---
title: 'Senior Business Development Manager, China at Duolingo'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-business-development-manager-china-duolingo-beijing-qbzndn7d2860'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-10'
---

# Senior Business Development Manager, China at Duolingo

- **Company:** Duolingo
- **Location:** Beijing, China
- **Compensation:** CNY 681k–CNY 922k
- **Posted:** 2026-11-06
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-10
- **Apply:** https://careers.duolingo.com/jobs/8933285002?gh_jid=8933285002

## Job description

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](https://blog.duolingo.com/?utm_source=greenhouse.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=generalblog_gh_091224) to learn more.

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

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

Benefits: Take a peek at how we care for our employees' holistic well-being with our benefits [here](https://careers.duolingo.com/#benefits).

Job Alerts: Sign up for job alerts [here](http://my.greenhouse.io/users/sign_in?job_board=duolingo).

Accommodations: 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 accommodations@duolingo.com.

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.

Fraud Warning: Unfortunately, there is a rise in scammers pretending to be real Duolingo employees. Duolingo and our employees will never ask for your Social Security number, bank details, or passport info, and we’ll never ask you to deposit a check, purchase equipment, or exchange money during the interview process. Real Duolingo employees always use an email that ends in @duolingo.com or @recruiting.duolingo.com. Stay alert and double-check these details before sharing any information.

By applying for this position your data will be processed as per the[Duolingo Applicant Privacy Notice](https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTX9GKeRMOMA9Vtm0vfGibrYPYz8ysl0Dg8KSXgj_PxeT5ChsdnNZZWtpxu4t7xillTPGnngnKCjIbV/pub).

## About Duolingo

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Duolingo is a gamified language-learning platform that makes education free, fun, and accessible to everyone, and is the most downloaded education app in history.
- **Entity Type**: Public (NASDAQ: DUOL)
- **Headquarters**: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA (with offices in New York, NY and Seattle, WA)
- **Founded**: 2011
- **Founders**: Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker

## Core Business
- **Primary Industry/Industries**: Education technology (EdTech), language learning, digital assessment
- **Target Customers**: B2C (individual learners of all ages, globally), B2B/B2G (institutions through the Duolingo English Test)
- **Mission**: “To develop the best education in the world and make it universally available.” [investors.duolingo.com](https://investors.duolingo.com/company-strategy-overview-0)

## Products & Services
- **Duolingo (main app)**: The core language-learning app offering 98 courses across nearly 40 languages. Freemium model (free with ads/limited hearts; paid Super Duolingo removes ads and adds unlimited hearts). Uses bite-sized, game-like lessons.
- **Duolingo English Test (DET)**: A web-based, high-stakes English proficiency exam accepted by 6,100+ institutions, including 98 of the top 100 U.S. universities. Provides a certified Duolingo Score.
- **Duolingo Math**: An app for elementary math and brain training (mental math).
- **Duolingo ABC**: An app teaching reading fundamentals to preschool through second-grade children.
- **Duolingo Score**: An in-app proficiency estimate (0–129) that aims to become the universal standard for language ability.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Approximately $16 B as of early 2025. [blog.duolingo.com](https://blog.duolingo.com/handbook/)
- **Key Metrics (as of Q4 2025)**:
  - 52.7 million daily active users (DAUs)
  - 133.1 million monthly active users (MAUs)
  - 12.2 million paid subscribers
  - 90%+ annual employee retention rate [investors.duolingo.com](https://investors.duolingo.com/company-strategy-overview-0)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Publicly traded; major institutional shareholders. Key partners include universities and institutions that accept the Duolingo English Test.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount grew to 850+ employees (up from ~800 in early 2025).
  - Massive AI investment: published 20,500 skills in language courses in Q1 2026 alone (up from 7,100/quarter in 2025).
  - Launched Video Call feature for real-time AI conversation practice with character Lily.
  - Expanding beyond language into Math and ABC apps.
  - DET acceptance grew to 6,100+ institutions.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Freemium model at massive scale**: Free product drives 500 M+ learners, generating unmatched data for efficacy improvements, while paid subscriptions fund the mission.
- **Gamification & design mastery**: “Make It Fun” principle turns learning into an addictive game, driving daily habit formation.
- **AI & data flywheel**: Runs 1,000+ A/B tests per quarter; uses learner data to continuously improve content, personalization, and outcomes.
- **Long-term thinking**: Culture of “Take the Long View” prioritizes retention and product quality over short-term tricks.
- **The Green Machine**: A proven, experiment-driven approach to building products that has produced consistent innovation.
- **Strong brand & quirky culture**: Wholesome but unhinged brand identity creates viral moments and deep user loyalty.

## Strategic Focus
- **Current priorities**: Growing users (reducing friction in free experience) and teaching better (AI-driven features, new subjects).
- **Becoming the proficiency standard**: Push the Duolingo Score as the universal metric for language ability, supported by the DET.
- **Expanding subjects**: Math, reading (ABC), and future courses beyond language.
- **AI investments**: Continue using AI/automation to rapidly create and improve course content (skills, Video Call, etc.).
- **Long-term**: Build a “100‑year company” that transforms global education.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Unique, quirky, and not copied from a tech playbook – built “from scratch by a few dozen nerds in an office above a sports bar.” Core principles: Take the Long View, Raise the Bar, Ship It, Show Don’t Tell, Make It Fun. [handbook.duolingo.com](https://handbook.duolingo.com/)
- **Work environment**: Hybrid – in-office Tuesday–Thursday (Pittsburgh, New York, Seattle), remote optional Monday and Friday. Offices designed to be “quirky and welcoming.” [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/duolingo)
- **Engineering excellence**: Lean, scrappy teams with high autonomy. Emphasis on rapid experimentation and “The Green Machine.” High bar for hiring but also “genuinely kind” people. 90%+ annual retention indicates strong employee satisfaction.
- **Impact**: Work on a product that reaches over half a billion learners worldwide, with a mission-driven focus on global education.
- **Perks**: Not fully detailed in provided sources, but the culture emphasizes long-term growth, continuous learning, and a supportive environment for generalists.

## Sources
1. [handbook.duolingo.com](https://handbook.duolingo.com/) – The Duolingo Handbook (company values, culture, Green Machine)
2. [careers.duolingo.com](https://careers.duolingo.com/) – Official careers page (mission, principles)
3. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/duolingo) – Duolingo profile on Built In (offices, hybrid policy, tech stack, employee count)
4. [investors.duolingo.com](https://investors.duolingo.com/company-strategy-overview-0) – Company Strategy Overview (mission, pillars, key metrics, growth signals)
5. [blog.duolingo.com](https://blog.duolingo.com/handbook/) – Inside the Duolingo Handbook (valuation ~$16B, principles, culture details)

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