About This Role
This role involves leading and managing Duolingo's Financial Planning & Analysis and Strategic Finance functions as part of the Senior Leadership Team. Reporting to the CFO, the Vice President of Finance will ensure financial integrity, co-own the company’s financial operating cadence, and partner with various internal and external stakeholders. The role also focuses on integrating AI, data science, and automation into Finance operations.
Responsibilities
- Co-own Duolingo’s financial operating cadence, including annual planning, long-range planning, forecasting, and company-wide business reviews
- Partner closely with the CFO, Board of Directors, and senior leadership to provide rigorous financial insight that shapes company-wide strategy and resource allocation
- Establish and uphold rigorous financial principles across the company, ensuring teams make decisions grounded in strong unit economics and long-term value creation
- Serve as a key voice in communicating Duolingo’s financial performance and long-term strategy to the Board and investors, partnering closely with Investor Relations on earnings materials, guidance, and external messaging
- Define and refine the KPIs that drive operating discipline, ensuring alignment between financial performance, product strategy, and long-term mission impact
- Lead, mentor, and scale a high-performing FP&A and Strategic Finance team (~10 people), raising the bar for analytical rigor and operational excellence
- Operate cross-functionally by design — partnering deeply with Product, Growth, Marketing, Controllership, Investor Relations, and Corporate Development — to ensure aligned priorities and data-driven decision-making
- Drive finance modernization, including the thoughtful integration of AI, data science and automation — leveraging quantitative and statistical methods to enhance forecasting accuracy, reporting efficiency, and insight generation
Requirements
- A low-ego, high-EQ leadership style that builds trust across functions, earns credibility through impact, and operates both at strategic altitude and in the details
- 15+ years of progressive finance experience in FP&A, Investment Banking, Corporate or Strategic Finance, including 5+ years leading and managing teams, ideally within a consumer technology, SaaS, subscription or marketplace business
- Deep expertise in financial modeling, long-range planning, and capital allocation — including familiarity with data science and quantitative methods — with the ability to translate complex data into clear strategic insight
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business, or a related field
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex financial topics into clear, compelling narratives for executives, the Board, and investors
