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Salary: USD 140,000 - 0 / annual
Duolingo is seeking an Ad Sales Lead for the Central region to build and lead their direct advertising business. This is a senior individual-contributor role focused on opening and scaling the Central region's ad sales operation.
You will own the Central region's direct ads strategy and revenue outcomes, including named-account prioritization, pipeline development, forecasting, and quarterly execution. You'll build and grow senior relationships across brands and agencies, opening new logos and expanding strategic accounts into long-term, high-value partnerships. You'll lead complex, high-impact deals end-to-end, from prospecting and positioning through negotiation, close, renewal, and expansion.
Key responsibilities include translating Duolingo's unique strengths—premium attention, native formats, character IP, and brand equity—into clear commercial narratives tailored to advertiser objectives. You'll partner closely with Account Management, Ad Ops, Product, Design, and Engineering to move deals forward, shape feasible programs, and improve the advertiser and learner experience. You'll share actionable market feedback with sales and product leadership to inform pricing, packaging, measurement, and future ad formats. You'll also help establish repeatable systems and standards for a growing ads business, including account planning, CRM hygiene, proposal quality, and pipeline rigor.
Required qualifications: 8+ years of experience in direct digital ad sales with a strong track record of building senior client relationships and closing meaningful new business. Success selling premium video and native/custom ad formats in digital, mobile, or consumer app environments. Proven ability to operate as a senior seller in an early-stage or evolving business, balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution. Strong commercial judgment across pricing, packaging, negotiation, and account prioritization. Ability to influence senior decision makers at brands and agencies while working effectively with cross-functional partners internally. Strong understanding of ad tech and mobile app ecosystems, and comfort using data to assess campaign performance, shape proposals, and inform sales strategy. Excellent communication and presentation skills with a clear, persuasive style and comfort operating in ambiguity.
Exceptional candidates will have established relationships with senior brand and agency leaders across the Central region, experience building a direct ads business from 0→1 or scaling a newer ads product within a publisher or platform environment, experience shaping go-to-market strategy or sales process, and familiarity with managed-service and programmatic sales motions.
