hero

Midwest Startups you'll love to join

94
companies
314
Jobs

Curriculum Designer / Linguist / Polyglot

Duolingo

Duolingo

Design
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Posted on Dec 2, 2023

Our mission at Duolingo is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. But we’ve got more left to do — and that’s where you come in!

Duolingo is the most popular language-learning application in the world, with over 500 million users and over half a billion exercises completed daily. Beyond our core learning product, we also offer English proficiency testing with the Duolingo English Test, and are bringing new subjects into the Duolingo app, where people can develop their Math and Music skills.

We are passionate about educating our users, making fact-based decisions, and finding innovative solutions to complex problems. We offer meaningful work, limitless learning opportunities, and collaboration with world-class minds. Come brighten your life and over half a billion more!

We are looking for an outstanding language enthusiast and educator with a strong background in linguistics, languages, language typology, and language teaching. Our ideal candidate is a polyglot energized by diving into languages they don't (yet) know, with a passion for developing language-learning materials and a combination of analytical and creative skills. At Duolingo, you will have an opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, where you see the immediate impact of your work on millions of learners worldwide.

You Will...

  • Work side by side with other learning designers, project managers, and engineers to deliver high-quality course curricula and content for a variety of languages
  • Leverage generative AI for creating content that is fun, accessible, and targets learners at specific proficiency levels
  • Use your "generalist" linguistic skills to effectively work across different languages, consulting subject matter experts as needed
  • Review, edit, and proofread learning materials for our language courses
  • Train and supervise other course content creators

You Have...

  • Linguistics background. You have an MA (or equivalent experience) in linguistics, applied linguistics, language (with a linguistic focus), or a related field.
  • Language knowledge. You have basic proficiency in multiple languages, including at least two of the following: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean. You can quickly get up to speed on the key properties of unfamiliar languages.
  • Curriculum design and teaching experience. You have taught at least one language other than English, and have strong skills in designing language curricula.
  • Analytical thinking. You can think about language in a structured and analytical way. For example, you excel at breaking down grammatical concepts into smaller parts for the purposes of teaching.
  • Creativity. You think outside the box and have excellent intuitions about how to build content that is engaging to a wide range of learners.
  • Excellent collaboration skills. You have outstanding interpersonal and communication skills. You give and receive feedback well, and you build and maintain strong professional relationships with colleagues.
  • Operational focus. You are organized and efficient, and strive to continuously improve your workflow and processes.

Exceptional Candidates Will Have...

  • PhD in linguistics or a related field
  • Experience working in EdTech
  • Familiarity with language standards such as CEFR or ACTFL
  • Experience managing people and projects
  • Advanced proficiency in multiple languages

Why you’ll love working here…

  • Language-learning opportunities
  • In-house breakfast and lunch options
  • Company-wide Hackathon
  • Generous paid time off and company holidays
  • Frequent team dinners, monthly celebrations, social clubs, and so much more!
  • Dedicated mentorship and colleagues who are both competent and caring
  • Find out more by visiting our blog
  • EEOC + Reasonable accommodation info automatically included in all Greenhouse job postings

We invest in and support our Duos! This role is eligible for a robust compensation package of base salary, equity, and Duolingo’s world-class benefits. The starting base salary range for this role is, $80,900 - $155,900. Actual salary may vary based on level, work experience, performance, and other factors evaluated during the hiring process.


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 your recruiter.

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

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.

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