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Staff Software Engineer - Japan

Whatnot· Engineering
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Hybrid (Tokyo, Japan)JPY 19000k - JPY 26000kFull-timePosted 4w ago

About the role

Staff Software Engineer leading Whatnot's Japan engineering presence, owning technical strategy, and building end-to-end product experiences for the Japan market from a ground-floor position.

Responsibilities

  • 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

Qualifications

  • 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
  • Full-stack range: comfortable moving between backend and frontend and integrating systems end-to-end (Python, Elixir, JavaScript)
  • Comfort with 0→1 work (small team, no playbook, direct line to outcomes)
  • Near-fluent Japanese and English, written and verbal
  • Bonus: e-commerce, marketplace, or livestream products; Japan-specific integrations (logistics, payments, identity); localizing a global product for Japan

Skills

Required:8+ years of software engineering experienceTechnical leadership without direct reportsFull-stack developmentJapanese and English fluency

Benefits

  • Generous Holiday and Time off Policy
  • 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 for wellness
  • Annual allowance towards Childcare
  • Lifetime benefit for family planning (adoption or fertility expenses)
  • Retirement; 401k offering for Traditional and Roth accounts in the US (employer match up to 4%) and Pension plans internationally
  • Monthly allowance to dogfood the app
  • Parental Leave (16 weeks paid + one month gradual return)
  • EOE and inclusive workplace policies
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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About Whatnot

Whatnot is the largest livestream shopping platform in the U.S.

Whatnot is the largest livestream shopping platform in the U.S., connecting buyers and sellers in real-time across any category – from collectibles like trading cards to comics, fashion, sneakers, and more.

marketplacee-commerce
Company profileWebsite

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