Emergency Response Specialist - Trust and Safety

TikTok; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 76,000 - 137,000; Full time

Job summary

TikTok is seeking a dedicated Emergency Response professional to join the Trust & Safety team in the US. You will evaluate risk, respond to critical escalations, and coordinate with global law enforcement to protect users.

The role involves handling highly sensitive content and making rapid, well-supported decisions under pressure. Preferred candidates have experience in crisis management or government interactions and can translate complex situations into clear comms for diverse stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 2+ years in investigative or analytical roles in safety or emergency response.
• Experience with social media, analytics tools, and online research to assess risk and threats.
• Strong ability to tailor communication to different stakeholders, including law enforcement and cross-functional teams.
• Aptitude for quantitative analysis with a detail-oriented, self-starting approach.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate risk, threats, and user privacy in time-critical escalations.
• Review high volumes of inbound emergency escalations from law enforcement, government agencies, and internal teams.
• Make fast-paced, independent decisions based on analysis of various factors, including imminence of danger and content sensitivities.
• Coordinate and collaborate with internal and external partners, including global law enforcement, to ensure user safety.
• Operate in an environment with highly sensitive content, including CSAM, graphic violence, self-injury and other disturbing material.
• Create and articulate written and verbal responses to inquiries from law enforcement, government agencies, and internal teams regarding emergency response policy and processes.
• Master various back-end data systems to ensure effective handling of safety issues and improve response quality.
• Summarize and compile analytical, retrospective, or data-driven investigation reports.
• Lead projects aimed at enhancing back-end systems, processes, and response quality.
• Collaborate with cross-functional global teams to address emerging risks and align on response strategies.

Skills

Investigative roles

Analytical skills

Threat assessment

Stakeholder communication

Quantitative analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SQL

Job description

Responsibilities

Building a world where people can safely discover, create and connect. The Trust & Safety (T&S) team at TikTok helps ensure that our global online community is safe and empowered to create and enjoy content across all of our applications. We have invested heavily in human and machine-based moderation to remove harmful content quickly and often before it reaches our general community.

The Emergency Response Team (ERT) provides urgent, time-critical support for serious safety-related incidents globally. The team operates an emergency escalation function responsible for responding to credible and imminent threats of harm, including child safety emergencies, suicide and self-harm risks, terrorism, violent extremism, youth endangerment risks and other life-threatening situations.

It is possible that this role will be exposed to harmful content as part of the core role/as part of project/ in response to escalation requests/by chance. Some content viewed may violate our community guidelines, which include but are not limited to bullying; hate speech; child safety; depictions of harm to self and others; and harm to animals.

• Demonstrate operational excellence in evaluating risk, threats, and user privacy, particularly in time-critical emergency escalations.
• Review and assess high volumes of inbound emergency escalations from law enforcement, government agencies, and internal teams.
• Make fast-paced, independent decisions based on analysis of various complex factors, including imminence of danger, sensitivities, and graphic content, while adhering to applicable laws, terms of service, and internal policies.
• Coordinate and collaborate with internal and external partners, including global law enforcement, to ensure user safety.
• Operate in an environment with highly sensitive content, including child sexual exploitation, graphic violence, self-injury and suicide, and other potentially disturbing material.
• Create and articulate written and verbal responses to inquiries from law enforcement, government agencies, and internal teams regarding emergency response policy and processes.
• Master various back-end data systems to ensure effective handling of safety issues and continuously improve the quality of response mechanisms.
• Summarize and compile analytical, retrospective, or data-driven investigation reports.
• Lead projects aimed at enhancing back-end systems, processes, and response quality.
• Collaborate with cross-functional global teams to address emerging risks and align on response strategies.
• This role requires you to work full weekend coverage and public holidays due to the necessity of coverage outside during normal office hours.
• This role is office based and the successful applicant will be required to be in the office 5 days per week.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification(s):

• Bachelor's degree and a 2+ years of relevant experience in investigative or analytical roles, preferably in internet content safety, risk management, trust & safety, or emergency response operations.
• Experience working with social media, analytical tools, and online research to assess risk and threats effectively.
• Proven ability to assess threats, make high- stakes decisions independently, and operate under complex and dynamic environments.
• Strong ability to tailor communication to different stakeholders, including law enforcement and cross-functional teams.
• Aptitude for quantitative analysis, with a detail-oriented and self-starting approach.
• Ability to work with graphic content, including but not limited to images, videos, audio, and text related to CSAM, graphic violence, self-injury, which may be considered offensive or disturbing.

Preferred Qualification(s):

• Experience in crisis management, government agencies, or law enforcement.
• SQL and data analytics skills to enhance investigative and reporting capabilities.
• Experience leading projects aimed at improving operational processes and emergency response mechanisms.

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 $76000 - $136800 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:

• Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
• 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; and
• Exercising sound judgment.