❤️ #22 - Design Jobs at Duolingo!

February 10, 2025

Happy Monday!
It’s Sid, back with another round of design jobs!

People asked me, “Why are you doing this?” and “Why just one company at a time?” Well, since my dataset consists of exactly one (me), and my job search process is… let’s call it minimal, I figured I’d start there.

If you’re anything like me, you probably cycle through the same 4-5 companies when job hunting and don’t look much further. But then it hit me—there are so many other companies out there that I’d probably love working at, but they never even crossed my mind.

So, this newsletter is my way of shining a light on cool jobs at big companies that might be flying under your radar too.

Is this how everyone searches for jobs? No clue. But hey, I trust the data, even a sample size of 1 (small, not big, data!)

“Level up your career at Duolingo”

Today’s spotlight is on Duolingo, where design meets language learning! They’re looking for creative minds to help shape the next generation of user experiences. If you’re fluent in design and ready to build something fun and impactful, this is your chance.

  1. 3x Director of Product Design - Duolingo (click link for job posting)

    Summary: There are 3 Director of Product Design roles at Duolingo. You'll lead and mentor a diverse team of designers, fostering a culture of creativity and excellence while ensuring the delivery of high-quality, user-friendly, and fun product experiences. You'll collaborate with cross-functional leaders, contribute to strategic planning, and shape the growth and structure of the design organization.

    Seattle, WA: https://careers.duolingo.com/jobs/7745830002

    Pittsburg, PA: https://careers.duolingo.com/jobs/7745833002 

    Salary Estimate: $196,000—$426,000 USD annually (now that’s a range eh?)

    Location: 3 locations - NYC, Pittsburg, Seattle - USA

  2. Senior Creative Technologist - Duolingo (click link for job posting)

    Summary: As a Senior Creative Technologist at Duolingo, you will create engaging, scalable animations for Math and Music courses using tools like Rive and Figma. You'll collaborate with animators, designers, and engineers to streamline creative processes, develop technical documentation, and enhance the interactivity of Duolingo's educational products.

    Salary Estimate: $174,250—$294,000 USD annually.

    Location: NYC, USA

  3. Senior Product Designer - Duolingo (click for job posting)

    Summary: As a Senior Product Designer for the Duolingo English Test in Beijing, you will lead the design of innovative features to enhance user experience, collaborating closely with designers, engineers, and product managers. You'll help expand Duolingo's design language, contribute to both strategic and tactical product decisions, and play a key role in shaping the future of AI-driven language assessment.

    Salary Estimate: $42,000 to $63,000 USD annually (in the local currency)

    Location: Beijing, China

  4. 4x Senior Product Designer, Growth - Duolingo (click link for job posting)

    Summary: As a Senior Product Designer on Duolingo's Growth team, you'll lead the design of features that foster user engagement and habit-building, such as streaks, leaderboards, and achievements. You'll collaborate with cross-functional teams to shape both strategic initiatives and tactical enhancements, while expanding Duolingo's playful and user-friendly design language.

    NYC: https://careers.duolingo.com/jobs/7768156002

    Pittsburg: https://careers.duolingo.com/jobs/7768158002

    Beijing: https://careers.duolingo.com/jobs/7766833002

    Salary Estimate: $148,800—$274,600 USD annually.
    Location: Multiple locations

  5. Senior Product Designer, Music - Duolingo(click link for job posting)

    Summary: As a Senior Product Designer for Music at Duolingo, you'll combine your passion for music theory with technology to create engaging, evidence-based musical learning experiences. You'll collaborate with cross-functional teams to design innovative features for Duolingo's expanding educational offerings.

    Salary Estimate: $144,500—$294,000 USD annually.
    Location: Seattle, WA

  6. Staff Product Designer, Growth - Duolingo (click link for job posting)

    Summary: As a Staff Product Designer for Growth at Duolingo, you'll lead the design of features that foster user engagement, such as streaks, leaderboards, and achievements. You'll collaborate with cross-functional teams to refine the Duolingo app's user experience, balancing strategic iterations with bold new ideas.

    Salary Estimate: $148,800—$274,600 USD
    Location: Multiple locations, USA

  7. I counted over 30 Design roles at Duolingo, so it’s worth keeping you’re eye on the careers page!

  8. And finally, remember to look into past Design Scramble editions I sent out, some roles may still be open

“Seeing The Unseen - Our Designer Eyes”

I (and all of you am sure) notice the tiniest details in the world around. I’m the guy checking under my seat at restaurants, and like, “Huh, interesting joint work. No screws holding this up” or side-eyeing crosswalk signs, mentally acknowledging the pixel density of the lights. And faces? I see eyes, noses, and mouths on everything from electrical outlets to car grills.

If this is also you, Congrats. You’re in. You’ll never leave!

And here’s the kicker: I love it. That little dopamine hit when I notice how something’s made or why it sucks? Pure gold. It seeps into every part of your life, too. Being a designer is like having a superpower. (And yeah, I’m sure engineers, doctors, and other pros feel this, too. But we’re talking design right now)

It’s like this: once you flip that switch in your brain and start thinking like a designer, there’s no turning it off. It’s on—all the time. You’ve basically slapped on some X-ray usability goggles, and now the world is a mess you have to fix.

Here’s how design has rewired my brain:

1. Spotting Patterns Everywhere.
The grocery store isn’t just a place to buy eggs—it’s a chaotic hellscape with a plan. Why is the milk all the way in the back? Cause you pass all the other items you didn’t know you needed. Gotcha! And pricing structures in options online, well yea that is price anchoring so you always pick the more expensive option (I’ll write about price anchoring next time). LEGO Bricks? Well that is beyond a pattern, that’s a whole another system and level.

2. Iteration is a way of life.
The first draft, yea that’s trash. Second, trash it. Maybe even the third. But that’s the fun part. Now, you’re tweaking everything in life like it’s a beta version. Your clothing cupboard, yea let’s Marie Kondo that thing, but tweak it to make it better - a rainbow pattern with your tshirts and sweaters? Why not! Don’t get me started on my spice cabinet.

3. You’re Always Thinking Experience.

Designing a toy that’s a mech? Cute, but what are all the play starters? what triggers story telling? What triggers roleplay? How do 2 kids play with it?

So yeah, once you start thinking like a designer, you can’t stop. But honestly? Why would you want to?

See ya in the next edition.

Love,
Sid.
Who am I? —→ Linkedin 

Hey, if this isn’t for you, no problem—but someone in your network might need it.

Job hunting is tough, and I know from experience how easy it is to focus on just a few familiar companies, forgetting about so many others. That’s why I started this newsletter— not just to share great roles, but to inspire you to think beyond your usual search and favorite companies.

Forwarding this could be the small action that leads someone to their dream job. The impact? Huge!
Where they can sign up too - https://design-scramble.beehiiv.com/ 
Thanks!!