At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead HR operations and strategy for EMEA, ensuring compliance and enhancing employee experience.
- Company: Join Duolingo, a mission-driven company transforming education for millions worldwide.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity compensation, and comprehensive benefits for your well-being.
- Other info: Dynamic work environment with opportunities for growth and innovation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in shaping the future of education while collaborating with top talent.
- Qualifications: Experience in HR and multi-country operations, with strong knowledge of European employment law.
The predicted salary is between 124395 - 186592 £ per year.
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 educating our users, experimenting with big ideas, making fact-based decisions, and finding innovative solutions to complex problems.
You’ll have limitless learning opportunities and daily collaborations with world-class minds — while doing work that’s both meaningful and fun.
Join our life-changing mission to develop education for our half a billion (and growing!) learners around the world.
Read our blog to learn more.
About The Role
We're looking for a Regional People Lead to serve as both a senior People Business Partner and the operational owner for our growing EMEA presence.
Based in London, you'll bridge global strategy and local execution: delivering sharp counsel to regional leaders while keeping compliance, operations, and the employee experience running seamlessly.
Navigating a mix of direct entities and PEO-supported markets, you're as comfortable handling multi-country compliance as you are advising leaders.
Reporting to the Head of Talent Management and Rewards (TMR), you will lead and develop a People Operations Manager, champion the EMEA region in global planning, and ensure local nuance actively shapes our global strategy.
- Strategic Partnership
- Serve as the senior People Partner to EMEA leaders, building deep business understanding and advising on org design, performance, team health, and growth.
- Lead engagement, inclusion, and talent planning initiatives across the region, and drive talent density in partnership with TA.
- Guide leaders and teams through organizational change, translating global OKRs and TMR programs into plans that fit regional context and surfacing gaps back to TMR.
- Own complex employee relations and higher-risk people matters across the region, including investigations, grievances, performance and disciplinary processes, and settlement agreements, applying employment-law judgment and knowing when to bring in Legal or the central team.
- Use people data and engagement insight to spot organizational health trends early and recommend action.
- Regional Operations & Compliance
- Own regional People operations end to end, leading a People Operations Manager who delivers day-to-day execution across direct entities and PEO-supported markets, while staying close enough to the detail to catch compliance and payroll risk yourself.
- Own the regional PEO/EOR relationship (currently Globalization Partners), including monthly payroll submissions across multiple calendars, employment changes, terminations, new-country implementation, and vendor management across PEO-supported markets.
- Act as the regional authority on employment compliance across direct and PEO markets, including UK Right to Work, UK and German contract and employment-law requirements, and country-specific PEO frameworks; ensure local legal review where required.
- Serve as the regional execution layer for centrally-owned systems (such as Workday), validating data against source documents and ensuring global processes function correctly in local practice.
- Serve as regional liaison to Finance on budgets, vendor contracts, expense management, and reporting, maintaining strong internal controls and documentation.
- Identify repetitive regional processes and improve them through better workflow and automation where appropriate, reducing cross-time-zone friction without compromising local compliance judgment.
- Recruiting & Workplace Experience
- Partner with Talent Acquisition on regional hiring strategy, offer decisions, and locally relevant onboarding.
- Partner with London workplace operations on facilities, safety, and vendor management, and lead regional events and programming.
- Ensure a strong employee experience across hybrid and remote environments regionwide, providing a consistent point of contact through the employee lifecycle.
- Global Representation
- Represent EMEA in global People forums and planning cycles, ensuring regional voice shapes global policy rather than just receiving it.
- Bring clarity and consistent ownership to how global People processes land locally.
- You have
- Experience in HR, People Business Partnering, or regional People operations, including work supporting multi-country teams across EMEA.
- Hands-on experience managing employees through a PEO or EOR provider (e. g. Globalization Partners) across multiple EMEA markets.
- Strong knowledge of European employment practices, labor law, and compliance across multiple jurisdictions, including the UK and Germany.
- Demonstrated ability to move seamlessly between strategic advising and hands-on operational execution.
- Experience scaling People operations and processes in a fast-growing, distributed environment.
- Sound judgment owning complex employee relations and higher-risk people matters, grounded in employment law.
- A collaborative partner to Finance on budgets, vendor management, and reporting.
- Strong cross-cultural communication and the judgment to know when to elevate, when to decide, and when to bring the global team in.
- Fluency across core People and HRIS systems, with the rigor to keep data accurate between global platforms and local source documents.
The offered salary is dependent upon several factors, including work experience, skills, and internal peer comparisons.
The posted range is subject to change in the future.
For this role, base salary is supplemented by equity compensation.
We encourage you to talk with your recruiter for more information related to compensation for this role!
Salary Range
Benefits
Take a peek at how we care for our employees' holistic well-being with our benefits here.
Job Alerts
Sign up for job alerts here.
Accommodations
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 accommodations@duolingo. com.
Equal Employment Opportunity
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.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Regional People Lead, EMEA employer: Duolingo
Duolingo is an exceptional employer that fosters a vibrant and inclusive work culture, where creativity and collaboration thrive. As a Product Marketing Manager, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on learners worldwide while benefiting from professional growth opportunities and a supportive environment that values innovation. Located in a dynamic city, Duolingo offers unique advantages such as flexible working arrangements and a commitment to employee well-being.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Regional People Lead, EMEA
✨Join HR Networks
Get involved in HR-specific communities, like the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and local HR meetups. This is a fantastic way to connect with industry professionals and learn about job openings before they even hit job boards!
✨Make Your Presence Known
Attend HR conferences and workshops in your area to network with potential employers. Don't be shy—introduce yourself, exchange business cards, and let them know you're keen on a full-time role in HR. Who knows, you might just land a friendly face at Duolingo!
✨Leverage Your University Connections
If you’re a recent grad or still in uni, tap into your career services and alumni network. Many universities have connections with companies looking for HR talent, so get those leads and apply through our website for a smoother application process.
✨Showcase Your HR Passion
Create content around HR topics you’re passionate about, like employee engagement or diversity initiatives. Share articles or insights on LinkedIn to demonstrate your knowledge and get noticed by recruiters. It’s a subtle yet effective way to show you’re the right fit for a full-time role at Duolingo.
We think you need these skills to ace Regional People Lead, EMEA
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your HR Skills:When you’re crafting your CV, make sure you highlight specific HR skills that are relevant to the role at Duolingo. Include any experience with recruitment processes, employee relations, or performance management, and don’t forget to mention your familiarity with HR software or tools that could give you an edge.
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine, so tailor it to Duolingo and the specific HR role. Highlight your passion for people management and how your unique approach can help foster a positive workplace culture. Be sure to sprinkle in examples from your past experiences that illustrate your problem-solving abilities and interpersonal skills.
Include Relevant Certifications:If you’ve got any HR certifications or relevant training under your belt, be sure to showcase them! These qualifications can really set you apart from other candidates when applying for this full-time HR position at Duolingo. List them prominently on your CV to catch the hiring manager's eye.
Align with Company Culture:Make sure your application speaks to Duolingo's values and culture. Research the company and align your experiences or values with what they stand for. This will show them that you're not only a fit for the role but also for the overall vibe of the team and organisation.
How to prepare for a job interview at Duolingo
✨Brush Up on HR Best Practices
As you're diving into human resources, it’s crucial to be well-versed in the latest HR practices and legislation. Get familiar with key topics like employee engagement, talent acquisition, and diversity initiatives, as these could easily pop up in your interview with Duolingo.
✨Know Your Recruitment Tools
Most HR roles involve using various recruitment tools and ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems). Make sure you can comfortably discuss platforms like Workday or Greenhouse. If you've had direct experience, share those examples; if not, show your eagerness to learn!
✨Highlight Your People Skills
A full-time HR role at Duolingo will require strong interpersonal skills. Prepare to share stories that demonstrate how you’ve successfully navigated conflicts or supported team members in past experiences. Authenticity goes a long way in this field.
✨Stay Current with HR Trends
Being up to speed with current HR trends, like remote working protocols or mental health initiatives, can set you apart. Be ready to discuss how these trends could impact Duolingo and how you would contribute to adapting HR strategies.
