Role overview

Qualifications

Hands-on manga editing / directing experience at a publisher, editorial production company, or IP firm
Proven ability to develop original stories — you've written plots yourself, not just managed others who do
Sharp editorial / directorial instincts for capturing a character's voice and making it feel alive on the page
Real relationships with publishers, manga artists, and writers, and a track record of getting projects made

Responsibilities

Set and uphold Duolingo’s high quality bar across all creative projects in this pipeline
Partner with Design Studio Creative Directors to define Duo's Japanese character profile
Write your own plots and lead original story development when needed
Scout and brief manga artists and illustrators who match the look and feel we're going for

Key facts

Remote from: Japan
Full time
Editor / Proofreader
Japanese, English

Hard skills

Anime Manga Contract Management Budget Management Network Address Translation

Other skills

Quality Control
Collaboration
Decision Making

About the company

Duolingo

E-Learning / EdTech

Our mission is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. Duolingo is the most downloaded education app in the history of the App Store and in 2019 became the top-grossing education app worldwide. We set out to do something altogether different in the learning space. Learning a new language is hard; we believe it should be fun. We use bite-sized lessons that feel like playing a game to keep our learners motivated. Learning a new language can also be expensive, and because we believe it should be free, we made it so. Duolingo has been named to: BuiltIn's Best Places to Work (2023), Fast Company Best Workplaces for Innovators (2022), Fast Company 10 Most Innovative Education Company (2022), among others.

Company details

Company typeSME

IndustryE-Learning / EdTech

Company size501 - 1000

Links

Website LinkedIn See all jobs

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Job description

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 Managing Editor, Character IP to lead Duolingo's manga and anime expansion in Japan. This isn't a role for someone who manages timelines and coordinates vendors from a distance. You'll get into the weeds — developing Duo's Japanese character voice, writing plots when needed, identifying the right manga artists, and building the studio and TV network relationships that turn a great concept into something millions of people actually watch. Our roadmap goes manga first, then anime, with a TV morning show slot (think Chiikawa) as the target format for animation. This role reports into the Director of Design Studio Brand team, with a dotted line to the Director of Country Marketing Japan and Korea team.

🧠 You will...

Set and uphold Duolingo’s high quality bar across all creative projects in this pipeline
Partner with Design Studio Creative Directors to define Duo's Japanese character profile — tone of voice, personality details, backstory — while staying true to his globally established character bible
Write your own plots and lead original story development when needed
Scout and brief manga artists and illustrators who match the look and feel we're going for
Build and manage relationships with publishers and editors to get manga projects off the ground
Select and manage anime production studios — handling contracts, budgets, schedules, and quality
Pitch to and build relationships with TV networks, with the goal of securing a morning show slot
Set visual quality standards appropriate to each format and platform (TV, streaming, short-form)
Keep global and local stakeholders aligned and get buy-in at the right moments

✅ You have...

Hands-on manga editing / directing experience at a publisher, editorial production company, or IP firm
Proven ability to develop original stories — you've written plots yourself, not just managed others who do
Sharp editorial / directorial instincts for capturing a character's voice and making it feel alive on the page
Real relationships with publishers, manga artists, and writers, and a track record of getting projects made
Working knowledge of anime production: studio contracts, budgets, and how to get quality work at a fair value
Existing connections with major TV networks and experience pitching concepts for broadcast slots
Exceptional collaboration skills, seeking consensus and feedback when making decisions
Business-level English needed for collaborating with our global team — strong written English vs. spoken fluency

⭐ Exceptional candidates will have...

Experience taking a manga property all the way through to anime adaptation
Familiarity with social-native formats (vertical, short-form, platform-specific)
Background in brand licensing, merchandise, or IP business development
Experience with inbound or outbound IP localization (foreign IP in Japan or Japanese IP abroad)

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:

¥17,178,000—¥25,767,100 JPY

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

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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.

Fraud Warning: Unfortunately, there is a rise in scammers pretending to be real Duolingo employees. Duolingo and our employees will never ask for your Social Security number, bank details, or passport info, and we’ll never ask you to deposit a check, purchase equipment, or exchange money during the interview process. Real Duolingo employees always use an email that ends in @duolingo.com or @recruiting.duolingo.com. Stay alert and double-check these details before sharing any information.