Strategy & Operations Senior Manager, Japan

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 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 and were recently named the #1 Best Startup Employer in America by Forbes. Check out the latest Whatnot updates on our news and engineering blogs and join us as we enable anyone to turn their passion into a business and bring people together through commerce.

The Commerce Strategy & Operations team drives business decisions across our entire marketplace ecosystem, including buyer experience, seller experience, trust & risk, fraud, logistics and payments. This is the first such hire in Japan. In this role, you will:

• Set and drive the strategy for post-purchase operations, partnering closely with Product, Engineering, and Operations to deliver scalable, high-quality experiences for Whatnot’s Japanese users

• Translate insights from operational data and user interactions into priorities, roadmaps, and initiatives that improve quality, speed, and scalability

• Partner with the Global Commerce team to implement changes that improve the overall user experience. Own the execution end to end

• Lead complex, cross-functional initiatives from problem definition through execution, ensuring alignment, accountability, and measurable outcomes

• Design and implement scalable processes, systems, and operating models that support Whatnot’s growth and evolving user needs

• Serve as a strategic thought partner & Japan representative to senior leaders, providing data-driven recommendations and tradeoffs to inform decision-making

• Continuously assess operational performance, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, resilience, and user experience

We offer flexibility to work from home or from one of our global office hubs, and we value in-person time for planning, problem-solving, and connection. Team members in this role must live within commuting distance of our Tokyo hub.

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 our next Commerce Strategy & Operations team member, you should have 7 - 10 years of experience in strategy and operations roles (e.g., consulting, finance, GM, Operations), plus:

• Proven experience developing and executing strategies that drive scalable, high-quality operations in ambiguous, fast-paced environments

• Strong analytical judgment, with the ability to synthesize quantitative and qualitative insights into clear recommendations and decisions

• Demonstrated success leading large, cross-functional initiatives from concept through execution

• Ability to identify operational inefficiencies and design scalable processes, systems, and operating models to support long-term growth

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence across Product, Engineering, Operations, and senior leadership

• Proficiency in data analysis and reporting tools; experience with SQL and analytics platforms (e.g., Looker, Sigma, Hex) is a plus

• A real understanding of the nuances of the Japanese market
  

• 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

• ¥140,000 home office setup allowance

• ¥20,750 monthly allowance for cell phone and internet

• ¥69,500 monthly allowance for wellness

• ¥14,000 monthly allowance for commuter expenses

• ¥693,000 annual allowance towards Childcare

• ¥2,772,000 lifetime benefit for family planning, such as adoption or fertility expenses

• 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave + one month gradual return to work (in addition to any local statutory leave allowances. Company leave allowances run concurrently with country leave requirements which take precedence).

• Pension plans

Please find our Whatnot Candidate Privacy Notice here.

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.