Category Manager, Australia

About Whatnot

Whatnot runs the biggest livestream shopping marketplace across North America and Europe, helping people buy, sell, and discover products they care about. Sellers on the platform are turning hobbies into full-scale businesses across many verticals such as trading cards, fashion, electronics, and live plants. The company is building live commerce at a scale that has not been attempted before in the West, and the team is helping define a brand-new industry.

Whatnot operates as a remote, co-located team with hubs in the US, UK, Ireland, Poland, Germany, and Australia. The organization values speed, proximity to users, and work that creates the greatest impact. It is also one of the fastest-growing marketplaces and was recently recognized by Forbes as the #1 Best Startup Employer in America.

Role Overview

As a founding team member in Australia, you will help shape Whatnot’s regional strategy and presence while working closely with the General Manager for Australia.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of launching a category in Australia and drive it from the ground up.
• Define the best path to scale the first category and make it succeed.
• Work with the General Manager, Australia to decide which category should launch next.
• Build strong relationships with influencers and plan activations that bring their audiences onto Whatnot.
• Plan and deliver both in-app and in-person events tied to exciting products, cultural moments, and fandoms relevant to your category.
• Create and grow a healthy seller pipeline that includes resellers, creators, influencers, and shops.
• Identify, recruit, and nurture high-potential sellers while handling day-to-day communication and long-term relationships.
• Coach sellers on how to grow their businesses on Whatnot and help develop the next wave of top Australian sellers.
• Stay closely connected with sellers and buyers to understand their needs and share actionable insights with the product team.
• Use data and strategic judgment to create plans, track results, and accelerate category growth across Australia.
• Step into cross-functional or strategic projects as needed and ramp up quickly with limited direction.

Candidate Profile

People who thrive at Whatnot are typically action-oriented, comfortable with ambiguity, curious about what they are building, and focused on outcomes rather than personal credit. They stay close to the product and the community using it.

Experience and Skills

You should bring at least 4 years of experience in a fast-moving, client-facing environment with strong output expectations, such as strategy consulting, private equity, or partnerships at a high-growth technology company.

Additional strengths that would help include business development or partner-facing experience, a track record of building and working through target pipelines, the ability to move quickly with minimal guidance, and a strategic, creative approach that turns research and data into practical action. Interest in creator communities or knowledge of Whatnot-style categories such as vintage clothing and collectibles is also valuable. Experience in a high-growth startup, marketplace, or creator-focused platform is a plus, as are SQL skills and firsthand experience buying and selling in online marketplaces.

Compensation and Benefits

The role offers a compensation range of A$150K to A$200K.

• Generous holiday and paid time off policy.
• Comprehensive health insurance for the employee and dependents.
• Support for working from home.
• Home office allowance.
• Monthly support for phone and internet costs.
• Care benefits.
• Monthly wellness allowance.
• Annual childcare allowance.
• Lifetime support for family-planning expenses such as adoption or fertility-related costs.
• Superannuation contributions made in line with local compliance requirements.
• Monthly allowance to use and understand the app firsthand.
• Expectation that all employees become deeply familiar with the product by using Whatnot as both a buyer and a seller.
• Paid parental leave for 16 weeks.
• Optional gradual return-to-work arrangement for one month after parental leave.

Equal Opportunity

Whatnot is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes people from all backgrounds. Hiring and workplace decisions are made without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, parental status, disability, or any other protected status under local law. The company believes diversity strengthens both the work and the culture.