AI ML Engineering Jobs at Whatnot with Visa Sponsorship
AI ML Engineering jobs at Whatnot require engineers who can work across recommendation systems, trust and safety models, and real-time bidding pipelines to build the company's infrastructure. The company has a consistent track record of sponsoring work visas for this function, supporting candidates from application through to long-term status.
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Get Access To All JobsJoin the Future of Commerce with Whatnot!
Whatnot is the largest live 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.
Role
The Buyer Growth team is responsible for driving Whatnot’s top-of-funnel growth and first-time buyer success. We're looking for a Machine Learning Engineer to accelerate buyer growth at Whatnot through intelligent, data-driven experiences. As the first ML engineer, you’ll build and own ML models personalization in onboarding and user targeting in our acquisition and engagement channels. This is a high-impact role on a team directly responsible for growing Whatnot’s buyer base and improving first-time user conversion.
What you'll do:
- Lead the design, development, and productionization of ML models that power user acquisition, activation, and retention (e.g., ranking models, targeting systems, uplift modeling).
- Own the full ML lifecycle. Build and own data pipelines, feature engineering, model training, deployment, and online experimentation. Build feedback loops from postbacks, conversions, and downstream revenue signals.
- Identify and prioritize high-impact opportunities where machine learning can unlock growth, collaborating with product, engineering, data, and marketing stakeholders.
- Drive technical excellence and establish ML best practices across the Buyer Growth team.
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.
- 5+ years of industry experience building and deploying ML systems at scale.
- Demonstrated success in leading end-to-end ML projects that drove measurable business outcomes.
- Deep expertise in personalization, ranking, or user modeling; strong intuition around user behavior in consumer products.
- Advanced proficiency in Python, SQL, and common ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, XGBoost).
- Strong communication and leadership skills; ability to influence roadmap and align cross-functional teams.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience building ML applications in E-commerce or Social products.
- Prior experience in growth domains: user segmentation, retention modeling, large scale recommendation systems, notification ranking, etc.
Benefits
- 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 for 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
-
All Whatnauts are expected to develop a deep understanding of our product. We're passionate about building the best user experience, and all employees are expected to use Whatnot as both a buyer and a seller as part of their job (our dogfooding budget makes this fun and easy!).
-
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.
Compensation Range: $190K - $280K
Join the Future of Commerce with Whatnot!
Whatnot is the largest live 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.
Role
The Buyer Growth team is responsible for driving Whatnot’s top-of-funnel growth and first-time buyer success. We're looking for a Machine Learning Engineer to accelerate buyer growth at Whatnot through intelligent, data-driven experiences. As the first ML engineer, you’ll build and own ML models personalization in onboarding and user targeting in our acquisition and engagement channels. This is a high-impact role on a team directly responsible for growing Whatnot’s buyer base and improving first-time user conversion.
What you'll do:
- Lead the design, development, and productionization of ML models that power user acquisition, activation, and retention (e.g., ranking models, targeting systems, uplift modeling).
- Own the full ML lifecycle. Build and own data pipelines, feature engineering, model training, deployment, and online experimentation. Build feedback loops from postbacks, conversions, and downstream revenue signals.
- Identify and prioritize high-impact opportunities where machine learning can unlock growth, collaborating with product, engineering, data, and marketing stakeholders.
- Drive technical excellence and establish ML best practices across the Buyer Growth team.
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.
- 5+ years of industry experience building and deploying ML systems at scale.
- Demonstrated success in leading end-to-end ML projects that drove measurable business outcomes.
- Deep expertise in personalization, ranking, or user modeling; strong intuition around user behavior in consumer products.
- Advanced proficiency in Python, SQL, and common ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, XGBoost).
- Strong communication and leadership skills; ability to influence roadmap and align cross-functional teams.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience building ML applications in E-commerce or Social products.
- Prior experience in growth domains: user segmentation, retention modeling, large scale recommendation systems, notification ranking, etc.
Benefits
- 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 for 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
-
All Whatnauts are expected to develop a deep understanding of our product. We're passionate about building the best user experience, and all employees are expected to use Whatnot as both a buyer and a seller as part of their job (our dogfooding budget makes this fun and easy!).
-
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.
Compensation Range: $190K - $280K
See all AI ML Engineering Jobs at Whatnot
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new AI ML Engineering Jobs at Whatnot.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding AI ML Engineering Jobs at Whatnot
Frame your ML work around commerce problems
Whatnot's AI team focuses on live commerce, so framing your experience around recommendation engines, fraud detection, or dynamic pricing signals directly to recruiters that you understand the product. Generic ML credentials get screened out faster.
Verify your OPT timeline before applying
If you're on F-1 OPT, confirm your STEM extension eligibility before your first interview. Whatnot's hiring cycles can run 8 to 12 weeks, and a tight OPT expiration date without a clear STEM extension path complicates the offer conversation.
Ask specifically about E-3 during offer discussions
Australian citizens targeting this role should raise the E-3 visa early in offer negotiations. Unlike H-1B, E-3 has no lottery and can be filed any time of year, which removes the cap timing pressure that often delays start dates.
Use Migrate Mate to identify active AI ML openings
Whatnot's AI ML Engineering roles aren't always listed under a single job title. Use Migrate Mate to filter for sponsorship-confirmed openings at Whatnot and surface roles across ML, data science, and applied research that match your background.
Prepare specialty occupation documentation early
For H-1B petitions, USCIS scrutinizes whether the role genuinely requires a specialized degree. Collect transcripts, degree equivalency letters if your credential is from outside the U.S., and any prior approval notices before your employer files the I-129.
Align your start date with H-1B cap timing
If your offer depends on winning the H-1B lottery, the October 1 cap-subject start date is fixed. Build that constraint into your offer negotiation early so Whatnot's legal team can plan the LCA filing and DOL certification timeline without last-minute pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Whatnot sponsor H-1B visas for AI ML Engineers?
Yes, Whatnot sponsors H-1B visas for AI ML Engineering roles. The company works with immigration counsel to file the Labor Condition Application with the DOL and the I-129 petition with USCIS. Cap-subject candidates should factor in the April lottery registration window and the October 1 start date when planning their timeline.
How do I apply for AI ML Engineering jobs at Whatnot?
Applications go through Whatnot's careers page, where roles are listed by team and function. AI ML Engineering positions often appear under titles like Machine Learning Engineer, Applied Scientist, or Recommendation Systems Engineer, so searching broadly across those categories helps. Migrate Mate also surfaces sponsorship-confirmed Whatnot openings, which can help you identify roles that are actively accepting international applicants.
Which visa types does Whatnot commonly use for AI ML Engineering roles?
Whatnot sponsors H-1B, E-3 visa, TN visa, F-1 OPT, F-1 CPT, and J-1 visas for this function, and supports EB-2 and EB-3 Green Card pathways for longer-term employees. The right visa depends on your nationality and current status. Australian citizens have access to the E-3 visa, which avoids the H-1B lottery entirely and can be processed at a U.S. consulate in a matter of weeks.
What qualifications does Whatnot expect for AI ML Engineering roles?
Most AI ML Engineering roles at Whatnot require a bachelor's degree or higher in computer science, statistics, or a closely related field, along with hands-on experience building production ML systems. Roles focused on live commerce infrastructure often prioritize work in recommendation systems, real-time model serving, or trust and safety. A graduate degree can strengthen a profile for senior or research-oriented positions, and it also supports a stronger specialty occupation argument in H-1B filings.
How do I plan my visa timeline when joining Whatnot as an AI ML Engineer?
Timeline depends on your visa type. E-3 and TN processing at a consulate can move in a few weeks. H-1B cap-subject filings require a registration in March, approval by late spring, and a start date no earlier than October 1. If you're transferring an existing H-1B, Whatnot can file a portability petition and you can start before approval. Confirm your current status and authorized period with your employer's immigration counsel before accepting an offer.