Head of Optimization & Planning - USDS

Responsibilities

About Team
Our Trust & Safety Operations team performs a critical function that supports our efforts to address objectionable or disturbing content. Content that Trust & Safety Operations team 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 abuse; sexual assault; torture; bestiality; self-harm; suicide; and murder.

It is possible that this role will be exposed to harmful content on a daily basis.

As the Head of Optimization & Planning USDS team, you will be responsible for translating business demands into system solutions to be executed by operations teams, and enhancing cross-functional processes needed to execute safety strategies requiring operations work. This work will include but not be limited to strategy and execution of cross-departmental business and continuous improvement initiatives, governance, risk, and compliance efforts, workforce planning and management, capacity management, performance analysis and reporting for USDS Trust and Safety content moderation, monetization integrity, user support, and crisis and escalation management workflows. This role must have experience in leading cross-functional teams.

In order to enhance collaboration and cross-functional partnerships, among other things, at this time, our organization follows a hybrid work schedule that requires employees to work in the office 3 days a week, or as directed by their manager/department. We regularly review our hybrid work model, and the specific requirements may change at any time.

Responsibilities
- Oversee strategy and management of the Operations Systems Optimization team, including the following sub-teams: Trust & Safety risk and compliance programs, Workforce and Capacity Planning
- Program Management: initiatives focused on aligning business processes across the Operations department including operational excellence and performance management
- Guide planning for execution of safety strategies for the Trust & Safety Operations division to ensure team alignment
- Design, implement and optimize workflows to enhance operational capabilities and balance efficiency and accuracy while ensuring scalability
- Implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) to maintain consistency across relevant teams
- Define and track key performance metrics, ensuring moderator success through training, process improvements, and tool enhancements
- Provide actionable insights and reports to leadership on operational efficiency and emerging risks
- Utilize data-driven insights to adjust strategies, identify policy gaps, optimize enforcement, and improve overall workflow effectiveness
- Maintain transparency and alignment with cross-functional teams to support Trust & Safety goals
- Lead and mentor a team, fostering professional growth, skill development, and operational excellence
- Conduct regular check-ins with team leads and moderators to evaluate workflow effectiveness and wellbeing
- Manage change initiatives to ensure smooth transitions in evolving workflows

Qualifications

Minimun Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of leadership experience in Trust & Safety, Operations, or Content Moderation.
- Strong strategic thinking with analytical and creative problem-solving abilities.
- Proven ability to lead high-performing teams, fostering growth, development, and operational excellence.
- Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities efficiently.
- Understanding of social media challenges, safety, regulatory, and compliance issues.
- Flexible with global working hours, including weekends on-call.

Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in online investigations, escalations, content policy, project management, or related fields.
- Strong decision-making skills in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.
- Ability to oversee daily team operations, including work distribution, capacity planning, and escalations.
- Experience providing management updates on key deliverables.
- Willingness to take on additional duties as assigned.
- Your ability to work in a high tempo environment, adapt, respond to day-to-day challenges of the role.
- Your resilience and commitment to self-care to manage the emotional demands of the role.

Job Information

[For Pay Transparency] Compensation Description (annually)

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $139650 - $334400 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; and

3. Exercising sound judgment.