[Remote] Staff Software Engineer, Ads+Promos at WhatNot

Kraków, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland

Apply Now

Not SpecifiedCompensation

Senior (5 to 8 years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

E-commerce, AdvertisingIndustries

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent work experience
8+ years (for Staff) or 10+ years (for Senior Staff) of backend/distributed systems engineering experience
Strong mastery of distributed systems fundamentals: consensus, partitioning, replication, coordination, sharding, state management, etc
Deep experience with high-throughput, low-latency services and stream processing (e.g., Kafka, Flink, etc.)
Strong software design, algorithmic, and data-structure skills
Proficiency in one or more languages (e.g., Python, Go) and scripting
Experience with messaging, caches (e.g., Redis, RocksDB), time-series stores, and data pipelines
Proven track record of leading architecture and scaling core systems under high load, especially in an ads, ranking, or ML context
Ability to make sound product decisions, navigate new domains seamlessly, take extreme ownership, and ship high-quality products fast
Low ego, growth mindset, and high-impact drive
Within commuting distance of our Kraków, Poland hub

Responsibilities

Architect, design, and lead the implementation of high-throughput, low-latency distributed systems that power ad delivery, ranking, signal pipelines, and attribution
Own core foundational services (e.g., storage, attribution, streaming pipelines, APIs) and drive their evolution, performance tuning, resilience, and scalability
Define and enforce architectural patterns, service contracts, fault-isolation, and capacity planning across teams that build on top of the Ads Foundation stack
Lead cross-functional initiatives to integrate new ad features or experiments into the foundational layers without sacrificing performance or safety
Mentor and guide senior engineers, lead code reviews, design reviews, and promote best practices in system design, testing, observability, and deployment
Participate in incident response, root-cause analysis, and post-mortem processes for critical system failures
Evangelize reliability, scalability, and simplicity across product-oriented ad teams; drive technical roadmap, trade-offs, and de-risking strategies
Understand buyer and seller experiences and become an expert in helping them effectively scale their business through ads & monetization products

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

Distributed SystemsHigh-Throughput SystemsLow-Latency SystemsAd DeliveryRankingSignal PipelinesAttributionStorage SystemsStreaming PipelinesAPIs

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

Is this position remote?

Yes, the position is remote, but team members are required to be within commuting distance of our hubs.

What are the key skills needed for this Staff Software Engineer role?

Key skills include architecting high-throughput distributed systems, owning core services like storage and APIs, leading cross-functional initiatives, mentoring engineers, and promoting best practices in system design and observability.

What qualities does the Ads+Promos team value most in engineers?

The team values making sound product decisions, navigating new domains, taking extreme ownership, shipping high-quality products fast, putting customers first, and making good trade-offs.

What is the salary or compensation for this role?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What makes a strong candidate for this position?

Strong candidates demonstrate trustworthiness for individual responsibility, ability to prioritize high-impact features, ship quickly, and excel in customer-focused decision-making with good trade-offs.

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.

Land your dream remote job 3x faster with AI

Try Jobo Free