Job Description

Responsibilities


About the Team The Risk & Response Team for TikTok USDS is a multi-disciplinary team that handles risk detection, prevention and handling of US content. 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 addressing real-life implications of online content. As an Escalation Response Specialist, you will be 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. You will be instrumental in responding to emergency escalations, promptly detecting and removing content related to various online risks and harms. Your role involves collaborating with internal and external partners, including law enforcement and product and policy teams to ensure user safety in time-critical situations. You'll also contribute to post-mortem and root cause analyses, enhancing our strategies to mitigate the recurrence of similar incidents. Our Escalations Team performs a critical function that supports our efforts to address objectionable or disturbing content. Content that our Escalations Team interacts with includes images, video, and text related to every-day life, but it can also include (but is not limited to) bullying; hate speech; child abuse; sexual assault; torture; bestiality; self-harm; suicide; and murder. It is possible that this role will be exposed to harmful content on a daily basis In order to enhance collaboration and cross-functional partnerships, at this time, our organisation follows a hybrid work schedule that requires employees to work in the office 3 days a week, or as directed by their manager/department. We regularly review our hybrid work model, and the specific requirements may change at any time. This position will be full-time and will be based in our London location. This will entail a Tuesday through Saturday, or Sunday through Thursday work week which will include holiday support. Responsibilities - Triage and contain high-priority escalations for the USDS Trust and Safety organisation, proactively identifying and evaluating emerging risks. - Develop and execute investigative strategies for tackling escalations, driving action items, holding partners accountable, and communicating updates in real-time. - Review and assess instances of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA). - Lead and manage high-priority escalations, ensuring compliance with U.S. user privacy regulations and protocols. - Coordinate with internal and external partners, including law enforcement, to ensure user safety in high-priority escalations. - Execute instant decision-making while analysing a variety of factors that include imminence of danger, sensitivities, and graphic content. - Report findings to senior leadership and stakeholders, initiating post-mortem and root cause analysis as necessary to mitigate the likelihood of recurrence for the same or similar incidents. - Create and articulate written and/or verbal responses to questions from law enforcement, government agencies, and internal teams regarding emergency response policy, process, and escalation management. - Handle sensitive information in compliance with Terms of Service, applicable laws, regulations and internal SOPs while protecting user privacy. - Draft internal documentation for workflows, procedures concerning safety, data disclosure, and escalation management. - Demonstrate operational excellence on a team that evaluates risk, threats, and user privacy in the world centered around time-critical emergency escalations, including reviewing and assessing inbound emergency escalations from law enforcement and other teams.


Qualifications


Minimum Qualifications - Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in a related field. - Over 4 years of relevant experience in law enforcement, trust and safety, investigative, or analytical roles. - Proven ability in crisis management, strategic response, escalations investigations, or a related field. - Proven ability to thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments, prioritise work, and make grounded decisions in high-pressure situations. - Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to adapt communication styles to suit different stakeholders, including cross-functional teams, leadership, and law enforcement. - Experience in reviewing or being exposed to sensitive content that violate our community guidelines, which include but are not limited to: bullying, hate speech, child sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual assault, torture, bestiality, self-harm, suicide and murder. - Demonstrated experience as a collaborative team player with a technical aptitude for learning complex tools or systems required for daily operations. Preferred Qualifications - Law enforcement response team or emergency escalations experience, especially in global markets. - Experience in handling child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) cases. - An investigative mindset with the ability to pull and analyse data independently for informed decision-making. - The ability to drive impact while working in an extremely dynamic environment. - 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.


Job Information


About USDS



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 subsidiary 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.



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.



Why Join Us



Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect - and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.



We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.



Diversity & Inclusion



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.



Trust & Safety



TikTok recognises that keeping our platform safe for the TikTok communities is no ordinary job which can be both rewarding and psychologically demanding and emotionally taxing for some. 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 joining.



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.