About this role.
Duolingo is hiring a senior individual-contributor Ad Sales Lead to establish and grow its direct advertising business across the Central region. The role owns regional strategy, named-account prioritization, pipeline development, forecasting, and complex deal execution from prospecting through renewal and expansion. Candidates need deep experience selling premium digital, mobile, video, and native advertising solutions to senior brand and agency stakeholders. The position partners closely with Account Management, Ad Ops, Product, Design, and Engineering while helping shape pricing, packaging, measurement, and go-to-market processes for a growing ads organization.
Role DNA
A quick view of the complexity, pace, ownership and collaboration implied by the job description.
Job Complexity
5/5Pace & Pressure
5/5Autonomy Level
5/5Communication Load
5/5Salary analysis
Estimated compensation compared with the broader US market for similar roles.
Core skills
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Sample interview questions
I would begin with a named-account strategy that prioritizes brands and agencies based on category fit, audience alignment, budget potential, and likelihood to value premium mobile attention. I would create account plans for top targets, map decision-makers and agency influencers, build a balanced prospecting cadence, and maintain rigorous CRM stages and next steps. I would review pipeline coverage, conversion rates, and forecast quality weekly, then refine vertical focus based on market feedback and win patterns.
I would lead with the combination of a highly engaged global learning audience, premium attention, trusted brand equity, and distinctive native or character-led creative opportunities. Rather than presenting inventory alone, I would connect the program to the advertiser’s objectives—such as awareness, consideration, engagement, or cultural relevance—and support the recommendation with clear audience, format, measurement, and execution details. The goal would be a credible commercial narrative that protects learner experience while delivering meaningful brand value.
I establish a mutual action plan early that documents the customer objective, stakeholders, decision process, commercial terms, technical needs, creative dependencies, and target close date. Internally, I align Account Management, Ad Ops, Product, Design, and Engineering on feasibility, responsibilities, risks, and deadlines before making commitments externally. I keep communication direct and frequent, escalating trade-offs early so that the final program is both sellable and operationally sound.
I first clarify the customer’s desired business outcome, required deliverables, alternatives, timeline, and decision criteria. I use this understanding to anchor the proposal in the differentiated value of the audience, formats, creative integration, and measurement rather than treating the program as a commodity media buy. During negotiation, I protect pricing integrity while using thoughtful levers such as commitment length, package scope, testing plans, renewal options, or phased investment to reach a mutually valuable agreement.
I would synthesize recurring buyer feedback on demand by vertical, preferred buying motions, creative requirements, measurement expectations, pricing sensitivity, and objections that affect conversion. I would distinguish isolated requests from repeatable market signals using CRM data, lost-deal analysis, campaign results, and direct customer conversations. Then I would recommend prioritized changes to packaging, sales materials, operational processes, and product capabilities based on expected revenue impact and implementation feasibility.
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…
Join us to build Duolingo Ads, Duolingo’s direct ad business. Most learners use our free, ad-supported app, so high-quality ads are core to our mission. We’re hiring an Ad Sales Lead in Chicago to open and lead the Central region. This is a senior individual-contributor role for a seller who can both win business and help shape how we scale: you’ll set regional strategy, build a high-quality pipeline across priority verticals, cultivate senior relationships with brands and agencies, and close high-impact deals that delight learners and drive revenue. You’ll partner closely with sales leadership and the cross-functional ads team to influence pricing, packaging, market prioritization, and the broader go-to-market motion as Duolingo Ads grows. This is a high-ownership, early-stage opportunity to help define the trajectory of ads on Duolingo for hundreds of millions of learners.
🧠 You will…
- Own the Central region’s direct ads strategy and revenue outcomes, including named-account prioritization, pipeline development, forecasting, and quarterly execution.
- Build and grow senior relationships across brands and agencies, opening new logos and expanding strategic accounts into long-term, high-value partnerships.
- Lead complex, high-impact deals end-to-end, from prospecting and positioning through negotiation, close, renewal, and expansion.
- Translate Duolingo’s unique strengths, including premium attention, native formats, character IP, and brand equity, into clear commercial narratives tailored to advertiser objectives.
- Partner closely with Account Management, Ad Ops, Product, Design, and Engineering to move deals forward, shape feasible programs, and improve the advertiser and learner experience.
- Share actionable market feedback with sales and product leadership to inform pricing, packaging, measurement, and future ad formats.
- Help establish repeatable systems and standards for a growing ads business, including account planning, CRM hygiene, proposal quality, and pipeline rigor.
✅ You have…
- 8+ years of experience in direct digital ad sales, with a strong track record of building senior client relationships and closing meaningful new business.
- Success selling premium video and native/custom ad formats in digital, mobile, or consumer app environments.
- Proven ability to operate as a senior seller in an early-stage or evolving business, balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
- Strong commercial judgment across pricing, packaging, negotiation, and account prioritization.
- Ability to influence senior decision makers at brands and agencies while working effectively with cross-functional partners internally.
- Strong understanding of ad tech and mobile app ecosystems, and comfort using data to assess campaign performance, shape proposals, and inform sales strategy.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with a clear, persuasive style and comfort operating in ambiguity.
⭐ Exceptional candidates will have…
- Established relationships with senior brand and agency leaders across the Central region.
- Experience building a direct ads business from 0→1 or scaling a newer ads product within a publisher or platform environment.
- Experience shaping go-to-market strategy, sales process, or regional coverage models beyond your own book of business.
- Familiarity with managed-service and programmatic sales motions, including how they complement one another in a scaled ads business.
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. We encourage you to talk with your recruiter for more information related to compensation for this role!
Salary Range:
$140,000—$210,000 USD
Benefits: Take a peek at how we care for our employees’ holistic well-being with our benefits here.
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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 accommodations@duolingo.com.
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.
Fraud Warning: Unfortunately, there is a rise in scammers pretending to be real Duolingo employees. Duolingo and our employees will never ask for your Social Security number, bank details, or passport info, and we’ll never ask you to deposit a check, purchase equipment, or exchange money during the interview process. Real Duolingo employees always use an email that ends in @duolingo.com or @recruiting.duolingo.com. Stay alert and double-check these details before sharing any information.
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