Head of Child Safety Operations - USDS

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 Child Safety Team is a specialized group dedicated to protecting vulnerable populations by ensuring the swift and compliant handling of online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA). The team’s primary responsibility is the timely review and reporting of such content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in alignment with legal obligations under 18 U.S.C. § 2258A. This high-impact team works with Global Trust and Safety, legal, product, policy, engineering, and data teams to build effective tools, refine operational workflows, and provide actionable insights to improve prevention and detection systems. With a strong focus on compliance, operational excellence, and safeguarding employee well-being, the team is at the forefront of ensuring a safer digital environment



As Head of Child Safety Operations you are responsible for overseeing and driving the effectiveness of all aspects of child safety operations. This individual will ensure the timely and compliant review of online CSEA, leading the team’s efforts in meeting regulatory obligations while optimizing operational efficiency. The role involves managing escalations, operational bandwidth planning, headcount forecasting, and ensuring the team has the tools and resources needed.

The Head of Child Safety Operations will collaborate closely with legal teams to ensure compliance, as well as with detection, product, and engineering teams to enhance insights, processes, and tools. This leader must bring operational expertise, strong analytical skills, and the ability to foster a resilient, mission-aligned team culture in the face of challenging and sensitive work.



This team performs a critical function that supports our efforts to address objectionable or disturbing content. Content that the 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, 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

- Oversee daily operations of the Child Safety team to ensure the timely review and reporting of CSEA content to NCMEC in compliance with legal requirements including 18 US 2258A et al.

- Develop and implement efficient workflows and processes to optimize operational bandwidth and performance, including metrics.

- Ensure escalations and critical cases are prioritized and addressed with urgency.

- Work closely with legal teams to ensure compliance with laws and regulations governing online safety and reporting.

- Partner with product, engineering, and data teams to ensure the development and refinement of tools and pathways that enable case escalation and resolution.

- Collaborate with detection teams to share insights and analysis, enhancing prevention and detection efforts.

- Advance and maintain robust systems for tracking key operational metrics related to child safety operations, including case volumes, processing times, escalation rates,