Machine Learning Engineer, Buyer Growth

Whatnot; New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco (NY, CA, WA, CA); On-site; USD 235,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

Whatnot, a leading livestream shopping platform, is seeking a Machine Learning Engineer to drive buyer growth via intelligent experiences. Key responsibilities include developing ML models for user acquisition and retention. Candidates should have substantial experience in ML systems, user behavior, and effective communication skills. Join our dynamic team to redefine e-commerce and enhance our community's experience.

Benefits

Health insurance options (Medical, Dental, Vision)

Work-from-home support

Retirement: 401(k) with employer match

Dogfooding allowance

16 weeks paid parental leave

Qualifications

• 8+ years of industry experience building and deploying ML systems at scale.
• Proven success in leading end-to-end ML projects.
• Deep expertise in personalization, ranking, and user modeling.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and deployment of ML models.
• Manage full model lifecycle from data collection to deployment.
• Identify high-impact opportunities for ML to unlock growth.

Skills

Personalization

Ranking

User Modeling

Communication

Leadership

Proactive Approach

Tools

Python

SQL

PyTorch

TensorFlow

XGBoost

Job description

Join the Future of Commerce with Whatnot!

Whatnot is the largest livestream shopping platform in North America and Europe, allowing users to buy, sell, and discover the things they love. We are redefining e-commerce by blending community, shopping, and entertainment into a unique experience. As a remote-co-located team with hubs in the US, UK, Ireland, Poland, and Germany, we are building the future of online marketplaces—together.

Our platform features a wide range of collectibles, from fashion, beauty, and electronics to trading cards, comic books, and even live plants, with live auctions for everyone to enjoy.

We are just getting started! As one of the fastest-growing marketplaces, we seek bold, forward-thinking problem solvers across all functions. Check out our latest updates on the Whatnot news and engineering blogs, and join us to turn your passion into a business and bring people together through commerce.

Role: Machine Learning Engineer, Buyer Growth Team

The Buyer Growth team drives top-of-funnel growth and first-time buyer success. We are looking for a Machine Learning Engineer to enhance buyer growth through intelligent, data-driven experiences. As the first ML engineer in this team, you will build and own ML models for personalization during onboarding and user targeting in our acquisition and engagement channels. This role has a high impact, directly contributing to growing the buyer base and improving first-time user conversion. Your responsibilities include:

• Leading the design, development, and deployment of ML models that enhance user acquisition, activation, and retention (e.g., ranking models, targeting systems, uplift modeling).
• Managing the full model lifecycle: from data collection and feature engineering to training, evaluation, deployment, and experimentation.
• Identifying and prioritizing high-impact opportunities where machine learning can unlock growth, collaborating with product, engineering, data, and marketing teams.
• Establishing ML best practices and driving technical excellence within the team.

Location: US-Based

Applicants must be within commuting distance of our hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, or New York.

Ideal candidates have a growth mindset, low ego, and a proactive, action-oriented approach.

Qualifications:

• 8+ years of industry experience building and deploying ML systems at scale.
• Proven success in leading end-to-end ML projects that deliver measurable business results.
• Deep expertise in personalization, ranking, or user modeling, with strong intuition about user behavior in consumer products.
• Advanced skills in Python, SQL, and ML frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, or XGBoost.
• Strong communication and leadership skills to influence roadmaps and coordinate cross-functional teams.
• Preferred: experience in e-commerce or social products; growth domains such as user segmentation, retention modeling, recommendation systems, or notification ranking.

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary range: $235,000 to $270,000 annually, plus benefits and equity. Final salary depends on experience, skills, and level.

Benefits include:

• Health insurance options (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• Work-from-home support (home office setup allowance, monthly allowance for phone and internet)
• Retirement: 401(k) with employer match up to 4% in the US, pension plans internationally
• Dogfooding allowance: develop a deep understanding of our product by using Whatnot as a buyer and seller
• Parental leave: 16 weeks paid parental leave plus a one-month gradual return to work

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 status. We believe diverse teams strengthen our work and culture.

Application Process:

Please fill out the application form, providing your personal details, resume, and optional demographic information. We look forward to your application!