About the role...We're looking for a Lead Recruiter to own product hiring at Duolingo - partnering directly with our Chief Product Officer to build and shape the Product org from the ground up. This isn't just executing on a req list. You'll help define what great looks like, influence how we think about product talent, and build the processes and relationships that make hiring a competitive advantage. If you love blending strategy with hands-on execution, operating at the intersection of recruiting and business, and leaving your fingerprints on a world-class team, this is the role for you.
You will...- Own full-cycle recruiting for Product roles at all levels - ICs to senior leaders - building deep pipelines and consistently closing top talent.
- Be a true partner to the CPO, shaping hiring strategy, prioritizing roles, and helping define what great Product talent looks like at Duolingo.
- Lead and influence without direct authority, working across recruiting, sourcing, and business stakeholders to align processes, calibrate expectations, and drive outcomes.
- Drive sourcing strategy (roughly 25-30% of your time), going beyond inbound to build proactive outreach for senior and hard-to-fill roles.
- Use data to tell the story - diagnosing pipeline health, surfacing insights to leadership, and making decisions that balance speed with quality.
- Champion the candidate experience from first touch to offer close, making sure every interaction reflects Duolingo's brand and values.
- Build the infrastructure - whether that's interview frameworks, leveling guidance, or hiring playbooks - that scales beyond you.
You have...- Ability to work onsite in Pittsburgh, PA, Monday-Thursday, with Friday optional
- 7+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience, with meaningful depth in Product hiring
- Experience partnering closely with senior leaders (VP/C-suite) to shape org strategy, not just fill seats
- A track record of hiring across levels - from PMs to Directors to VPs - with strong judgment on what "great" looks like at each
- Comfort operating in ambiguity, with the ownership mindset to create structure where it doesn't exist
- Strong data fluency - you know how to use pipeline metrics to drive conversations and influence decisions
☆ Exceptional candidates will have...- Experience leading or mentoring a recruiting team, even informally
- Deep market knowledge of the Product talent landscape, including how to position Duolingo competitively
- A history of building repeatable hiring systems that improve quality and efficiency at scale
- And, of course... an impressive Duolingo streak.
We post a multi-level salary range for all of our roles.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.
Salary Range:
$163,200-$244,800 USD
Take a peek at how we care for our employees' holistic well-being with our benefits here.
