Machine Learning Engineer - Remote

About The Company

Join the Future of Commerce with Whatnot! Whatnot is the largest live shopping platform in North America and Europe, revolutionizing how people buy, sell, and discover the things they love. Our platform caters to a diverse range of categories including trading cards, fashion, electronics, and live plants, empowering sellers to build real businesses and connect with millions of buyers. As a pioneer in live commerce, we are creating an industry at an unprecedented scale in the West, with no existing playbook to follow. Our team is composed of passionate professionals who are shaping the future of online shopping and commerce.

With a remote co-located team structure, we are inspired by our core values and maintain hubs across the US, UK, Ireland, Poland, Germany, and Australia. We prioritize moving fast, staying close to our users, and focusing on impactful work that drives growth and innovation. Recognized as the #1 Best Startup Employer in America by Forbes, Whatnot is one of the fastest-growing marketplaces, committed to enabling anyone to turn their passion into a thriving business and bringing people together through commerce. We invite talented individuals to join our dynamic team and be part of this exciting journey.

About The Role

The Buyer Growth team at Whatnot is dedicated to driving top-of-funnel growth and ensuring the success of first-time buyers. We are seeking a skilled Machine Learning Engineer to accelerate buyer growth through the development of intelligent, data-driven experiences. As the first ML engineer in this team, you will be responsible for building and owning machine learning models that enhance onboarding, personalization, and user targeting across our acquisition and engagement channels. Your work will directly impact the expansion of our buyer base and improve conversion rates for new users.

This high-impact role involves designing, developing, and deploying ML models such as ranking algorithms, targeting systems, and uplift modeling. You will oversee the entire ML lifecycle, including data pipeline creation, feature engineering, model training, deployment, and online experimentation. Additionally, you will establish feedback loops from user interactions, conversions, and downstream revenue signals to continually optimize model performance. Collaborating with product, engineering, data, and marketing teams, you will identify opportunities where machine learning can unlock growth, ensuring technical excellence and adherence to best practices within the team.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of industry experience building and deploying machine learning systems at scale
• Proven success in leading end-to-end ML projects that deliver measurable business outcomes
• Deep expertise in personalization, ranking, or user modeling, with strong intuition about user behavior in consumer products
• Advanced proficiency in Python, SQL, and common ML frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, and XGBoost
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to influence roadmaps and align cross-functional teams

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and productionization of machine learning models that drive user acquisition, activation, and retention
• Own the complete ML lifecycle, including data pipeline creation, feature engineering, model training, deployment, and online experimentation
• Build feedback loops from user interactions, conversions, and revenue signals to optimize models continuously
• Identify and prioritize high-impact opportunities for machine learning to facilitate growth
• Collaborate with product, engineering, data, and marketing teams to implement ML solutions that align with business goals
• Establish and promote ML best practices and technical excellence within the Buyer Growth team

Benefits

• Flexible time off policy and company-wide holidays, including seasonal breaks
• Comprehensive health insurance options covering Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Support for remote work, including home office setup allowance
• Monthly allowances for cell phone, internet, and wellness expenses
• Care benefits and annual childcare allowances
• Lifetime family planning benefits, including adoption and fertility expenses
• Retirement plans, including 401(k) with employer match (up to 4%) in the US and pension plans internationally
• Monthly app testing allowance and participation in product development as part of dogfooding initiatives
• Paid parental leave of 16 weeks, with a gradual return-to-work program

Equal Opportunity

Whatnot is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, parental status, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We believe that fostering an inclusive environment enhances our work culture and drives innovation, and we are committed to supporting and respecting the diverse skills and experiences of our workforce.