Performance Marketing Lead

About the role

We're looking for a Performance Marketing Lead to own and drive Duolingo's global user acquisition campaigns across 100+ markets. In this hands-on role, you'll be directly responsible for running and optimizing mobile acquisition at scale, supporting an eight-figure annual budget in close partnership with our agency partners and internal teams.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day execution of global performance marketing campaigns, with a primary focus on mobile user acquisition and growth.
• Strategically run and optimize mobile install campaigns across major platforms—such as Google UAC and AppLovin—focusing on high-quality installs, efficient spend, and sustainable global growth.
• Manage and hold accountable Duolingo’s performance marketing agency partners, ensuring alignment on goals, pacing, and quality of execution.
• Leverage deep, data-driven insights to guide decisions, constantly improving key KPIs like CPI, retention, and monetization metrics.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with teams across Marketing Analytics, Creative, Engineering, and Finance to align efforts and maximize impact.
• Champion a culture of experimentation, continuously testing new channels, creative approaches, and optimization strategies to unlock new growth opportunities.
• Develop and present strategic recommendations to marketing leadership, translating campaign performance into actionable insights and proposals.

Requirements

• Experience running large-scale, global mobile acquisition campaigns.
• Strong analytical skills, with expertise in mobile attribution and marketing analytics.
• A successful track record of owning and optimizing large performance marketing budgets with direct, hands-on execution.
• Deep knowledge of the mobile user acquisition ecosystem, including platforms, attribution technologies, industry trends, and best practices.
• Exceptional ability to translate data into strategy and clearly communicate findings to stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience working with and managing agency partners to deliver against performance targets.
• A strong drive to make an impact, a hands-on approach to experimentation, a low-ego attitude, and a genuine passion for teamwork and collaboration.

Qualifications

• STEM degree.
• Experience in running performance marketing for a top subscription-based mobile app.
• Familiarity with incremental measurement methodologies (e.g., geo-lift, incrementality testing, media mix modeling).
• A passion about Duolingo’s mission to make education universally accessible.

Skills

Exceptional candidates will have...

Benefits

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