At Instawork, we’re driven by our vision to create economic opportunity for local businesses and skilled hourly professionals  in communities around the world. With a growing number of hub cities across the world in the U.S., Canada, India, and beyond, we’re looking for top talent to help rapidly scale our high-tech and high-touch labor marketplace. Our accomplished and dedicated team is passionate about our mission and committed to crafting revolutionary products, all with the backing of our world-class investors, including Benchmark, Spark Capital, Craft Ventures, Greylock Capital, Y Combinator, and more!

As the Trust & Safety Manager - Escalations, you will lead a team of Trust & Safety Specialists dedicated to ensuring the safety and integrity of Instawork's platform. You will oversee high-risk investigations, manage critical escalations, and develop strategies to mitigate platform abuse. Your leadership will drive operational excellence, support cross-functional collaboration, and ensure alignment with company policies and regulatory standards. This role requires a proactive leader with strong judgment, operational expertise, and a passion for creating a safe and trustworthy environment for our community.

This role requires weekend/holiday on-call and non-standard business hours coverage. This is a hybrid role based in our San Francisco office.

What You'll Do:

  • Lead and mentor the Trust & Safety Escalations team, providing guidance on complex investigations and high-severity incidents.
  • Oversee investigation and response to escalations, ensuring thorough, evidence-based investigations and timely resolutions.
  • Develop and implement strategies to enhance operational workflows and enforcement of Community Guidelines and terms of service.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Legal, Product, Engineering, Account Management) to manage safety risks and improve platform policies.
  • Act as a point of contact for executive leadership on critical safety issues and escalations.
  • Analyze data trends to identify emerging risks and develop proactive mitigation strategies.
  • Build and maintain relationships with external stakeholders, including law enforcement and industry partners.
  • Drive continuous improvement by identifying training needs and operational gaps within the team.
  • Ensure 24/7 operational coverage, including weekend and holiday on-call rotations.

Who You Are:

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
  • 4+ years of experience in Trust & Safety, risk management, human resources, compliance or related fields, preferably in a two-sided marketplace.
  • 2+ years of people management experience, with a proven track record of leading high-performing teams.
  • Experience working with Legal teams. 
  • Strong executive presence and experience briefing senior leadership and C-level stakeholders.
  • Demonstrated expertise in managing high-severity escalations and sensitive investigations.
  • Proven ability to develop and implement scalable operational processes.
  • Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with experience engaging external partners such as law enforcement agencies.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; experience leveraging data to inform decisions.
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities.
  • Flexibility to work non-traditional hours, including weekends and holidays.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experienced with legal writing, communication with government agencies, and investigations.
  • Strong focus on  
  • Strong operational experience. 
  • Proficiency in SQL and data analysis tools (Excel, Mode).
  • Experience drafting and publishing policies, help center articles, or user safety documentation.
  • Familiarity with regulatory compliance standards related to safety, privacy, and fraud prevention.

For CA based applicants:

  • The base salary range for this position is $105,000 - $115,000. This position is eligible for equity in the form of stock options
  • This position is eligible for Instawork benefits, including:
    • A variety of medical, dental, and vision plans with coverage beginning on the date of hire
    • Flexible paid time off
    • At least 8 paid company holidays annually
    • Home office stipend
    • Phone stipend
    • Commuter stipend
    • Supplemental pay on qualified leaves
    • Employee health savings accounts (HSA) contribution
    • Flexible spending plans
    • 401K plan
    • Perkspot - discount program through Lumity

A variety of factors are considered when determining someone’s compensation including a candidate’s professional background, experience, and location.  Final offer amounts may vary from the amounts listed above.

#LI-JH1

#LI-Hybrid 

About Instawork

Founded in 2015, Instawork is the leading flexible work app for local, hourly professionals. Its digital marketplace connects thousands of businesses and more than five million workers, filling a critical role in local economies. Instawork has been featured on CBS News, the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Associated Press, and more. In 2022, Instawork was ranked among the country’s top 10% of fastest-growing companies by Inc. 5000 and was included in the Forbes Next Billion Dollar Startup list. Instawork was also named the 2022 ACE Award recipient for “Best Innovation” and one of the “Best Business Apps” by Business Insider. Instawork helps businesses in the food & beverage, hospitality, and warehouse/logistics industries fill temporary and permanent job opportunities in more than 25 markets across the U.S. and Canada. 

For more information visit www.instawork.com

We value diversity on our team and firmly believe Instawork is stronger when we hire people who make their own unique contributions to our culture. We welcome all applicants and encourage candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. 

To learn more about our company values, please visit: https://info.instawork.com/about

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