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Duolingo

Staff Software Engineer, Backend

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Hybrid
Seattle, WA, USA
200K-360K Annually
Hybrid
Seattle, WA, USA
200K-360K Annually

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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 finding innovative solutions to complex technical problems, running countless experiments (300+ at a time!) with our massive user base to make data-driven decisions, and educating our users and employees alike. You’ll have limitless learning opportunities, mentorship and collaboration with world-class minds, and a variety of projects with large scopes — while doing work that’s both fun and meaningful. 

Join our life-changing mission to develop education for our half a billion (and growing!) learners around the world.

Below you can find more information about the teams we're hiring for:

DevX AI Team:
The DevX AI team empowers engineers at Duolingo to be more effective by introducing AI-infused tools that simplify workflows and reduce friction and toil. As a Staff Engineer in the team, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of engineering at Duolingo. You will define the strategy and architecture of AI-driven developer tools, mentor senior engineers, and drive high-leverage initiatives that touch every part of our software lifecycle. You will build developer tooling that amplify the impact of engineers, including productionizing an MCP infrastructure to connect with AI coding agents. 


  You will...
  • Develop, release, and maintain backend services and/or infrastructure
  • Introduce and iterate on developer tools, and advocate for adoption
  • Collaborate on projects with developers across the company
  • Lead individual project priorities, milestones, and ensure we're always shipping

  You have...
  • A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related technical field
  • Strong competencies in data structures, algorithms, and software design
  • Experience programming in Java, Python, or Kotlin
  • Experience working closely with customers and building products that they love

  Exceptional candidates will have...
  • Industry experience with full stack development for iOS or Android
  • Industry experience building high-traffic products using public cloud providers
  • Experience integrating AI/ML systems into developer-facing tools, including prompt design, model evaluation, or agent workflow orchestration

We post a multi-level salary range for all of our roles.

This is not inclusive of the rest of our awesome portfolio that includes equity compensation and world-class benefits. Our salary ranges are the same for all US locations. Your recruiter can share more details about the range for a specific level during the hiring process. The actual salary within the range is determined by many factors including but not limited to, skills, experience, education, and internal equity.

Salary Range:
$200,000$360,000 USD

Take a peek at how we care for our employees' holistic well-being with our benefits here.

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 [email protected].

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.

By applying for this position your data will be processed as per the Duolingo Applicant Privacy Notice.

Sign up for job alerts here.

Duolingo Seattle, Washington, USA Office

Our Seattle office is located in the historic Kelly-Springfield building, in the heart of Capitol Hill. Surrounded by plenty of public transportation and parking, our office is full of foodies who love a fancy dinner party.

What you need to know about the Seattle Tech Scene

Home to tech titans like Microsoft and Amazon, Seattle punches far above its weight in innovation. But its surrounding mountains, sprinkled with world-famous hiking trails and climbing routes, make the city a destination for outdoorsy types as well. Established as a logging town before shifting to shipbuilding and logistics, the Emerald City is now known for its contributions to aerospace, software, biotech and cloud computing. And its status as a thriving tech ecosystem is attracting out-of-town companies looking to establish new tech and engineering hubs.

Key Facts About Seattle Tech

  • Number of Tech Workers: 287,000; 13% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
  • Major Tech Employers: Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Google
  • Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, software, biotechnology, game development
  • Funding Landscape: $3.1 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
  • Notable Investors: Madrona, Fuse, Tola, Maveron
  • Research Centers and Universities: University of Washington, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle Children’s Research Institute

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