Product Design Director, Buyer at WhatNot

Los Angeles, California, United States

WhatNot Logo
$280,000 – $320,000Compensation
Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level
Full TimeJob Type
UnknownVisa
E-commerce, Live Shopping, MarketplaceIndustries

Requirements

  • 10+ years of product design experience, with at least 3 years leading teams
  • Player-coach mindset—excited to mentor, but equally passionate about designing and solving problems hands-on
  • Strong portfolio showcasing interaction and visual design skills, with a track record of shipping successful products
  • Proven success designing and scaling customer-facing experiences across a complex funnel (acquisition through retention)
  • Deep expertise in interaction design, systems thinking, and user-centered design
  • Strong understanding of search, discovery, personalization, and taxonomy design principles
  • Experience in e-commerce, marketplaces, or live shopping platforms is a major plus
  • Embodying a low ego, growth mindset, and high-impact drive
  • Must be within commuting distance of New York, NY, San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, or Los Angeles, CA hubs

Responsibilities

  • Lead and scale a high-performing team of product designers across the buyer funnel
  • Define and drive the vision, strategy, and execution for the buyer experience in collaboration with cross-functional partners
  • Partner with research, data, and product to develop deep customer empathy and inform high-impact design decisions
  • Shape intuitive, elegant systems across discovery, live shopping, and post-purchase experiences
  • Ensure experiences are accessible, inclusive, and delightfully human
  • Champion design quality and consistency across surfaces while enabling speed and iteration
  • Nurture a strong design culture through mentorship, feedback, and high standards for craft and thinking
  • Represent design in executive conversations and influence company-wide priorities
  • Drive strategy and execution for customer acquisition, activation, retention, and re-engagement, including discovery surfaces (browse, search, ranking, personalization, taxonomy), live shopping experience, and customer service flows
  • Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Data Science, Marketing, and Executive Team to create joyful, seamless, and high-performing experiences

Skills

Product Design
Design Strategy
UX Design
Design Leadership
Mentoring
Search Design
Personalization
Taxonomy
Live Shopping
Customer Service Flows

WhatNot

Online marketplace for authentic collectibles

About WhatNot

Whatnot.com operates as an online marketplace dedicated to collectibles, particularly focusing on items like Funkos and FiGPiNs. The platform ensures that every collectible listed is 100% authentic through a rigorous verification process that includes hand authentication, providing trust and security for both buyers and sellers. It caters to collectors and enthusiasts who seek a reliable space to buy and sell rare and exclusive items from popular franchises such as Marvel Comics and Star Wars. Whatnot.com distinguishes itself from competitors by charging low fees on sales and offering seller protection, which guarantees prompt and secure payments. The company's goal is to create a trusted environment for the growing community of collectible enthusiasts, facilitating safe and easy transactions for unique items.

Marina del Rey, CaliforniaHeadquarters
2019Year Founded
$728.7MTotal Funding
SERIES_ECompany Stage
Consumer Software, Consumer GoodsIndustries
501-1,000Employees

Benefits

Competitive base salary and stock options
Unlimited Vacation Policy and No Meeting Holidays
Health Insurance options including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Short term disability & Long term Disability
Work From Home Support
Up to $500 monthly to spend within Whatnot App
Care benefits

Risks

Increased competition from TikTok Shop may impact Whatnot's market share.
The collectibles market's volatility could affect Whatnot's sales and inventory.
Expansion into new categories may dilute Whatnot's specialized brand identity.

Differentiation

Whatnot offers a unique marketplace for 100% authenticated collectible items.
The platform integrates live shopping with entertainment, enhancing user engagement.
Whatnot's partnerships with major franchises like Marvel boost its market appeal.

Upsides

Whatnot's $265M funding round supports expansion and new product categories.
The platform's collaboration with PSA enhances trust through integrated authentication services.
Rising interest in live shopping among younger demographics drives Whatnot's growth.

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