Consumer Product Lead (Online Store, Merchandise)

About the role

Duolingo is looking for a Consumer Product Lead (Merchandise / Online Store Lead) to grow its online store in Japan and turn it into a meaningful way for fans to experience the brand. The role is a backfill for the previous head of merch and focuses primarily on the Duolingo Store, while also shaping pop-ups and potential retail store opportunities. It reports to the Director of Country Marketing, Japan & Korea.

Key responsibilities

• Own the P&L and day-to-day operations of the online store in Japan, including demand forecasting, inventory and assortment planning, site performance, supply chain and fulfillment.
• Grow the store as a startup within Japan's marketing organization, with an eye on revenue, ROI and commercial performance (traffic, conversion, AOV, repeat purchase, sell-through).
• Lead product planning, design direction and production from concept through launch, working with Brand, Design, Social and Operations.
• Identify, select and manage external partners (vendors, manufacturers, agencies) and own those relationships end-to-end.
• Turn the store into an efficient, on-brand marketing channel using product drops, storytelling and localized execution.
• Develop and run pop-up experiences and explore future retail store opportunities.
• Build and test merchandising concepts and launch formats in Japan first, creating repeatable playbooks for global expansion.
• Work with the wider marketing team to connect store moments with campaigns, community buzz and brand storytelling.

Required profile

• 10+ years in e-commerce, merchandising or consumer products leadership for a consumer-facing brand.
• Experience building a merchandising or e-commerce function from 0 to 1, with hands-on ownership of a P&L and platforms such as Shopify.
• Ability to balance commercial performance with strong brand fit.
• Experience leading cross-functional work across creative, marketing, operations and external partners.
• Business-level English and Japanese, with strong communication skills across local and global teams.

Preferred profile

• Experience launching or running pop-ups, experiential retail or store-based brand activations.
• Experience scaling merchandising or e-commerce internationally, with localized assortments or market-specific launches.
• Familiarity with fandom-driven, character-led or lifestyle brands.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and comfort owning a business end-to-end.

The salary range is JPY 17,178,000 to JPY 25,767,100, supplemented by equity compensation.