Research Assistant (Research)

Our mission at Duolingo is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. But we’ve got more left to do — and that's where you come in!

We are looking for a research assistant with expertise in research methods and project management to help Duolingo’s Efficacy Research Lab with critical tasks, including providing project management for internal research studies to evaluate Duolingo’s courses and assisting with data analysis.

This is a freelance contract position with potential for renewal. All work will be conducted remotely and hours are flexible.

What you’ll do

• Coordinate the day-to-day operations of a portfolio of concurrent research studies, keeping timelines, milestones, dependencies, and next steps visible and on track.
• Work closely with learning scientists in the Efficacy Research Lab to plan and execute study logistics, including preparing materials, coordinating pilots, launching data collection, and arranging testing with external providers.
• Build, maintain, and quality-check surveys and assessments in Qualtrics, including setting them up for recurring use.
• Manage ongoing data collection: monitor study and data-collection workflows, troubleshoot operational issues, respond to participant emails, and coordinate participant payments.
• Serve as a reliable point of contact for external partners and agencies, track deliverables and follow through on open items.
• Support data organization, quality checks, and basic analysis using Google Sheets and Python.
• Help prepare research reports and manuscripts by coordinating review steps, proofreading, and checking materials for accuracy and consistency.

What you will need

• Experience coordinating research with human participants, including study logistics and participant-facing communication.
• Strong project- or study-management skills: you can keep multiple workstreams organized, anticipate dependencies, track details, and follow through reliably.
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication skills, including comfort coordinating with researchers, participants, and external partners.
• Meticulous attention to detail and excellent time management.
• Strong proficiency with Qualtrics and/or JavaScript, including building and maintaining surveys or assessments.
• Proficiency with Excel or Google Sheets, including formulas and pivot tables.
• Working proficiency with Python for data organization, quality checks, or analysis.

Exceptional candidates will have

• Experience managing multiple studies or research projects at once, especially studies involving external vendors or testing providers.
• Experience with statistical analysis in Python, R, or similar tools.
• Familiarity with assessment science, applied linguistics, or educational technology.
• Experience preparing research outputs for publication, including LaTeX or other document-formatting tools.

About Duolingo

Duolingo is the most popular language-learning application in the world, with over 500 million users and over half a billion exercises completed daily. Beyond our core learning product, we also offer English proficiency testing with the Duolingo English Test, and are bringing new subjects into the Duolingo app, where people can develop their Math and Music skills.

We are passionate about educating our users, making fact-based decisions, and finding innovative solutions to complex problems. We offer meaningful work, limitless learning opportunities, and collaboration with world-class minds. Come brighten your life and over half a billion more!

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.