Risk Strategist

Whatnot•Los Angeles, CA

6d•$220,000 - $290,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Risk Strategists combine data analysis, hands-on investigation, and technical problem-solving to protect Whatnot’s marketplace. They investigate fraud methods, behavioral patterns, coordination tactics, and product or process gaps, then translate findings into durable defenses and help shape risk strategy and the Product and Engineering roadmap. The role involves turning individual findings into broader action while balancing fraud prevention with customer experience and operational efficiency. The position partners with Product, Engineering, Data Science, and Operations to set strategic direction, prioritize opportunities, and deliver initiatives from problem definition through implementation and iteration. It uses SQL, scripting, automation, and AI-assisted development tools to investigate problems and prototype solutions, with opportunities to contribute lightweight tools and small, well-scoped application features alongside Engineering. The role also monitors fraud trends and defense performance and evaluates abuse risks in new products, markets, and customer journeys. The role offers flexibility to work from home or a global office hub, with in-person time valued for planning, problem-solving, and connection. Team members must live within commuting distance of the New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, or San Francisco hubs.

Requirements

Proficiency in SQL and comfort using scripting, automation, and AI-assisted development tools to investigate problems and build lightweight solutions.
Ability to validate technical outputs and partner with Engineering on production implementation.
Ability to investigate abuse in depth, test competing hypotheses, and connect individual cases to broader patterns.
Ability to translate findings into durable improvements, make thoughtful tradeoffs, and help prioritize what the team should build.
Ability to communicate a clear point of view, build trust, and align technical and operational partners without relying on formal authority.
Proactive ownership, initiative, and resourcefulness in turning ambiguous problems into concrete action.
Ability to follow through on measurable outcomes while balancing fraud prevention with the experience of legitimate buyers and sellers.
Must live within commuting distance of the New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, or San Francisco hubs.

Responsibilities

Investigate suspicious accounts, transactions, and connected activity to identify fraud methods, behavioral patterns, coordination tactics, and exploited product or process gaps.
Translate investigative findings into repeatable detection signals, rules, controls, and product improvements that address underlying vulnerabilities.
Partner with Product, Engineering, Data Science, and Operations to define strategic direction, prioritize opportunities, and develop a risk roadmap.
Turn complex findings into clear recommendations, align stakeholders on tradeoffs, and carry initiatives from problem definition through implementation and iteration.
Use SQL, scripting, automation, and AI-assisted development tools to investigate problems and prototype solutions; contribute lightweight tools and small, well-scoped application features where appropriate.
Monitor emerging fraud trends and defense performance, balancing fraud prevention with false positives, customer experience, and operational efficiency.
Evaluate abuse risks in new products, markets, and customer journeys, and help design safeguards before and after launch.

Benefits

Generous holiday and time-off policy.
Health insurance options, including medical, dental, and vision.
Work-from-home support.
Home office setup allowance.
Monthly cell phone and internet allowance.
Care benefits.
Monthly wellness allowance.
Annual childcare allowance.
Lifetime family-planning benefit, including adoption or fertility expenses.
401(k) offering for Traditional and Roth accounts in the US, with employer match up to 4% of base salary, and pension plans internationally.
Monthly allowance to use Whatnot as a buyer and seller.
16 weeks of paid parental leave and one month of gradual return to work; company leave allowances run concurrently with country leave requirements, which take precedence.