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
Intellectual Property Operations is a critical component of Risk and Response Operations within the USDS Trust and Safety organization. The team is focused on managing and resolving IP-related matters, including DMCA and trademark takedown requests, while ensuring compliance with U.S. and global regulations. The team works cross-functionally with Legal, Trust & Safety (T&S), Product, Policy, and global teams to address complex challenges, mitigate risks, and maintain strong relationships with rights holders and regulatory bodies. Dedicated to operational excellence, the team plays a critical role in protecting intellectual property rights, driving process efficiency, and fostering innovation through scalable solutions and effective stakeholder collaboration.

The Head of IP Operations will lead a specialized team responsible for analyzing, addressing, and operationalizing time-sensitive IP requests related to trademarks and copyrights. You will combine strong business acumen with a solid understanding of IP law, enabling them to bridge the gap between legal strategy and operational execution.

Our IP team performs a critical function that supports our efforts to address objectionable or disturbing content. Content that our IP 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.

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.

Key Responsibilities:
- Directly manage and mentor the USDS IP team and foster a high-performing and collaborative environment.
- Drive operational excellence by setting clear goals, KPIs, and accountability structures.
- Develop and scale workflows to ensure the team meets efficiency and accuracy targets.
- Manage and resolve US requests relating to trademark, copyright, counterfeit goods, and impersonation. Ensure that procedures comply with local law and TikTok's policies.
- Oversee the review and resolution of DMCA and trademark removal requests and inquiries
- Participate in high-profile escalations relating to high priority requests and media events.
- Work with Global IP team members and leaders to coordinate policies and processes.
- Ensure compliance with U.S. Data Security principles and advance interoperability with global IP operations.
- Advance intellectual property operations through quality, documentation, training, and analytics.
- Drive innovation in IP rights compliance by identifying operational or policy gaps, proposing solutions, and operationalizing IP practices.
- Act as a contact for rights holders, assisting the business in liaising with regulatory bodies and resolving escalations.
- Partner with internal teams, including Legal, TikTok Shop, T&S, Product, and Policy, to manage IP-related issues and ensure alignment with organizational goals.
- Handle high-risk escalations, including complaints reaching executive levels or matters involving rights holders.
- Contribute to transparency reporting by collaborating with regulatory bodies and internal teams.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications
- Minimum bachelor's degree or equivalent experience. Extensive experience with people management and in Legal Operations, Intellectual Property, Trust & Safety, or in an equivalent field.
- Foundational knowledge of intellectual property law (i.e. DMCA and Lanham Act) with experience applying legal principles to operational processes.
- Proven ability to collaborate with legal teams or work in legal-adjacent roles, with a particular emphasis on intellectual property matters.
- Strong operational skills with an ability to adapt quickly to new IP regulations and challenges.
- Proven track record of building scalable workflows, managing KPIs, and improving operational efficiency.
- Experience in growing and scaling teams. Experience in managing and influencing diverse, global teams and stakeholders.
- Resilience and adaptability to pivot swiftly and effectively in response to emerging business and legal challenges.
Preferred qualifications
- Legal degree or demonstrated experience in IP-related fields is preferred
- People management experience in an environment processing Trademark, Copyright or Impersonation complaints.
- Strong communication skills, with an emphasis on clarity and adaptability to lay audiences.
- Ability to thrive in ambiguous environments, navigating challenges where no precedent exists, balancing competing priorities, and reassessing strategies in real time.
- Demonstrated collaborative and solution-oriented mindset.
- Strong business acumen with the ability to navigate ambiguity and drive clarity in a fast-paced environment.
- 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.

Job Information

[For Pay Transparency] Compensation Description (annually)

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $117333 - $217022 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.