Lead Illustrator (3D + 2D)

Lead Illustrator (3D + 2D) 🚀 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. 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 https://www.whatnot.com/careers. With hubs in the US, UK, Germany, Ireland, Poland, and Australia, 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 https://a16z.com/marketplace-100/, we’re looking for bold, forward-thinking problem solvers across all functional areas. Check out the latest Whatnot updates on our news https://blog.teamwhatnot.com/ and engineering https://medium.com/whatnot-engineering blogs and join us as we enable anyone to turn their passion into a business, and bring people together through commerce. 💻 ROLE We are looking for a Lead Illustrator (3D + 2D) to join the creative team at Whatnot! Our small but mighty team is responsible for building the Whatnot brand and crafting best-in-class creative across physical and digital experiences. As a core member of the team, you’ll establish and scale our illustration system, crafting standout work that spans both 3D and 2D, static and motion, collaborating across marketing and product to bring our brand to life in ways that resonate deeply with our communities. This is a foundational role, equal parts hands-on craft and system-building. You’ll produce and establish scalable guidelines and libraries, experiment with new techniques and media, and continue to elevate Whatnot’s visual identity into something iconic and ownable. In this role, you will: - Lead the development of Whatnot’s illustration system with a primary focus on 3D, complemented by strong 2D capabilities and execution. - Create high-impact illustrations that flex across brand systems, product experiences, and physical and digital campaigns and activations. - Build and maintain illustration libraries, templates, and guidelines for consistency and efficiency. - Partner with cross-functional teams to integrate illustration seamlessly across product and marketing. - Stay ahead of the latest creative, cultural, and technological trends to keep Whatnot’s brand identity fresh and distinctive. - Provide mentorship and direction for agencies and freelancers, team members, cross-functional partners, or future hires, helping scale the discipline. 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, New York, or Los Angeles hubs. 👋 YOU Curious about who thrives at Whatnot? We’ve found that low ego, a growth mindset, a multi-disciplinary background, and high-impact drive go a long way here. As our first Illustration Lead, you should have 7+ years of experience in illustration, with a clear specialization in 3D and proven 2D capabilities, plus: - A portfolio showcasing world-class 3D work and strong 2D design craft. - Expertise in 3D tools (Cinema 4D preferred) and proficiency in 2D software (Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Procreate). - Experience creating and scaling illustration systems across brand and product, from in-app to in-person activations. - Strong conceptual thinking with the ability to translate abstract brand ideas into visual execution. - A collaborative mindset and proactive approach to working across diverse teams. - Comfort in a fast-paced environment with the ability to adapt and deliver at scale. Nice to have: - Motion or animation experience. - Creative team leadershi ... (truncated, view full listing at source)