Escalations & Validation Team Manager - USDS

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
As a leader, you will oversee a team of Escalations & Validation (EV) analysts, focusing on USDS escalations and content review and enforcement. Your responsibilities include recruiting, managing, and developing the team to achieve high standards and quality of work, while ensuring services align with TikTok USDS's core values, policies, SLAs, and quality requirements. You will promote inclusion, supporting team members' participation in community and work opportunities, and create an inspiring team environment with open communication, clear goals, and objective setting to drive success and skill expansion.

Our Escalations & Validations team performs a critical function that supports our efforts to address objectionable or disturbing content. Content that the Escalations & Validation Team Manager 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, among other things, at this time, our organization 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.

Responsibilities
This role blends strategy, operations, investigations, escalation management, and content review. Key responsibilities include:

Strategy & Execution:

• Partner with EV Analysts and other cross-functional partners to identify priorities and improve T&S operations
• Develop and track quarterly objectives and key results (OKRs).
• Enhance interoperability with Global Trust & Safety.

Operational Oversight:

• Oversee daily EV team operations and manage intake channels.
• Continuously improve processes and monitor backlogs.
• Lead reporting efforts and audit SOPs.

Project Management:

• Support critical escalations and investigative workflows.
• Troubleshoot tools, manage requests, and ensure SLA compliance.
• Drive Quality Assurance initiatives.

Policy Expertise:

• Enforce TikTok's Community Guidelines.
• Stay updated on policy changes and bridge team gaps.

USDS Escalations:

• Investigate and process escalations with high-quality responses.
• Conduct deep-dive investigations and provide summaries.
• Collaborate with Legal, PR, and Comms for external communications.

Content Review:

• Review high-harm content and enforce guidelines.
• Improve detection capabilities and support content analysis.

Data-Driven Decisions:

• Analyze trends for process improvements and policy enhancements.
• Test tools and provide data-driven feedback.

Threat Detection Support:

• Improve threat detection models and validate detections.

Qualifications

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 5 years of experience in Trust & Safety, Operations, or Content Moderation Management and extensive team leadership experience
• Strategic thinker with analytical and creative problem-solving skills
• Technical aptitude for learning complex tools or systems required for daily operations
• Demonstrated experience as a collaborative team leader
• Excellent communication, writing, and presentation skills
• Open minded thinking about people, cultures, backgrounds, and threats

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in online investigations, analysis, escalations, or operations, content policy, project management, or equivalent relevant fields, such as content moderation or model labeling
• Ability to thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments, prioritize work, and make grounded decisions in high-pressure situations
• Experience dealing with complex, no-right-answer problems; demonstrated critical thinking skills and interest in ethics and/or policy
• Highly organized with experience prioritizing multiple functions and tasks while managing their work time efficiently without compromising quality
• 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.

Accommodation Statement
TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://shorturl.at/ktJP6

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.

Job Information

[For Pay Transparency] Compensation Description (annually)

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $101333 - $188522 annually.

Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.

Our company benefits are designed to convey company culture and values, to create an efficient and inspiring work environment, and to support our employees to give their best in both work and life. We offer the following benefits to eligible employees:

We cover 100% premium coverage for employee medical insurance, approximately 75% premium coverage for dependents and offer a Health Savings Account(HSA) with a company match. As well as Dental, Vision, Short/Long term Disability, Basic Life, Voluntary Life and AD&D insurance plans. In addition to Flexible Spending Account(FSA) Options like Health Care, Limited Purpose and Dependent Care.

Our time off and leave plans are: 10 paid holidays per year plus 17 days of Paid Personal Time Off (PPTO) (prorated upon hire and increased by tenure) and 10 paid sick days per year as well as 12 weeks of paid Parental leave and 8 weeks of paid Supplemental Disability.

We also provide generous benefits like mental and emotional health benefits through our EAP and Lyra. A 401K company match, gym and cellphone service reimbursements. The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.