced entrepreneurial work environments.
• Experience working closely with product and engineering colleagues.
• Excellent communication and analytical skills.
• Team leadership experience with a track record of hiring, developing, and managing high‑performing teams.
• Ability to work from our Pittsburgh, PA or New York, NY office on a 4+1 hybrid work schedule.

Exceptional candidates will have

• Significant experience using Duolingo, and opinions about how to improve it.
• Leadership experience at a founder‑led company.
• Experience at a leading consumer app.

Salary Range

330,000–550,000 USD

This is not inclusive of the rest of our awesome portfolio that includes equity compensation and world‑class benefits. Our salary ranges are the same for all US locations. Your recruiter can share more details about the range for a specific level during the hiring process. The actual salary within the range is determined by many factors including but not limited to, skills, experience, education, and internal equity.

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].

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.

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