Whatnot
Commerce
EngineeringManager,BackendPlatforms
Neural analysis suggests this role is
optimal for Senior candidates.
“Engineering Manager, Backend Platforms at Whatnot. Skills: Backend Platforms, Python, Elixir, Realtime. Lead and grow team. Hire well”
What You'll Achieve.
Accelerate delivery; Ensure Whatnot's platform scales with the business; Raise the floor for hundreds of engineers; Raise the floor for millions of buyers and sellers; Improve platform reliability; Improve platform performance; Improve developer ergonomics
Industry & Context.
Pressure-testing architectural decisions; Debugging production issues; Problem-solving
Live within commuting distance of San Francisco, Los Angeles or Seattle hubs
What They're Looking For.
Must Have
10+ years of industry experience in platform or infrastructure engineering, 7+ years managing engineering teams, technical grounding in backend systems at scale, high-traffic realtime or event-driven platforms
Nice to Have
Experience managing managers, leading multiple teams
What You'll Do.
Define technical direction
Step in when course-correction needed
Shape Backend Platforms roadmap
Evolve Whatnot's Python and Elixir backend cores
Own platforms behind Whatnot's realtime product surface
Drive measurable improvements
Partner with Reliability
and product engineering teams
Shape architecture and standards
Build culture of engineering and operational excellence
How You'll Work.
Team & Collaboration
Partner with engineering teams across the company; Partner with Reliability, Infrastructure, and product engineering teams
Communication Scope
Exceptional communication skills; Influence technical direction; Influence at executive level
Full Job Description
🚀 JOIN THE FUTURE OF COMMERCE WITH WHATNOT! Whatnot is the largest livestream shopping platform in North America and Europe to buy, sell, and discover the things you love. Whether it's trading cards, fashion, electronics, or live plants, our sellers are building real businesses across hundreds of categories. We're building live commerce at a scale that's never been done in the West, and there's no playbook to copy. The people here are shaping how an entirely new industry develops. As a remote co-located team, we're inspired by our values https://www.whatnot.com/careers and anchored in hubs across the US, UK, Ireland, Poland, Germany, and Australia. We move fast, stay close to our users, and focus on the work that drives the most impact. We're one of the fastest growing marketplaces https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/business/dealbook/whatnot-livestream-shopping-fundraise.html and were recently named the #1 Best Startup Employer in America https://www.forbes.com/lists/americas-best-startup-employers/ by Forbes. Check out the latest Whatnot updates on our news https://blog.teamwhatnot.com/ and engineering blogs https://medium.com/whatnot-engineering and join us as we enable anyone to turn their passion into a business and bring people together through commerce. 💻 Role Whatnot's Backend Platforms team owns the backend that powers live commerce at scale: the Python and Elixir cores, the realtime services behind every livestream and auction, and the storage and database layer the rest of engineering builds on. The work compounds: every improvement to these platforms raises the floor for hundreds of engineers and millions of buyers and sellers. As a senior leader in our Infrastructure organization, you will own the strategy and execution of Backend Platforms. You will manage senior ICs and, as the team grows, other engineering managers, shaping org structure, developing leaders, and setting strategy across multiple workstreams. You will partner with engineering teams ac
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