Learning Scientist, Efficacy Research

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...

We are looking for a world-class language researcher with a proven track record in conducting research studies and analyzing large datasets. Our ideal candidate has expertise in language learning and/or assessment, along with extensive experience in language data analysis. At Duolingo, you will have an opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge to the world’s largest language learning dataset. You’ll work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, where you see the immediate impact of your work on millions of learners worldwide.

You will...

• Lead or collaborate on research efforts that evaluate the effectiveness of Duolingo courses, from study design through data collection and analysis.
• Analyze in-app data to gain insights that inform the Duolingo learning experience.
• Share your findings with both internal teams and external audiences, across various formats such as presentations, reports, white papers, and journal manuscripts.
• Manage external research collaborations, guiding projects from proposal to final deliverables.

You have...

• Research Expertise. You are an expert language researcher (e.g., in language acquisition, processing, or assessment), including quantitative methods and writing research reports.
• Advanced Data Analysis Skills. You have strong skills in statistics and data visualization. You are proficient in R or Python, and are able to quickly learn SQL or other data tools for handling large datasets.
• Innovative Problem-Solving Ability: You critically evaluate your work, proactively recommend improvements, and quickly adapt to evolving priorities.
• Strong Communication and Collaboration. You have excellent interpersonal and communication skills. You collaborate well with others.
• Operational Focus. You are organized, efficient, and always looking for ways to improve workflows.

Requirements...

• Ph.D. in linguistics, applied linguistics, cognitive science, or a related field.
• Ability to work full-time from or relocate to Pittsburgh, PA.

Exceptional candidates will have...

• Experience building computational models of human language learning or processing.
• Industry experience, especially in EdTech.
• A passion for language learning and knowledge of a language other than English.

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

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.

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.

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: $113,050—$184,000 USD