Senior Data Privacy Counsel

TikTok; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 174,000 - 296,000; Full time

Job summary

TikTok is seeking a senior privacy and data governance professional to help design, implement, and scale worldwide privacy frameworks. You will partner with privacy operations, engineering, security, product, and regional legal teams to translate evolving laws into practical program requirements and robust governance.

The role emphasizes strong legal judgment and execution in a fast-moving tech environment.

Qualifications

• J.D. or equivalent law degree and licensure to practice in at least one jurisdiction.
• 5+ years post-qualification experience, with 3+ in data privacy, governance or related areas.
• Strong grasp of GDPR, CCPA and major global privacy laws.

Responsibilities

• Support and lead components of global privacy and data governance programs with scalable legal and operational frameworks.
• Partner with privacy operations, engineering, security, product, and regional legal teams on processes and specs with privacy implications.
• Translate new laws and enforcement trends into practical program requirements and scalable plans.
• Advise on privacy-by-design and governance processes across the organization.
• Develop consistent legal guidance and global solutions across products, functions, and regions.
• Align with other legal teams on interpretations, risk management, and implementation approaches.
• Review engineering specs and governance proposals related to privacy, data handling, access, sharing, retention.
• Create and maintain policies, templates, playbooks, and training for global privacy compliance.

Skills

Communication

Stakeholder mgmt

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Legal judgment

Execution orientation

Education

J.D. or equivalent law degree

Job description

Responsibilities

About the Team: The Data Governance & Privacy Programs Legal team plays a central role in helping the company build and scale sustainable, legally compliant privacy and data governance frameworks across global markets. We partner closely with operational, engineering, product, and legal stakeholders across the organization to develop practical solutions that support innovation while protecting user and company data.

This team operates at the intersection of law, program design, and operational execution. We help translate evolving legal and regulatory requirements into scalable processes, standards, and governance structures that can be implemented across products, functions, and regions. As the company and regulatory landscape continue to evolve, we are looking for strong, thoughtful, and adaptable team members who can help drive global privacy program initiatives in a fast-moving environment.

• Support and help lead key components of the company’s global privacy and data governance program, including the design, implementation, and ongoing improvement of scalable legal and operational frameworks.
• Partner closely with privacy operations, engineering, security, product, and other cross-functional teams to review and advise on new and existing processes, operational models, and technical specifications with privacy and data governance implications.
• Analyze new laws, regulations, enforcement trends, and industry developments, and help translate them into practical program requirements, internal guidance, and scalable implementation plans.
• Advise on the development and rollout of privacy-by-design and governance-related processes across the organization.
• Identify recurring issues, common denominators, and thematic risks across products, functions, and regions, and develop consistent legal guidance, frameworks, and solutions that can be applied globally.
• Work closely with other legal teams to align on legal interpretations, implementation approaches, and risk management strategies across jurisdictions.
• Review and advise on engineering specifications, operational workflows, and governance proposals related to privacy, data handling, data access, sharing, retention, and related compliance issues.
• Help develop, maintain, and refine internal policies, standards, templates, playbooks, and training materials to support global privacy compliance and operational consistency.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• J.D. or equivalent law degree, and qualification to practice law in at least one jurisdiction.
• 5+ years of post-qualification experience, including at least 3 years of meaningful experience in data privacy, data protection, data governance, technology regulatory work, or a closely related area.
• Strong understanding of major global privacy and data protection laws and frameworks, including GDPR, CCPA, and other key international regimes.
• Experience working with cross-functional stakeholders, including operational, engineering, product, security, and regional legal teams.
• Ability to assess legal requirements and translate them into practical, scalable processes, controls, and operational guidance.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills, with sound legal judgment and a proactive, execution-oriented approach.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, manage ambiguity, and handle challenging issues with professionalism.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting or leading privacy program, governance, or operational implementation work at a major multinational company, or advising multinational clients on such matters.
• Experience designing or improving scalable legal and operational frameworks for privacy, data governance, or related compliance areas.
• Experience reviewing and advising on engineering specifications, operational workflows, or governance proposals involving privacy, data handling, access, sharing, or retention issues.
• Experience developing, maintaining, or refining internal policies, standards, templates, playbooks, and training materials.
• Experience working in a multinational, highly matrixed, or fast-moving technology company environment.
• Experience partnering across legal, operational, and technical teams to support global privacy compliance and implementation.

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 $174000 - $295800 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:

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.