Staff Software Engineer - Japan

Whatnot, Remote (US)

The role

Whatnot is live in Japan and we are looking for our first engineers in the country. This is a rare ground-floor opportunity, where a small, dedicated engineering pod is building the product experience for an entire market, with no layers between you and the outcome. Japan is one of the world's largest e-commerce markets, home to some of the most passionate collector communities, and you'll shape how live shopping grows here.

As a Staff Software Engineer on the Japan team, you'll be the technical leader of our engineering presence in Japan. You'll work across the full stack to build features that make Whatnot successful in Japan and can be replicated in other global markets. You will set the technical direction for the Japan pod, and act as the bridge between the Japan business and our global engineering org.

What you will do

Design, build, and ship features critical to growing the Japan market such as payment/payout methods, logistics integrations, seller onboarding and compliance, and locally-tailored buyer and seller experiences
Own technical strategy for Japan : partner with the Japan GM to translate market needs into a roadmap, decide what we build and how, and own the trade-offs, including how Japan-market work fits into Whatnot's global architecture
Lead execution across multiple workstreams , coordinating with engineers and cross-functional partners in Japan and globally, with the freedom to move fast on the highest-impact opportunities
Lay the technical foundation for Whatnot's engineering presence in Japan , the architecture, patterns, quality bar, and culture that future hires will build on

We offer flexibility to work from home, and we value in-person time for planning, problem-solving, and connection. This role is based in Tokyo: you must live in (or relocate to) the Tokyo area and be able to regularly work from our Tokyo office. We are a remote-first company but especially as we set up our Japan presence, we do spend time in office.

👋 You

People who do well at Whatnot tend to be comfortable figuring things out as they go, biased toward action, and genuinely curious about what they're building. They care more about outcomes than credit and stay close to the product and the people using it.

As one of our first Staff Software Engineers in Japan, you likely have

8+ years of software engineering experience , including at high-growth technology companies
Experience operating as the technical lead of a team or initiative without direct reports. In the past you have set direction, unblocked others, and know when to dive deep yourself vs. drive alignment
Full-stack range: comfortable moving between backend and frontend and integrating systems end-to-end (we primarily use Python, Elixir, and JavaScript)
Comfort with 0→1 work : small team, no playbook, direct line to outcomes
Near-fluent Japanese and English , written and verbal. You'll work daily with both the Japanese market and our global engineering org
Bonus: e-commerce, marketplace, or livestream products; Japan-specific integrations (logistics, payments, identity); localizing a global product for Japan

Staff Software Engineer - Japan

The role

Staff Software Engineer - Japan

The role

What you will do

As one of our first Staff Software Engineers in Japan, you likely have

¥19M – ¥26M • Offers Equity

Pay and benefits

About Whatnot

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Whatnot