Applied Research Scientist - Trust and Safety

TikTok; New York (NY); On-site; USD 219,000 - 408,000; Full time

Job summary

TikTok is seeking an Applied Research Scientist to drive rigorous research that deepens understanding of Trust & Safety challenges and informs policy, product, and operations decisions. This role blends quantitative analysis, qualitative research, and domain expertise to uncover risks, evaluate interventions, and translate insights into actionable strategies.

You will work with Data Science, Policy, Product, Operations, and Engineering teams to address safety at scale.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in applied or quantitative research.
• Strong foundation in statistics, experimentation, causal inference, and analytical modeling.
• Experience applying qualitative research methods to understand human behavior and systems.
• Ability to synthesize multiple evidence sources into actionable recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end research initiatives, from problem framing and hypothesis development to analysis, validation, and recommendations.
• Apply quantitative methods including statistical analysis, experimentation, causal inference, and modeling to identify trends, measure impact, and evaluate interventions.
• Apply qualitative methods including user research, case analysis, stakeholder interviews, and ecosystem research to understand behaviors, motivations, and emerging risks.
• Develop research frameworks to measure safety outcomes, policy effectiveness, enforcement quality, and user impact.
• Translate research into policy and safety insights through actionable recommendations for policy evolution and safety improvements.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, Operations, and Policy teams to influence safety strategy and decision-making.

Skills

Applied research

Quantitative methods

Qualitative research

Statistical analysis

Policy collaboration

Job description

Responsibilities

The Applied Research Scientist will drive rigorous research to deepen our understanding of complex Trust & Safety challenges and inform better policy, product, and operational decisions. This role combines quantitative analysis, qualitative research, and domain expertise to uncover emerging risks, evaluate safety interventions, and translate insights into actionable strategies. The researcher will partner closely with Data Science, Policy, Product, Operations, and Engineering teams to shape how we understand and address evolving safety challenges at scale.

Conduct Mixed-Methods Research on Complex Safety Problems

• Lead end-to-end research initiatives, from problem framing and hypothesis development to analysis, validation, and recommendations.


• Apply quantitative methods including statistical analysis, experimentation, causal inference, and modeling to identify trends, measure impact, and evaluate interventions.


• Apply qualitative methods including user research, case analysis, stakeholder interviews, and ecosystem research to understand behaviors, motivations, and emerging risks.


• Develop research frameworks to measure safety outcomes, policy effectiveness, enforcement quality, and user impact.

Translate Research into Policy and Safety Insights

• Analyze large-scale behavioral, operational, and enforcement data to uncover risk patterns and opportunities for intervention.


• Investigate the underlying drivers behind quantitative signals through qualitative evidence and domain understanding.


• Partner with Policy teams to evaluate existing policies, identify gaps, and provide evidence-based recommendations for policy evolution.


• Assess the effectiveness and unintended consequences of safety interventions, balancing enforcement goals, user experience, and ecosystem health.


• Translate complex findings into clear narratives and recommendations for stakeholders.

Drive Research Excellence and Cross-Functional Impact

• Partner with Product, Engineering, Operations, and Policy teams to influence safety strategy and decision-making.


• Build reusable research methodologies, measurement frameworks, and analytical approaches across T&S.


• Challenge assumptions and bring rigorous evidence into ambiguous, high-impact safety decisions.


• Contribute to raising research standards and capabilities across the T&S Data Science organization.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification(s)

• 5+ years of experience in applied research, quantitative research, data science, behavioral science, social science, or related fields.


• Strong quantitative foundation in statistics, experimentation, causal inference, and analytical modeling.


• Experience applying qualitative research methods to understand human behavior, operational processes, or complex systems.


• Ability to combine multiple evidence sources to develop holistic understanding and actionable recommendations.


• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualification(s)

• Experience in Trust & Safety, online platforms, fraud, abuse prevention, security, risk, or compliance domains.


• Experience partnering with policy teams or evaluating policy/intervention effectiveness.


• Experience researching adversarial behavior, online communities, or evolving ecosystem risks.


• Experience building measurement frameworks or research programs that influence product and policy decisions.

Trust & Safety

Content that this role 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 safety; depictions of harm to self and others, and harm to animals. Hence, it is possible that this role will be exposed to harmful content on a daily basis.

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.

About TikTok

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

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.

TikTok Accommodation

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://tinyurl.com/RA-request

Job Information

【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Annually)

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $219000 - $408000 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.

Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).

The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.

For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:

• Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;


• Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems;


• Exercising sound judgment.