AddressEscalation Response Lead, USDS
Sydney Regular Operations Job ID: A171316
Responsibilities
About TikTok U.S. Data Security TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. U.S. Data Security (“USDS”) is a subsidary of TikTok in the U.S. This new, security-first division was created to bring heightened focus and governance to our data protection policies and content assurance protocols to keep U.S. users safe.
Our focus is on providing oversight and protection of the TikTok platform and U.S. user data, so millions of Americans can continue turning to TikTok to learn something new, earn a living, express themselves creatively, or be entertained. The teams within USDS that deliver on this commitment daily span across Trust & Safety, Security & Privacy, Engineering, User & Product Ops, Corporate Functions and more. Why Join
Us Creation is the core of TikTok's purpose. Our platform is built to help imaginations thrive. This is doubly true of the teams that make TikTok possible.
Together, we inspire creativity and bring joy
- a mission we all believe in and aim towards achieving every day.
To us, every challenge, no matter how difficult, is an opportunity; to learn, to innovate, and to grow as one team. Status quo? Never. Courage? Always. At TikTok, we create together and grow together. That's how we drive impact
- for ourselves, our company, and the communities we serve.
Join us. Team Intro The Risk & Response Team for TikTok USDS handles risk detection, prevention and handling in the United
States. The team is dedicated to maintaining a safe and secure online environment for users by actively monitoring and responding to emergent threats, ensuring compliance with legal regulations, and address real-life implications of online content. This team is at the forefront of addressing emergency data requests (EDRs), Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA), and other emergency disclosures involving life-and-death situations.
Your responsibilities include triaging high-priority escalations, leading investigations, managing critical incidents, and executing strategic containment responses while ensuring compliance with privacy regulations. As the lead, you will play a pivotal role in responding to emergency escalations, taking swift action to detect and remove content associated with various online risks and harms. Your responsibilities extend beyond mere response – you will be actively involved in shaping strategies to strengthen our approach in mitigating similar incidents in the future.
Collaboration is key, and you will work closely with internal and external partners, including law enforcement, product, and policy teams, ensuring a comprehensive and effective response to ensure user safety in time-critical situations. Your leadership will be instrumental in building and guiding the team, creating on-the-ground support, and developing overarching strategies to fortify our commitment to user safety and content moderation. This position will be full-time and will be based in our Sydney, Australia location and will entail a Tuesday through Saturday, or Sunday through Thursday work week.
It also requires participation in a 24/7 on-call schedule, which will include weekend or holiday support. Responsibilities:
- Lead and manage a team of data analysts and escalation specialists within the Trust & Safety organization to ensure daily operational effectiveness and well-being of the team.
- Address emergency data requests (EDRs), Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA), and other life-and-death situations.
- Address sensitive content issues, including but not limited to graphic images, videos and writings, offensive or derogatory language, child safety, and other potentially objectionable material.
- Align closely with the Emergency Response Team Manager, Child Safety Team Manager, and other stakeholders to ensure operational alignment.
- Triage high-priority escalations, lead investigations, and execute strategic containment responses to swiftly detect and remove content associated with various online risks and harms.
- Actively contribute to shaping strategies for enhancing approaches and mitigating similar incidents in the future.
- Develop Escalations SOP to align crossfunctional partner roles and responsibilities, clarify how specific escalation types are managed (e.g., mass casualty crisis event), develop checklists to standardize responses
- Collaborate closely with internal and external partners, including law enforcement, product, and policy teams.
- Contribute insights to post-mortem and root cause analyses.
- Utilize data and analytical findings to refine and enhance strategies continually.
- Build and guide the team, creating on-the-ground support structures.
- Ensure compliance with privacy regulations in executing strategic responses.
- Navigate legal and regulatory frameworks relevant to content moderation and emergency response.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
- Extensive experience in Law Enforcement, Trust and Safety, investigative, or analytical roles, and 2 years experience of leading and managing a team in a high-stakes environment
- Proven ability to function effectively in high-risk scenarios, ensuring engagement of leadership and related stakeholders.
Capable of handling on-call emergency escalations, including weekend coverage as needed.
- Excellent decision-making and able to analyze information to assess threat and risk, and provide necessary direction and guidance to team utilizing a strategic mindset and creative problem-solving skills.
- Experience in triaging high-priority escalations, leading investigations, and executing strategic containment responses while ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.
- Proven track record in shaping strategies to strengthen approaches in mitigating similar incidents in the future, and contribute insights to post-mortem and root cause analyses.
- Strong collaboration skills, working closely with internal and external partners, including law enforcement, product, and policy teams, to ensure a comprehensive and effective response in time-critical situations.
- Commitment to continuous improvement, with a focus on refining and enhancing strategies based on insights and learnings from ongoing analyses and investigations.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in growing, scaling teams
- Technical aptitude for learning complex tools or systems required for daily operations
- In-depth understanding of content moderation, particularly in addressing emergency data requests, Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA), and other life-and-death situations.
- Knowledge of privacy regulations and a demonstrated ability to ensure compliance while executing strategic responses to high-priority escalations.
- Familiarity with legal and regulatory frameworks relevant to content moderation and emergency response.
- Previous experience working in a high-stakes environment, preferably in a role related to emergency response, content moderation, or user safety.
- Demonstrated ability to oversee data analysts and escalation specialists, ensuring swift and effective responses to high-priority escalations.
- Your ability to work in a high tempo environment, adapt, respond to day-to-day challenges of the role.
- Your resilience and commitment to self-care to manage the emotional demands of the role.
Wellbeing Statement Trust & Safety recognizes that keeping our platform safe for TikTok communities is no ordinary job. It can be rewarding, psychologically demanding, and emotionally taxing. This is why we are sharing the potential hazards, risks and implications in this unique line of work from the start: so our candidates are well informed before proceeding.
We are committed to the wellbeing of all our employees and promise to provide comprehensive and evidence-based programs, to promote and support physical and mental wellbeing throughout each employee's journey with us. We believe that wellbeing is a relationship and that everyone has a part to play, so we work in collaboration and consultation with our employees and across our functions in order to ensure a truly person-centred, innovative and integrated approach. D&I Statement TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives.
Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach.
We are passionate about this and hope you are too. Data Security Statement This role requires the ability to work with and support systems designed to protect sensitive data and information.
As such, this role will be subject to strict national security-related screening. Acknowledgement of Country In the spirit of reconciliation, TikTok acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community.
We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
