Director, Key Accounts

Whatnot•New York, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Whatnot is the largest live shopping platform in North America and Europe to buy, sell, and discover the things you love. We’re re-defining e-commerce by blending community, shopping, and entertainment into a community just for you. As a remote co-located team, we’re inspired by innovation and anchored in our values . With hubs in the US, UK, Germany, Ireland, and Poland, we’re building the future of online marketplaces –together. From fashion, beauty, and electronics to collectibles like trading cards, comic books, and even live plants, our live auctions have something for everyone. And we’re just getting started! As one of the fastest growing marketplaces , we’re looking for bold, forward-thinking problem solvers across all functional areas. 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 Strategic Partnerships team builds deep, long-term relationships with Whatnot sellers—guiding them to scale efficiently, elevate buyer experience, and innovate on the platform. This role sits at the intersection of partnership management, category strategy, and go-to-market execution. You’ll partner closely with your Category Lead, Marketing, Trust & Safety, and Product teams to turn seller insights into action and ensure your team delivers exceptional results for sellers and buyers. As the Director of Key Accounts , you will lead the strategy and execution for Whatnot’s most influential seller partnerships. This is a highly visible, high-impact role where you’ll define and activate long-term growth plans, translate seller insights into company-wide priorities, and partner cross-functionally to ensure our sellers and categories reach their full potential. Own the strategic growth of top sellers. Develop and execute annual and multi-year account plans aligned with seller and company objectives keeping Whatnot business priorities top of mind. Build deep, trusted partnerships. Serve as an executive advisor to sellers — understanding their businesses, identifying growth levers, and delivering clear, data-driven recommendations. Ensure all partners are adopting best in class business practices and are able to grow sustainably. Drive strategic alignment. Partner with Category Leads, Product, Marketing, and Operations to translate seller insights and market trends into actionable cross-functional initiatives. Champion seller needs internally. Influence cross functional teams roadmaps through grounded feedback and commercial analysis, ensuring sellers’ voices are represented in company priorities. Lead through execution. Manage the full lifecycle of partner engagement — from pitching and negotiating agreements in lock step with your Category Lead to delivering on joint growth plans and resolving complex issues. Collaborate with executives. Communicate performance, opportunities, and risks to leadership with clarity and conviction. Share best-in-class partnerships management strategies: Support other Strategic Partner Managers through ongoing share outs and insights to scale organizational impact across strategic seller portfolios. 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 San Francisco or New York City hubs.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, account management, or management consulting — ideally within ecommerce, creator platforms, or marketplaces
Strong executive presence, adaptability, and comfort operating in an environment of rapid growth and ambiguity.
Proven ability to assess business levers, model growth scenarios, and communicate commercial narratives to C-level audiences.
Deep relationship-building, negotiation, navigating conflict and influencing skills across all levels of management.
Experience leading strategic initiatives cross-functionally, from vision through execution.
Fluency in Salesforce, Gong, Sigma, and other analytical tools.
Data-driven mindset with the ability to dive deep into seller performance, identify insights, and translate them into actionable and revenue driving strategies.
A high-ownership, low-ego attitude — excitement to roll up your sleeves and build alongside the team.

Nice To Haves

Experience as a creator, seller, or entrepreneur.
Passion for live commerce, creator ecosystems, and Whatnot’s core verticals (sports, collectibles, fashion).
Experience navigating online marketplaces and understanding supply-demand dynamics.

Responsibilities

Own the strategic growth of top sellers.
Develop and execute annual and multi-year account plans aligned with seller and company objectives keeping Whatnot business priorities top of mind.
Build deep, trusted partnerships.
Serve as an executive advisor to sellers — understanding their businesses, identifying growth levers, and delivering clear, data-driven recommendations.
Ensure all partners are adopting best in class business practices and are able to grow sustainably.
Drive strategic alignment.
Partner with Category Leads, Product, Marketing, and Operations to translate seller insights and market trends into actionable cross-functional initiatives.
Champion seller needs internally.
Influence cross functional teams roadmaps through grounded feedback and commercial analysis, ensuring sellers’ voices are represented in company priorities.
Lead through execution.
Manage the full lifecycle of partner engagement — from pitching and negotiating agreements in lock step with your Category Lead to delivering on joint growth plans and resolving complex issues.
Collaborate with executives.
Communicate performance, opportunities, and risks to leadership with clarity and conviction.
Share best-in-class partnerships management strategies: Support other Strategic Partner Managers through ongoing share outs and insights to scale organizational impact across strategic seller portfolios.

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, 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
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.