VP of Strategy and Corporate Development

Duolingo; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); Hybrid; USD 330,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Duolingo is seeking a VP of Strategy and Corporate Development to join the Senior Leadership Team and drive strategic planning and growth through M&A. Reporting to the Chief Business Officer, you will manage Strategy, Operations and Corporate Development, working with product and technical teams in a founder-led company with an emphasis on execution and collaboration.

The role resides in Pittsburgh, PA or New York, NY with a 4+1 hybrid schedule, overseeing a team of ~10 professionals and shaping

Qualifications

• 20+ years in strategy, M&A, or related fields.
• Strong understanding of Duolingo's business and growth opportunities.
• Experience in fast-paced entrepreneurial environments.
• Experience collaborating with product and engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Partner with leaders to develop strategies spanning Growth, Monetization and New Subjects.
• Generate insights that influence product experiments and drive impact.
• Lead company-wide strategy and planning, aligning resources for board meetings.
• Support growth through M&A, aligned with strategy and priorities.
• Own Corporate Development end-to-end: sourcing, evaluating, negotiating and closing acquisitions.
• Lead Strategy, Operations and Corporate Development teams (~10 people).
• Encourage adoption of new tools for insight, automation and communication.

Skills

M&A experience

Strategic leadership

Product collaboration

Executive communication

Team leadership

Founder-led mindset

Duolingo experience

Job description

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.

Read our blog to learn more.

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.

You will

• 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.

You have

• 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.

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.

Salary Range

$330,000—$550,000 USD

Benefits

Take a peek at how we care for our employees' holistic well-being with our benefits here.

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.

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