Head of Data Communications

Whatnot; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 183,000 - 265,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday and time-off policy

Health insurance options

Work-from-home support

Care benefits

401k offering

Dog-food allowance

Parental leave

Job summary

Whatnot is seeking a Head of Data Communications in San Francisco to lead the development of consumer research and trend-report programs. This role is pivotal in shaping cultural conversations around live shopping.

You will develop data-driven narratives and serve as an official spokesperson for Whatnot, utilizing your 7-10+ years of experience in PR and communications to connect with media and consumers effectively. An exciting opportunity for those passionate about data storytelling and trends!

Qualifications

• 7-10+ years of PR, communications, economics, or journalism experience.
• Strong track record in data storytelling.
• Experience developing and launching data-driven reports.

Responsibilities

• Own development of consumer research and trend-report programs.
• Shape story angles grounded in data.
• Serve as an on-the-record spokesperson for Whatnot.

Skills

Data storytelling

Public relations

Communication

Analytics

Writing skills

Tools

AI tools

Job description

Join the Future of Commerce with Whatnot

Whatnot is the largest live shopping platform in North America and Europe, where buyers and sellers trade everything from trading cards to live plants. We build real businesses across hundreds of categories with no playbook to copy, shaping a new industry at scale.

Our remote co‑located team works from hubs across the US, UK, Ireland, Poland, Germany, and Australia, moving fast while staying close to users and focusing on high‑impact work.

We are one of the fastest‑growing marketplaces and were recently named the #1 Best Startup Employer in America by Forbes.

Role

As the first Head of Data Communications, you will establish the foundation for how Whatnot uses platform insights to shape culture, earn media coverage, and define the live shopping category. You will design our research and trend‑report program, pitch stories that reach key outlets, and act as Whatnot’s first economist and trends expert.

This high‑visibility role directly shapes how millions of people understand and discuss live shopping.

Key Responsibilities

• Data Storytelling & Trend Reports
  • Own development of Whatnot’s consumer research and trend‑report program, from concept through media‑ready packaging and launch.
  • Use AI tools, platform data, seller behavior, and buyer trends to surface newsworthy, culturally relevant insights.
  • Partner with data, product, and category teams to uncover stories in numbers and turn them into compelling narratives.
  • Build a cadence of trend moments – seasonal, cultural, and category‑specific – to keep Whatnot in the media conversation year‑round.
  • Build and own a recurring content franchise (blog, newsletter, or similar) that delivers original analysis on categories, seller economics, and the live commerce industry.
• Earned Media Execution
  • Shape story angles grounded in data that resonate with media and consumers.
  • Identify opportunities to insert Whatnot into broader cultural and industry conversations with data‑backed POVs.
  • Develop press materials including pitch angles, backgrounders, and talking points anchored in research and insights.
• Official Spokesperson
  • Serve as an on‑the‑record spokesperson for Whatnot on consumer trends, category stories, and live shopping culture, representing the brand with press, on camera, and at events.
  • Translate platform data and buyer/seller insights into sharp, quotable narratives that position Whatnot as the definitive voice on what’s trending and what’s next.
  • Build and maintain credibility with journalists as a go‑to expert source on consumer behavior, live commerce, and the communities that shop on Whatnot.

Team members in this role must live within commuting distance of our San Francisco, New York, Seattle, or Los Angeles hubs.

About You

People at Whatnot thrive by figuring things out as they go, acting quickly, and staying curious. We value outcomes over credit and close contact with product and users.

Experience:

• 7–10 + years of PR, communications, economics or journalism experience with a strong track record in data storytelling.
• Demonstrated experience developing and launching data‑driven reports, trend studies, or research‑backed earned media programs.
• Strong analytical instincts and comfort working with data sets to translate findings into narratives that resonate with press and consumers.
• Excitement for AI tools across research and data analysis; curiosity to improve usage.
• Experience working with media and editorial; solid relationships across consumer, lifestyle, and tech outlets (traditional and new media).
• Exceptional writing skills that turn a data point into a headline and a trend into a story accessible to broad audiences.
• Experience in fast‑paced, high‑growth tech, marketplace, entertainment, or creator‑driven companies.
• Low ego, high output: comfortable doing the work as well as shaping strategy.

Benefits

• Generous holiday and time‑off policy.
• Health insurance options, including medical, dental, vision.
• Work‑from‑home support: home office setup allowance; monthly allowance for cell phone and internet.
• Care benefits: monthly allowance for wellness; annual allowance toward childcare; lifetime benefit for family planning such as adoption or fertility expenses.
• Retirement: 401k offering for Traditional and Roth accounts in the US (employer match up to 4 % of base salary) and pension plans internationally.
• Dog‑food allowance: monthly allowance to test our app; all Whatnot employees are encouraged to use the app as a buyer and seller.
• Parental leave: 16 weeks paid parental leave plus one month gradual return; company leave allowances run concurrently with country leave requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Whatnot is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, parental status, disability status, or any other status protected by local law.

Compensation Range: $183K – $265K.