Senior Corporate Counsel

TikTok USDS Joint Venture; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 213,000 - 419,000; Full time

Job summary

TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is seeking a senior corporate counsel to join its Legal and Compliance team in the United States. The role focuses on corporate law, governance, and board matters, with responsibilities spanning board materials, subsidiary management, and policy development.

The ideal candidate has extensive in-house experience and a proven ability to work across time zones with cross‑functional teams.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate from an ABA‑accredited law school and licensed to practice law in the U.S.
• 12+ years of proven combined corporate legal and governance in‑house experience with a multi‑national company and/or top‑tier law firm.
• Expert‑level analytical skills and exceptional judgment in addressing complex issues and regulatory impacts.

Responsibilities

• Advise General Counsel and executive leadership on corporate governance best practices and fiduciary duties.
• Lead preparation and management of board/committee agendas, resolutions, and governance materials.
• Oversee general corporate law matters including JV structure, subsidiary creation, and key transactions.
• Partner with TikTok, finance, internal audit, and business verticals to implement governance and risk controls.
• Counsel leadership and coordinate with regulatory/government relations on regulatory changes.
• Improve and maintain core corporate policies, governance frameworks, and ethics guidelines.
• Conduct internal training on compliance and governance for stakeholders.
• Support and strengthen a culture of integrity and compliance across the organization.

Skills

Corporate law

Board governance

Ethics frameworks

Leadership

Communication skills

Cross-functional

Conflict resolution

Education

Juris Doctorate (J.D.)

ABA-accredited law school

Job description

Responsibilities

Our Legal and Compliance team provides key support for all TikTok USDS Joint Venture's innovative initiatives, state-of-the-art products, and integrated platforms. We help our technological and business teams enable their vision by providing integrated legal and compliance guidance and support.

We are looking for a senior corporate counsel to join our Legal and Compliance team.

We are seeking an experienced attorney with deep expertise in corporate law, corporate governance, and board matters, and a willingness to support the broader corporate compliance and ethics program as needed.

The ideal candidate is willing to work in a fast-paced environment with cross-functional teams in different time zones, and enjoys the challenges and opportunities of working on novel issues.

• Advise General Counsel, executive leadership and, from time to time, Directors of the Joint Venture and its subsidiaries on corporate governance best practices, board committee functions, fiduciary duties, and corporate administrative matters.
• Lead the preparation, drafting, and management of board and committee agendas, resolutions, meeting minutes, and governance materials.
• Oversee general corporate law matters, including joint venture structure management, subsidiary creation and maintenance, and key strategic corporate transactions.
• Partner closely with TikTok, finance, internal audit, and various business verticals to operationalize governance initiatives, corporate policies, and risk management framework controls.
• Counsel executive leadership and work closely with regulatory and government relations teams on impending regulatory changes impacting corporate governance and oversight structures.
• Improve and maintain core corporate policies, governance frameworks, and ethics guidelines.
• Conduct internal compliance, legal, and governance training and education programs from time to time with key internal stakeholders.
• Support and influence a culture of integrity and compliance throughout the organization, partnering closely with the legal compliance team to support the corporate compliance and ethics program as needed.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctorate from an ABA‑accredited law school and qualified to practice law in the U.S.
• At least 12 years of proven combined corporate legal and governance in‑house experience with a multi‑national company and/or top‑tier law firm, possessing advanced knowledge and recognized expertise in corporate law, board governance, entity management, and ethics frameworks. Acts as a trusted advisor on complex corporate legal issues.
• Demonstrates expert‑level analytical skills and exceptional judgment in addressing complex and nuanced issues and is able to articulate how legal decisions relevant to the company and the industry are impacted by the regulatory environment and trends, thus making appropriate recommendations to the business.
• Possess the highest standard of ethics and a positive attitude in learning and willing to pick up new knowledge and skills.
• Strong oral and written communication skills; understands client needs, requirements, and key concerns; adapts communication style and approach to maximize impact across a range of audiences.
• Handles conflicts empathetically, addressing issues openly and constructively.
• Ability to demonstrate leadership and management skills in setting strategic goals, but also have a "roll up their sleeves" mentality in executing the work together with the team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience supporting board‑level committees, joint venture governance structures, or working with corporate compliance and ethics programs in high‑growth or tech sectors.
• Ability to work in a fast‑paced environment while demonstrating flexibility, commitment to teamwork, and a willingness to change assignments to meet clients' needs.
• Ability to manage heavy workload volume and meet critical deadlines with little supervision. Anticipates clients' needs and delivers with timeliness, accurately sensing the urgency and sensitivity to the situation.
• Proactively makes recommendations for necessary process improvements.
• Demonstrates ability to redirect issues to appropriate resources.
• Demonstrates creativity in finding solutions and uses good judgment in doing so.
• Demonstrates ability to influence and enlist support.

About USDS

TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is dedicated to the safety and security of millions of Americans who create, discover, and connect with what they love on the apps we operate. The Joint Venture has been established in compliance with the Executive Order signed by President Trump on September 25, 2025. Our foundation is a comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity program we operate under defined safeguards to protect national security and secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm. We safeguard the U.S. content ecosystem, holding decision‑making authority for trust and safety policies and moderation. USDS Joint Venture helps ensure Americans can continue to express their creativity, discover new hobbies and interests, and build thriving communities and businesses on a global scale.

On-site presence across teams allows the company to operate with greater speed, alignment, and agility - especially in areas like real-time decision-making, team development, and integrated execution. As such, the company is shifting from a hybrid work model to a fully in‑person schedule up to 5 days a week.

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.

USDS Reasonable Accommodation

USDS 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/USDS-RA

Job Information

【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Annually) The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $213000 - $419200 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:

1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems;
3. Exercising sound judgment.