We’re innovating in the fast-paced world of live auctions from fashion, beauty, electronics to collectibles like trading cards, comic books, and even live plants. Whatnot has something for everyone.
And, we’re growing. Whatnot has been one of the fastest growing marketplaces and we’re hiring forward-thinking problem solvers across all functional areas.
💻 Role
We’re seeking a talented and culturally fluent Product Designer to join our Growth team. This individual will play a pivotal role in shaping our user experience strategy and execution, working closely with our newly established product and engineering teams in China. As a Product Designer, you will collaborate cross-functionally to create intuitive, impactful designs that resonate across diverse markets. The role requires exceptional communication skills, adaptability, and an understanding of cultural nuances to drive alignment between teams in different time zones. Your responsibilities will include:
- Partner closely with the Growth, Product, and Engineering teams in China to understand project goals, define design requirements, and deliver innovative solutions tailored to our target audience.
- Lead the end-to-end design process, from initial research, wireframes, and prototypes to final UI designs, ensuring a cohesive experience across all touchpoints.
- Conduct and analyze user research to gather insights and apply them to create designs that meet the needs of users across multiple regions.
- Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure design solutions align with business goals, technical requirements, and cultural expectations.
- Proactively manage feedback loops, iterate based on input, and navigate time zone differences with flexibility and clear communication.
- Serve as a cultural bridge between US and China teams, ensuring that design language and elements meet market-specific preferences while maintaining a consistent brand identity.
Team members in this role are required to be within commuting distance of our New York, NY, San Francisco, CA, or Los Angeles, CA hubs.
👋 You
Curious about who thrives at Whatnot? We’ve found that low ego, a growth mindset, and leaning into action and high impact goes a long way here.
As our next Product Designer you should have 5+ years of experience in product design, plus:
- A strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in interaction design, visual design, and user-centered design principles.
- Fluent in Mandarin and English, with proven experience in working with teams across China or other APAC regions.
- Excellent communication skills and a proactive approach to bridging cultural and linguistic gaps within cross-functional teams.
- Experience working in Growth or customer-centric design teams, with a focus on designing for acquisition, activation, or retention.
- Comfortable working across time zones, with a demonstrated ability to structure and manage workflows effectively.
- Proficiency in design tools (e.g., Figma/Adobe Creative Suite) and experience with animation and prototyping.
You should be strong in the following axes:
- Visual Design: Defining and evolving visual design standards for large projects or multiple product lines. Focusing on scalability, accessibility, and adaptability of designs across platforms (e.g., mobile, web).
- Prototyping: Advanced proficiency in creating interactive, complex prototypes that allow stakeholders to experience near-final designs. You're able to use prototyping to explore and validate innovative design ideas.
- Product Thinking: Integrating product strategy into design decisions. You're able to Identify gaps and opportunities within the product, advocating for features or solutions based on user needs and market demands. You design systems that scale with the growing demand of the business.
- Interaction Design: Designing seamless, end-to-end user experiences considering various user flows, edge cases, and multiple touchpoints.
- Animation: Designing meaningful and delightful animations that reinforce brand identity and enhance usability.
💰Compensation
For US-based applicants: $178,000/year to $200,000/year + benefits + equity
The salary range may be inclusive of several levels that would be applicable to the position. Final salary will be based on a number of factors including, level, relevant prior experience, skills and expertise. This range is only inclusive of base salary, not benefits (more details below) or equity.
- Flexible Time off Policy and Company-wide Holidays (including a spring and winter break)
- 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 on both food and wellness
- Annual allowance towards 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
- Monthly allowance to dogfood the app
- Parental Leave
- 16 weeks of paid parental leave + one month gradual return to work *company leave allowances run concurrently with country leave requirements which take precedence.
💛 EOE
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. We believe that our work is better and our company culture is improved when we encourage, support, and respect the different skills and experiences represented within our workforce.
