Tech Lead Manager, Fraud & Risk Engineering at WhatNot

Los Angeles, California, United States

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Senior (5 to 8 years), Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

E-commerce, TechnologyIndustries

Requirements

7+ years of total experience in software engineering as either an individual contributor or manager
2+ years of management experience building, mentoring, performance managing, & guiding the execution of teams in a high-growth environment
2+ years of software engineering experience building for consumer-scale loads
1+ years of experience writing production code in Python
1+ years of experience developing fraud detection & prevention systems (preferred)
A love of technical work and excitement about spending significant time writing code & serving as a tech lead while scaling the team
Exceptional project leadership & communication skills to lead multiple initiatives and communicate with leadership & product teams
Relentlessness & entrepreneurship, with ruthless prioritization and curiosity to dig into user problems
Business intuition & a data-driven mindset, with critical thinking about growth headwinds (explicit data science or machine-learning experience a huge plus)
Obsession with impact, focused on user value with a track record of deploying simple solutions quickly without sacrificing quality
Technical expertise, including regularly committing code, writing RFCs, & contributing to technical discussions
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Economics, a related technical field, or equivalent work experience
US-based and required to be within commuting distance of Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, or San Francisco hubs
Embody Whatnot's cultural principles

Responsibilities

Lead the Fraud Engineering team, owning algorithms & infrastructure to prevent financial abuse (e.g., stolen card fraud, refund & referral abuse, user identity establishment)
Devote significant bandwidth to deep technical work, including writing production code, as the team is small and scaling
Serve as a hands-on tech lead, committing code, writing RFCs, and contributing to technical discussions
Build, mentor, performance manage, and guide the execution of the team
Lead multiple initiatives across product areas with exceptional project leadership
Communicate findings effectively with leadership & product teams
Prioritize work ruthlessly, dig into user problems, and craft solutions with entrepreneurial drive
Think critically about business tradeoffs and growth headwinds from fraud prevention systems
Drive impact by deploying simple, high-value solutions quickly while maintaining quality

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

Fraud DetectionRisk EngineeringAlgorithmsInfrastructureUser IdentityAbuse PreventionPayment FraudEngineering Leadership

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What is the salary for this Tech Lead Manager role?

This information is not specified in the job description.

Is this a remote position, and what are the location requirements?

This is a US-based role requiring candidates to be within commuting distance of our Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, or San Francisco hubs. While the company operates as a remote co-located team with international hubs, this specific position has hub proximity requirements.

What experience and skills are required for this role?

Candidates need 7+ years of total software engineering experience, 2+ years of management in high-growth environments, 2+ years building for consumer-scale loads, and 1+ year writing production Python code. Preferred is 1+ year developing fraud detection systems, plus strong project leadership, communication, and entrepreneurial drive.

What is the company culture like at Whatnot?

Whatnot embodies cultural principles with a remote co-located team inspired by innovation and anchored in values, seeking bold, forward-thinking problem solvers. The fraud team is very small, requiring hands-on technical work alongside management as it scales.

What makes a strong candidate for this Tech Lead Manager position?

Strong candidates have a deep entrepreneurial drive, first-principles understanding of abuse vectors, rigorous thinking about tradeoffs, love of technical work, exceptional project leadership, communication, relentlessness, and embody the company's cultural principles.

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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