Greenhouse ·
full-timeAd Sales Lead, Programmatic
Duolingo · New York, NY
Duolingo is an education technology company focused on making language learning accessible through its mobile application. This Ad Sales Lead role focuses on the company's programmatic advertising business, which supports the free, ad-supported version of the platform. The position involves building and managing a deal-led book of business by engaging with agency holding companies, trading desks, and independent agencies. You will be responsible for shifting the company's strategy from open auctions to premium private marketplace and programmatic guaranteed deals. Day-to-day tasks include managing revenue targets, negotiating annual commitments, and developing programmatic value propositions that leverage the company's native ad formats and first-party audience data. You will also collaborate with ad operations to ensure deal delivery and provide market intelligence to internal product and engineering teams to refine pricing and packaging. This role is suited for experienced professionals with a background in sell-side programmatic advertising, specifically those who have successfully sourced and grown PMP and PG business within the mobile app ecosystem.
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... Join us to build Duolingo Ads, Duolingo’s premium programmatic business. Most learners use our free, ad‑supported app—so great ads are core to our mission. Reporting into the Head of Ad Sales, the Ad Sales Lead, Programmatic will build a deal‑led book of business with agency holding companies, independent agencies, and advertisers who want access to Duolingo’s native formats, first‑party learner signals, and one of the most engaged mobile audiences in the world. You will own buy‑side relationships across holdco investment and programmatic teams, trading desks, curation and principal media groups, and premium programmatic buyers. This is a high‑ownership, high‑visibility, early‑stage opportunity to help define how programmatic can fuel high‑quality ads for millions of learners while driving outcomes for partners. 🧠 You will... Own a programmatic revenue target and forecast, and build a predictable pipeline across agency holding‑company programmatic and investment teams, trading desks, independent agencies, and premium programmatic buyers. Lead our shift from open auction to premium, deal‑led PMP/PG by packaging Duolingo’s native formats and first‑party learner signals into always‑on and custom deals that buyers will pay a premium for, and negotiate annual and upfront commitments that make that revenue durable. Become the person holdco programmatic teams call about mobile app inventory: run joint business planning; get Duolingo onto preferred supply paths, curated marketplaces, and principal/outcome‑based buys; and defend our position when buyers consolidate Build the programmatic value proposition and measurement story through proposals, pricing narratives, and post‑campaign proof that connect our native formats and audience data to brand and performance outcomes (e.g., verification, attention, brand lift, incrementality, MMM). Partner with Ad Platform Operations and Ad Ops on deal setup, targeting, floors, pacing, and troubleshooting—ensuring what you sell is deliverable and delivers against expectations. Work alongside our direct sellers under clear rules of engagement so programmatic expands the account through incremental value; coordinate with Account Management pre‑ and post‑sale to drive renewal and expansion. Feed structured market intelligence back to sales, product, and engineering leadership about what buyers need in pricing, packaging, audience segments, formats, and integrations, balancing this input with our learner‑first standards and operational quality. Establish the operating rhythm for a scaling programmatic business via account planning, outreach cadences, deal hygiene in CRM, pipeline rigor, and repeatable playbooks the next sellers can run. ✅ You have... 8+ years in digital advertising, including at least 4 years selling programmatic on the sell side (publisher/platform/app) or in a holding‑company programmatic/investment role, carrying and hitting a quota; demonstrated PMP/PG selling and trading‑desk engagement. A demonstrated book of PMP and PG business you personally sourced, negotiated, and grew. Experience selling premium mobile or consumer app inventory—especially video and native/custom formats—through programmatic channels to top‑tier advertisers and agencies. Strong understanding of ad tech and mobile app ecosystems, including DSP/SSP workflows, deal IDs, verification/measurement, and using data to inform pricing and packaging. Excellent communication and presentation skills; clear, concise storytelling for both technical and non‑technical audiences. ⭐ Exceptional candidates will have... Deep, current relationships with programmatic leads at major agency holding companies and larger independents. Experience moving partners from a heavy open‑auction mix to meaningful always‑on/custom PMP/PG alongside direct sales—and knowing what actually moved the deal (packaging, pricing, supply path, or sales motion). Sold against first‑party audience segments or custom data products, not just inventory. Hands‑on partnership with Ad Ops on deal setup, SSP onboarding, and campaign QA to improve fill, CPMs, and delivery quality. 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 compensati
| Role | Ad Sales Lead, Programmatic |
|---|---|
| Company | Duolingo |
| Location | New York, NY |
| Compensation | Not disclosed |
| Posted | 2026-09-28 |
| Deadline | Rolling |
Typical process for this type of role
A general guide — the exact steps for this specific listing may vary; check the original posting for details.
- 1ApplicationSubmit your resume through the apply link.
- 2ScreeningRecruiter reviews your background against the role.
- 3AssessmentA technical test, assignment, or coding round, depending on the role.
- 4Interview(s)One or more rounds with the hiring team.
- 5OfferOffer letter with compensation and start date.
Before you apply
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