Director of Product Design - job 1 of 3

Our mission at Duolingo is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. It’s a big mission, and even though we've made a lot of headway, we still have work to do — and that’s where you come in!

Duolingo’s designers care about creating high-quality experiences that look and feel fun. From animators to writers, product designers to researchers, Design brings purpose, feeling, and delight to every interaction with our brand, inside the app and out. As a designer, you’ll join a culture of creativity and craft, where we have a high bar for excellence and an endless curiosity about how to bring more unexpected quirk and fun to the pursuit of learning. 

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

About the role

This role reports to the Head of Product Experience as a member of the Design team, the instrumental creative partner in most projects at Duolingo—from our mobile apps and website to the brand voice and email newsletters, and even community events. This role will be based out of our Pittsburgh, HQ. At Duolingo, we take pride in and agonize over crafting a user-friendly (and fun) experience for everyone.

  You will...

• Grow and lead a skilled, diverse, inclusive team of designers and leaders that consistently delivers high-quality products
• Mentor and develop the skills, talents, and careers of the designers and design managers on your team, coaching them to success and impact
• Collaborate closely with leaders in other functions (Product and Engineering) to ensure that product areas are both planning well and hitting their metrics
• Build a thriving culture where designers do high-quality work and uphold our noteworthy product experience
• Design and scale the organization, partnering closely with Leadership and Talent Acquisition on headcount budgeting and forecasting
• Use a mix of internal and third-party AI tools at every step of your creative process

  You have...

• 10+ years of experience in product design as a people manager at a similar or later-stage tech company, including experience managing managers
• Experience sourcing, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding for your team, as well as spot promising design talent
• Consistent track record of successfully managing people, including developing talent on your teams and recruiting a diverse team that reflects our learners
• Exemplary written and verbal communication skills that lead to effective and concrete output
• Experience defining and influencing product strategy
• Experience ideating, building and prototyping with AI tools, like ChatGPT and Cursor
• A awareness and appreciation for the precise application of data and metrics in product design
• Attention to detail and a focus on excellence

  Exceptional candidates will have...

• A portfolio of extraordinary visual design and craft as done by their teams
• Organizational savviness, and the ability to build relationships with leaders of all functions
• Worked at a company with very high design standards
• Shipped AI-driven products