Distribution Policy Lead

Patreon is a media and community platform where over 300,000 creators give their biggest fans access to exclusive work and experiences. We offer creators a variety of ways to engage with their fans and build a lasting business including: paid memberships, free memberships, community chats, live video, and selling to fans directly with one-time purchases.

Ultimately our goal is simple: fund the creative class. And we're leaders in that space, with:

• $10 billion+ generated by creators since Patreon's inception

• 100 million+ free memberships for fans who may not be ready to pay just yet, and

• 25 million+ paid memberships on Patreon today.

We're continuing to invest heavily in building the best creator products with the best team in the creator economy and are looking for a Distribution Policy Lead to support our mission of providing relevant recommendations for fans and creators.

This role is Remote friendly or could sit in our San Francisco or New York Offices. Our offices operate under a hybrid work model where teammates are expected to be in office 2 days a week at minimum.

About the Team

This role sits on Patreon’s Platform Policy team, the group of subject matter experts who develop and launch the rules that govern how creators and fans use Patreon. We cover a wide range of risk categories and serve as dedicated cross-functional partners to our product, engineering, operations, legal, marketing, and communications teams.

About the Role

As Patreon works to refine its network strategy, the Distribution Policy Lead, will work closely with key stakeholders across the company to define algorithmic safety and determine which eligible creators and content should be recommended. This role combines policy expertise, operational understanding, and cross-functional collaboration to address the nuanced challenges of modern algorithm-driven recommendations including: existing and emerging regulations, developments in state-of-the-art AI systems, and the complexities of a wide range of content types.

What You’ll Do:

1. Policy Development & Strategy

• We’re looking for a unicorn.

• Develop distribution policies that complement our editorial strategy and support creativity and expression while addressing content policy risks associated with user-generated content (both fan and creator). Beyond setting our distribution policies, this individual will also own several related content policy verticals which could include minor safety, harassment, hate speech, and inauthentic behavior.

• Look over the horizon for emerging trends, legal frameworks, and industry best practices to ensure our policies remain state-of-the-art.

2. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Product, Marketing, Partnerships, Operations, Engineering, and Design teams to ensure distribution policies are operationally feasible, user-friendly, and scalable.

• Get under the hood to understand how our algorithms function and their expected outcomes.

• Embody the core value to Win Together by fostering strong partnerships across teams and departments.

3. Risk Management & Escalation

• Own the policy perspective in escalations involving sensitive content.

• Work with partners to evaluate and refine appeal mechanisms, ensuring a fair and transparent process for creators impacted by distribution and recommendation policies.

4. Education & Communication

• Develop educational resources to help creators and fans understand our distribution policies and how they’re applied.

• Represent Patreon externally, collaborating with industry groups, regulators, and partners to share our unique approach to algorithmic-distribution.

• Act as a thought leader internally, building awareness of content safety challenges and opportunities across the company.

• Uphold the value of Be Curious by seeking innovative solutions and continuously learning from industry peers.

5. Data-Driven Approach

• Use insights from genre labeling, enforcement metrics, user feedback, and external benchmarks to continuously improve distribution effectiveness.

• Drive A/B testing and other experiments to measure the impact of policy updates on both safety outcomes and user experience.

• Reflect Patreon’s value to Build with Craft by leveraging data to create thoughtful, high-quality policies.

About You

• Experienced Policy Professional: 5+ years of experience