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 <a href="https://blog.duolingo.com/?utm_source=greenhouse.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=generalblog_gh_091224">our blog</a> to learn more. <hr> 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... <ul> <li>Set and uphold Duolingo’s high quality bar across all creative projects in this pipeline</li> <li>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</li> <li>Write your own plots and lead original story development when needed</li> <li>Scout and brief manga artists and illustrators who match the look and feel we re going for</li> <li>Build and manage relationships with publishers and editors to get manga projects off the ground</li> <li>Select and manage anime production studios — handling contracts, budgets, schedules, and quality</li> <li>Pitch to and build relationships with TV networks, with the goal of securing a morning show slot</li> <li>Set visual quality standards appropriate to each format and platform (TV, streaming, short-form)</li> <li>Keep global and local stakeholders aligned and get buy-in at the right moments</li> </ul>   ✅  You have... <ul> <li>Hands-on manga editing / directing experience at a publisher, editorial production company, or IP firm</li> <li>Proven ability to develop original stories — you ve written plots yourself, not just managed others who do</li> <li>Sharp editorial / directorial instincts for capturing a character s voice and making it feel alive on the page</li> <li>Real relationships with publishers, manga artists, and writers, and a track record of getting projects made</li> <li>Working knowledge of anime production: studio contracts, budgets, and how to get quality work at a fair value</li> <li>Existing connections with major TV networks and experience pitching concepts for broadcast slots</li> <li>Exceptional collaboration skills, seeking consensus and feedback when making decisions</li> <li>Business-level English  needed for collaborating with our global team — strong written English vs. spoken fluency</li> </ul>   ⭐  Exceptional candidates will have... <ul> <li>Experience taking a manga property all the way through to anime adaptation</li> <li>Familiarity with social-native formats (vertical, short-form, platform-specific)</li> <li>Background in brand licens

Managing Editor

Don't apply unprepared