Trust & Safety Researcher - Usds

Responsibilities
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul and Tokyo.
Why Join Us
At TikTok, our people are humble, intelligent, compassionate and creative. We create to inspire - for you, for us, and for more than 1 billion users on our platform. We lead with curiosity and aim for the highest, never shying away from taking calculated risks and embracing ambiguity as it comes. Here, the opportunities are limitless for those who dare to pursue bold ideas that exist just beyond the boundary of possibility. Join us and make impact happen with a career at TikTok.
About USDS
At TikTok, we're committed to a process of continuous innovation and improvement in our user experience and safety controls. We're proud to be able to serve a global community of more than a billion people who use TikTok to creatively express themselves and be entertained, and we're dedicated to giving them a platform that builds opportunity and fosters connection. We also take our responsibility to safeguard our community seriously, both in how we address potentially harmful content and how we protect against unauthorized access to user data.
U.S. Data Security (“USDS”) is a standalone department 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 user data in the U.S., 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 Trust & Safety, Security & Privacy, Engineering, User & Product Ops, Corporate Functions and more.
We are seeking an experienced quantitative researcher who has advanced statistical modeling ability, experience with gathering big data insights, and subject matter expertise in multiple areas, including: Violent Extremism (Radicalization, Recruitment, and Mobilization), Hate Speech, Mental Health, Mis/Disinformation, Minor Safety, Bullying and Harassment, Election Integrity, and/or Transnational Criminal Organizations.
Using advanced computational methods, data science, statistical modeling, subject-matter expertise, and scientifically rigorous analytical methodologies, a T&S researcher will have the opportunity to run research projects to test different user-safety hypotheses and answer research questions that help improve the capabilities of threat analysts, increase the accuracy of current detection models, improve current platform policies, and improve the accuracy/efficiency of threat mitigation processes.
What will I be doing?

• Have an understanding of when to use these various methodologies based on the scope, size, and nuances of the problem.
• Leverage data mining, model development, and statistical expertise to efficiently and accurately complete projects and products.
• Sit on a team of experts as a research consultant that not only respond to known bad actors, but proactively search and identify potential threats in order to build scalable protections to keep them out.
• Lead large-scale and high-impact research projects aimed at company-wide product/process evaluation and optimization.
• Use both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis to best answer high-priority research questions around threats.
• Work cross-functionally with product managers, program managers, security, operations, policy, public relations, government relations, and communication teams to answer research questions around current threat response processes such as detection and mitigation.
• Actively use data-driven research results to strengthen threat detection and investigation SOPs.
• Collaborate with data teams across the company to form best practices regarding data modeling.
• Use both internal and external data to find the best and most comprehensive answer to research questions. This may include using already developed external data pipelines or developing new collection methods according to research needs.
• Use current understanding of industry practices and processes to develop high-impact research questions and hypotheses.
• Conduct high-impact data-driven research projects that answer pressing questions related to threat detection, analysis, and mitigation across multiple high priority issue areas.
• Create and run experiments aimed at testing current product/process assumptions and identify key gaps that must be addressed in the near and distant future.

Qualifications
What should I bring with me?

• Expertise in big data analysis, experimental design, survey-design, content analysis, and/or statistical analysis (multivariate analysis of variance, correlation/regression, etc.).
• An understanding of online deceptive and manipulative behavior. Knowledge of the signals of specific threat actors, their cross-platform tactics, and how they evolve or change over time.
• SQL, Python, R or similar scripting languages.
• Experience with data modeling and statistical analysis techniques, including: hypothesis testing, model evaluation, and common regression/classification algorithms.
• Understanding of current industry data analytical capabilities and shortcomings.
• Doctorate or Master's degree in Psychology, Communication Studies, Information Sciences, Sociology, International Relations, Criminal Justice, Public Policy, Political Science, or other relevant field.
• Minimum 2+ years work experience in quantitative analysis with relevant degree/experience.
• Knowledge of social media processes and products, as well as current gaps that can be exploited by threat actors.

Preferred skills/qualifications:

• Critical thinking skills to be able to apply theories or analytical techniques when developing high-impact research projects that would benefit internal teams.
• Published research regarding social media use by violent extremists, malign actors, child exploitation actors, or other criminal actors.
• Excellent writing skills.

Abilities

• Ability to lead research projects from conception to implementation.
• Ability to rapidly shift priorities based on evolving challenges to the platform.
• Ability to communicate complex concepts to broader stakeholders without shared subject expertise.
• Identify investigative, product, and process research needs of teams without extensive feedback.

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 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 [email protected].
Job Information
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $136800 - $296822 annually.
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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.
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At ByteDance/TikTok our benefits are designed to convey company culture and values, to create an efficient and inspiring work environment, and to support ByteDancers to give their best in both work and life. We offer the following benefits to eligible employees:
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We cover 100% premium coverage for employee medical insurance, approximately 75% premium coverage for dependents and offer a Health Savings Account(HSA) with a company match. As well as Dental, Vision, Short/Long term Disability, Basic Life, Voluntary Life and AD&D insurance plans. In addition to Flexible Spending Account(FSA) Options like Health Care, Limited Purpose and Dependent Care.
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Our time off and leave plans are: 10 paid holidays per year plus 17 days of Paid Personal Time Off(PPTO) (prorated upon hire and increased by tenure) and 10 paid sick days per year as well as 12 weeks of paid Parental leave and 8 weeks of paid Supplemental Disability.
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We also provide generous benefits like mental and emotional health benefits through our EAP and Lyra. A 401K company match, gym and cellphone service reimbursements. The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.