---
title: 'Director of IT at Preply'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-it-preply-barcelona-eqydp6meq748'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-04'
---

# Director of IT at Preply

- **Company:** [Preply](https://feeny.ai/companies/preply)
- **Location:** Barcelona, Spain
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-07-27
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-04
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/preply/79e7bc75-ca44-4da8-8571-927111d938a8

## Job description

We power people’s progress. At Preply, we’re all about creating life-changing learning experiences. We help people discover the magic of the perfect tutor, craft a personalised learning journey, and stay motivated to keep growing. Our approach is human-led, tech-enabled - and it’s creating real impact. We’ve just reached unicorn status with a $150M Series D, accelerating our vision to transform education through human-led, AI-enhanced learning. Today, 100,000+ tutors teach 90+ languages to learners in 180 countries - and we’re only getting started. As a category-defining company, we’re shaping what the future of learning looks like at global scale. Every Preply lesson sparks change, fuels ambition, and drives progress that matters. Joining Preply means helping define the future of education at global scale, and building something that truly matters for millions of people, every day. Meet the team! You'll lead Preply's IT team: a lean, high-performing group that keeps a fast-moving, globally distributed company running every day. With strong foundations already in place, the next chapter is about introducing more AI-native workflows, automation, strengthening operational excellence, and evolving IT into a more strategic function. This is the role that will lead that transformation. You’ll be both the architect and the hands-on operator: setting the vision and tooling strategy for the whole organization, while staying close enough to the systems to script, automate, and build alongside your team. You’ll report into senior technology leadership and work directly with C-level stakeholders to make IT a measurable driver of efficiency, cost control, and employee experience.

The stack you'll operate:

- Identity and access: Okta as the identity platform, covering SSO, SCIM provisioning and conditional access across SaaS.
- Endpoint: a fleet of roughly 700 Macs managed with Jamf, with zero-touch enrollment and compliance baselines.
- Workplace: Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom (meetings, rooms and AV), Atlassian (Jira, Confluence)
- AI: Claude Enterprise, OpenAI, Cursor and Gemini deployed across the company, with intake, approval and allow-listing run jointly with Security
- Automation and infrastructure: Okta Workflows, scripting and API-driven automation.

What you’ll be doing:

1. Strategy, vision and business enablement

- Own and evolve a multi-quarter IT roadmap tied directly to Preply’s business goals, treating IT as an enabler of growth rather than a cost center.
- Set the tooling strategy and standards across the organization: decide what we adopt, consolidate, and retire, and articulate why.
- Operate fluidly across altitudes: set direction with leadership one moment, and make sharp technical calls the next.
- Plan ahead, anticipating what a fast-scaling company will need from IT 12 to 18 months out, and building toward it. Implement control adequate for a pre-IPO level company.

1. AI-native operations and automation

- Bring an AI-first, automate-first mindset to how IT runs: provisioning, access, support deflection, and asset reconciliation.
- Lead by example. Build and ship automations yourself, and show both your team and the wider company what good looks like.
- Continuously surface AI tooling that makes employees’ lives easier, with a clear, opinionated view on where it adds value and where it’s just noise.
- Bring those AI-native ways of working to the rest of the organization, not just to IT.

1. Team leadership and capability maturity

- Lead, grow, and mature a lean IT team into a senior, process-driven function.
- Raise the technical bar across the team, coaching toward more technical, AI-fluent ways of working.
- Stay hands-on where it counts: scripting, automation, and MDM and identity configuration.
- Build the operating rhythm (SLAs, runbooks, prioritization) that lets the team scale its impact without scaling headcount one-for-one.

1. Global infrastructure, fleet and workplace technology

- Own international fleet and device lifecycle end to end, from procurement and enrollment to retirement, across multiple countries.
- Run identity, access, and endpoint management to a high standard of reliability for a distributed workforce.
- Manage the Barcelona hub’s on-site technology: the office network, meeting-room AV, and video conferencing tools and devices.
- Own the IT services behind company off-sites and events, from connectivity and AV to on-the-ground support, wherever the company gathers.
- Treat IT’s own security and compliance hygiene (endpoint compliance, identity hygiene, least privilege on IT-managed systems) as a core operating principle.

1. Procurement, software spend and FinOps

- Own visibility into what Preply spends on IT, SaaS, and software tools, and help Finance understand, forecast, and plan that spend.
- Partner with Finance and Procurement on contracts, renewals, and vendor rationalization.
- Drive cost and compliance efficiency: eliminate shadow IT, consolidate overlapping tools, and negotiate from a position of data.

1. Data, dashboards and stakeholder management

- Build dashboards and reporting that give leadership a clear, current view of IT health, spend, and the status of every initiative.
- Provide crisp, proactive follow-ups on where things stand, so leadership never has to chase.
- Manage and influence C-level stakeholders directly, translating technical reality into business decisions.
- Make decisions from data, not anecdotes.

1. Partnership with Security

- Co-own the identity lifecycle in Okta: joiner, mover and leaver flows, periodic access reviews, least privilege and separation of duties.
- Enforce endpoint compliance baselines in Jamf and keep control evidence audit-ready.
- Implement and operate the ITGC controls behind SOX readiness and SOC 2, at the standard expected of a company at Preply's stage.
- Share ownership of AI tool governance: evaluation, approval and allow lists for anything new entering the environment.

## What you need to succeed

- 5+ years leading and growing IT teams or functions in a fast-scaling technology company.
- A true architect and operator: you set strategy and stay hands-on. You’re still comfortable scripting, automating, and configuring MDM and identity systems yourself.
- Deep experience running international fleet and device management, identity, and endpoint management (e.g. Jamf, Okta, or equivalents).
- A strong command of SaaS and software spend management and FinOps practices, and comfort partnering with Finance on cost visibility and forecasting.
- An AI-first, automate-first operator: you’ve used AI to remove toil, and you bring a clear, opinionated point of view on tooling.
- A proven ability to manage and influence senior, C-level stakeholders.
- A data-driven approach: you rely on dashboards and reporting that drive real decisions, and you plan ahead.
- You treat IT’s own security and compliance hygiene as non-negotiable.
- Professional fluency in English.

Nice to have:

- Experience in a remote-first or globally distributed company.
- Familiarity with a modern cloud, identity, and endpoint stack (e.g. GCP, AWS, Okta, Jamf, Jira, Confluence, Slack).
- A track record of maturing an early-stage IT function into a structured, senior team.
- Hands-on experience with office IT: on-site networking, meeting-room AV and video conferencing, and the technology behind off-sites and company events.

## Why you’ll love it at Preply

- An open, collaborative, dynamic and diverse culture;
- A generous monthly allowance for lessons on [Preply.com](http://Preply.com), Learning & Development budget and time off for your self-development;
- A competitive financial package with equity, leave allowance and health insurance;
- Not in Barcelona? We offer an attractive relocation package to join us in our Preply Barcelona Hub;
- Access to free mental health support platforms;
- Access to Gympass-partnered wellness and gym centers throughout Spain to promote and support well-being and physical health;
- The opportunity to shape the lives of learners and tutors through language learning and teaching in 175 countries (and counting!).

Our Principles

- Care to change the world - We are passionate about our work and care deeply about its impact to be life changing.
- We do it for learners - For both Preply and tutors, learners are why we do what we do. Every day we focus on empowering tutors to deliver an exceptional learning experience.
- Keep perfecting - To create an outstanding customer experience, we focus on simplicity, smoothness, and enjoyment, continually perfecting it as every detail matters.
- Now is the time - In a fast-paced world, it matters how quickly we act. Now is the time to make great things happen.
- Disciplined execution - What makes us disciplined is the excellence in our execution. We set clear goals, focus on what matters, and utilize our resources efficiently.
- Dive deep - We leverage business acumen and curiosity to investigate disparities between numbers and stories, unlocking meaningful insights to guide our decisions.
- Growth mindset - We proactively seek growth opportunities and believe today's best performance becomes tomorrow's starting point. We humbly embrace feedback and learn from setbacks.
- Raise the bar - We raise our performance standards continuously, alongside each new hire and promotion. We build diverse and high-performing teams that can make a real difference.
- Challenge, disagree and commit - We value open and candid communication, even when we don’t fully agree. We speak our minds, challenge when necessary, and fully commit to decisions once made.
- One Preply - We prioritize collaboration, inclusion, and the success of our team over personal ambitions. Together, we support and celebrate each other's progress.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion [Preply.com](http://Preply.com) is committed to creating an inclusive environment where people of diverse backgrounds can thrive. We believe that the presence of different opinions and viewpoints is a key ingredient for our success as a multicultural Ed-Tech company. That means that Preply will consider all applications for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or veteran status.

## About Preply

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Preply is a human-led, AI-enabled online language learning marketplace that connects over 100,000 tutors with millions of learners worldwide for personalized 1-on-1 lessons.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series D – unicorn, $1.2B valuation as of January 2026)
- **Headquarters**: Brookline, Massachusetts, United States (with global hubs in Barcelona, London, Kyiv, and New York)
- **Founded**: 2012
- **Founders**: Kirill Bigai (CEO) and Dmytro Voloshyn (CTO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Language learning / EdTech
- **Target customers**: B2C (individual learners) and B2B (corporate language training via Preply Business); primarily B2C but growing enterprise segment.
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "Power people’s progress" – combining the flexibility of online learning with personalized lessons from expert tutors to create life‑changing experiences.

## Products & Services
- **Preply Marketplace**: A platform where learners book 1‑on‑1 live lessons with tutors teaching 90+ languages and 120+ subjects. Tutors manage scheduling, payments, and an integrated video classroom.
- **Preply Business**: Corporate language training solution for companies to upskill employees, offering tailored programs and reporting.
- **AI‑Powered Tools**: New‑generation AI‑enhanced tutoring features (including AI‑generated content and adaptive learning tools) designed to supplement human‑led instruction. The company also provides enterprise OpenAI licenses to employees.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: $1.2 billion (post‑money after January 2026 Series D) – becoming a unicorn.
- **Key Metric**: Over $100K total funding? Actually total disclosed funding is ~$150M+ (Series A, B, C) plus the $150M Series D. Annual revenue is not publicly available (private company). Key growth metric: 100,000+ tutors across 180 countries.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: WestCap (led Series D), Owl Ventures, Horizon Capital, Hoxton Ventures, Full In Partners, Diligent Capital Partners, Point Nine Capital (led Seed round).
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Unicorn status reached in Jan 2026.
  - B2B segment “Preply Business” growing.
  - Completed first employee tender offer in May 2026 to provide early liquidity.
  - CEO Kirill Bigai named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2026 New England Finalist.
  - 700+ employees globally; 62+ nationalities represented.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Network effects**: Large two‑sided marketplace with 100K+ tutors and millions of learners creates a strong moat in the $115B global language learning market.
- **Human‑led + AI‑enabled**: Differentiates from purely self‑study apps (e.g., Duolingo) by combining live human interaction with AI‑powered personalization.
- **Global reach**: Tutors from 180 countries teaching 90+ languages, enabling learners to find native speakers for almost any language.
- **Trust & quality**: Focus on tutor quality and learner progress, with internal engagement surveys showing 86% of employees proud to work at Preply.

## Strategic Focus
- **AI integration**: Deepen AI capabilities to enhance tutoring (content generation, adaptive learning paths) while keeping human interaction central.
- **B2B expansion**: Grow Preply Business as a key revenue driver for corporate language training.
- **Global hub growth**: Strengthen presence in existing hubs (Barcelona, London, Kyiv, New York) and expand into new markets.
- **Talent & culture**: Continue building a people‑first culture with employee liquidity events and strong engagement scores.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Guided by five “Preply principles” (Ambition, Keep Perfecting, Care to Change the World, etc.). 86% of employees are proud to work at Preply (2025 survey); 84% would recommend it as a great place to work.
- **Work model**: Hybrid working model (flexible remote/in‑office). Main office in Barcelona with hubs in New York, London, and Kyiv.
- **Perks**: Competitive salaries, stock options, L&D days, monthly Preply platform allowance, wellness benefit, health insurance, flexible compensation program, after‑work gatherings, offsite events, enterprise OpenAI licenses.
- **Hiring process**: 4 stages – TA chat, interviews with hiring team (may include tech test), a final task (case study / peer programming / deep technical discussion), and a Culture Champion interview.
- **Global team**: 62+ nationalities and 700+ employees, offering a diverse, collaborative environment.

## Sources
1. [Preply Careers](https://preply.com/en/careers)
2. [Preply About Us](https://preply.com/en/about-us)
3. [Preply Homepage](https://preply.com/)
4. [CB Insights Company Profile](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/preply)
5. [Preply LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/preply)

## Other roles at Preply

- [Tech Talent Acquisition Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/tech-talent-acquisition-manager-preply-kyiv-cth87vqg7g9t) — Kyiv, Ukraine
- [Senior Operations Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-operations-specialist-preply-barcelona-jt7vgte45f6s) — Barcelona, Spain
- [Senior Visual Designer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-visual-designer-preply-barcelona-044wpqf7jtdr) — Barcelona, Spain
- [Sales Development Representative (Italian)](https://feeny.ai/job/sales-development-representative-italian-preply-barcelona-wwe3e0ma2gz3) — Barcelona, Spain
- [Sales Development Representative (Spanish)](https://feeny.ai/job/sales-development-representative-spanish-preply-barcelona-tx7vfsa02jsg) — Barcelona, Spain
- [Staff Product Manager - Preply Pro and Strategic Projects](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-product-manager-preply-pro-and-strategic-projects-preply-london-gnmeh4c4a4s9) — London, United Kingdom
- [Staff Product Manager  - Preply Pro and Strategic Projects](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-product-manager-preply-pro-and-strategic-projects-preply-barcelona-rk18ena1wfrg) — Barcelona, Spain
- [Senior Full-stack Engineer - CRM](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-full-stack-engineer-crm-preply-london-7vw4ev3xrhnq) — London, United Kingdom
- [Senior Full-stack Engineer (backend-heavy)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-full-stack-engineer-backend-heavy-preply-london-73y1fkvns0kn) — London, United Kingdom
- [Senior Back-End Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-back-end-engineer-preply-london-43s505kw1ymt) — London, United Kingdom