Investigations Data Analyst, Deceptive Behaviors - USDS

Responsibilities

About TikTok U.S. Data Security
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. U.S. Data Security ("USDS") is a subsidiary 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 U.S. user data, 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 across Trust & Safety, Security & Privacy, Engineering, User & Product Ops, Corporate Functions and more.

Why Join Us
Creation is the core of TikTok's purpose. Our platform is built to help imaginations thrive. This is doubly true of the teams that make TikTok possible.
Together, we inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we all believe in and aim towards achieving every day.
To us, every challenge, no matter how difficult, is an opportunity; to learn, to innovate, and to grow as one team. Status quo? Never. Courage? Always.
At TikTok, we create together and grow together. That's how we drive impact - for ourselves, our company, and the communities we serve.
Join us.

Team Intro
We are seeking an experienced Data Analyst to join the Trust and Safety Team within USDS. You will be supporting the Deceptive Behaviors Investigations (DBI) sub-team within our Intelligence & Insights team. This team investigates leads of Influence Operations (IO) and other Deceptive Behaviors (DB) meant to mislead TikTok users and systems about the identity, origin, operating location, popularity, or overall purpose of the activity.
Authenticity is the foundation of our community at TikTok, and we strive to foster an environment where genuine interactions and content thrive. As such, the DBI team leads USDS efforts to identify, assess, and disrupt networks that seek to influence or deceive our users and systems. The team is looking for detail-oriented, motivated candidates with a passion for online safety and excellent critical thinking skills. Successful candidates will have the ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, small but growing environment, and work proactively with various teams across the globe.

Our Investigations Data Analyst performs a critical function that supports our efforts to address objectionable or disturbing content. Content that the Intelligence & Integrity 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.

This position will be full-time and may be based in our Washington, D.C. or New York locations.

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
- Analyze quantitative and qualitative data to generate analytic judgments and products for internal trust & safety, legal, and executive customers.
- Use all available internal and external data sources to produce actionable intelligence on high-harm threat actors, their networks, and threat organizations in the topic area of Influence Operations.
- Identify risk patterns and link abusive behavior through data analysis.
- Work cross-functionally with internal teams on investigations, escalations, and incident response.
- Identify process and policy gaps and develop actionable recommendations to resolve them.
- Handle sensitive information in a manner complying with our Terms of Service, applicable laws and regulations, and internal operating procedures while protecting user privacy.
- Collaborate with a team of global experts that respond to known threat actors and proactively build and tailor queries to discover and identify potential threats.
- Monitor ongoing current affairs and abusive trends to iterate proactive measures to keep users safe.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Criminal Justice, Political Science, Economics, Business, Journalism, International Relations, Foreign Affairs, Cybersecurity, other relevant field, or equivalent experience.
- 1-3 years of investigations experience in trust & safety, law enforcement, intelligence, security, or risk fields.
- Analytic and investigative experience assessing large datasets to extract high fidelity signals.
- Intermediate proficiency in SQL or other relational database languages.
- Experience working in crisis management and response.
- Experience protecting highly confidential information.
- A proven record of identifying signals of nefarious behavior or feature abuse and using creativity to mitigate complex threats.

Preferred Qualifications
- Investigations experience focused on Influence Operations.
- Experience working with international partners in different time zones.
- 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.
- Independently troubleshoot technical issues or bugs
- Rapidly shift priorities based on evolving challenges to the platform
- Identify anomalous behavior and determine ways for further exploring new research leads
- Communicate complex concepts to broader stakeholders without shared expertise
- 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.

Wellbeing Statement
Trust & Safety recognizes that keeping our platform safe for TikTok communities is no ordinary job. It can be rewarding, psychologically demanding, and emotionally taxing. 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 proceeding.

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.

D&I Statement
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.

Accommodation Statement
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://shorturl.at/ktJP6

Data Security Statement
This role requires the ability to work with and support systems designed to protect sensitive data and information. As such, this role will be subject to strict national security-related screening.