Senior Business Development Manager, China

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.

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About the role...

Build the partnerships that grow Duolingo’s business in China.

China is one of Duolingo’s most important growth markets, and our Business Development team builds partnerships there that drive user growth, monetization, and brand impact. We’re hiring a Senior Business Development Manager based in Beijing to source, structure, and execute high-impact partnerships. You will own the partnership pipeline and craft clear business cases tied to company metrics. Reporting to the Head of Business Development, China, you will collaborate closely with Marketing, Product, Design, Engineering, and Legal teams across China, the US, and around the world to bring deals from idea to launch. This role is ideal for a strategic deal-maker who is equally strong at outbound prospecting, rigorous analysis, crisp storytelling, and end-to-end execution.

🧠 You will...

• Leverage market insights and understanding of the partnership landscape to develop and communicate an effective strategy for partnerships in China
• Build, prioritize, and manage a partnership pipeline that maps to Duolingo’s growth, monetization, and brand objectives; proactively source opportunities and advance them from first meeting to signed agreement and launch
• Develop compelling, data‑driven business cases that quantify impact, align stakeholders, and secure resources for execution
• Lead negotiations and structure balanced value exchanges; partner with Legal on term sheets and contracts to move efficiently while protecting Duolingo’s interests
• Establish clear success metrics and reporting; monitor performance post‑launch, troubleshoot issues, and iterate to maximize ROI
• Work closely with Product/Design/Engineering to influence product integrations vital to get strategic partnerships off the ground
• Collaborate with global and local Marketing teams to amplify partnership launches through buzz-worthy activations

✅ You have...

• Business development experience, having successfully developed partnerships to drive growth or monetization, in the digital consumer tech (B2C) space
• Ambitious spirit with a track record of achieving great results by building long-lasting external relationships, collaborating effectively with multiple internal teams to drive ideas to execution, and taking a test and scale approach
• Experience in conceiving, developing, and implementing partnerships throughout their full cycles, from deal sourcing, to building business cases, negotiating agreements, driving and tracking results
• Work experience in consulting or investment banking
• Critical thinking and structured thought process, with skills to build and communicate compelling, data-driven narratives
• Ability to travel internationally frequently, specifically to Pittsburgh (HQ) and New York

⭐ Exceptional candidates will have...

• Experience with mobile app monetization (subscriptions, ads, etc.)
• Lived and worked in multiple markets
• MBA from reputable university
• Excitement for our mission to make high-quality language learning accessible to everyone

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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: ¥681,212-¥921,640 CNY

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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.

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