Kickstarter is the go-to crowdfunding platform for creative projects across everything from film, games and music to art, design, and technology. Fueled by the support of our team, our mission to help bring creative projects to life has been a core tenet since our inception in 2009. 

To date, we have helped more than 249,000 creative projects reach their funding goal with pledges totalling more than $7.6 billion dollars. We continue to be committed to the growth and success of not only our community, but our team as well. Rooted in shared values, Kickstarter sees team members as whole people, giving every individual the autonomy and space to participate in decisions that impact them.

Kickstarter is seeking an experienced and strategic leader to join our team as Senior Director, Trust & Safety. 

This role will lead our Trust & Safety team and be responsible for promoting trust on the Kickstarter platform, driving our strategy and execution of our fraud, risk and user compliance functions. The ideal candidate is someone who can build on Kickstarter’s established and trusted practices to proactively develop innovative and impactful policies and rules to safeguard our platform and ensure a secure and trustworthy and quality experience for our community.

This role reports to our Chief Legal Officer and will work closely with other business leaders to ensure a best in class customer experience. 

The salary range for this role in the United States is $175,000 - $200,000.

In This Role, You Will: 

  • Lead and oversee a team of dedicated analysts and managers responsible for investigating, detecting and preventing fraud, reducing fulfillment failure, and guarding against user abuse and behavior. 
  • Develop and implement policies, practices, guidelines and rules governing the use of the platform and the projects we host.
  • Own the strategic vision and tactical day-to-day operations of the T&S team, including defining goals and performance metrics for team and function success.
  • Foster healthy collaborations and cross-functional partnerships with other teams whose objectives and work intersect with T&S, including Payments, Product, Legal, Customer Support, and Creator and Backer Success.
  • Work with your team to continuously monitor, analyze, and assess potential risks and trends, implementing appropriate mechanisms to mitigate risks when appropriate and find ways to enhance efficiency within the related processes
  • Establish and foster effective relationships with external partners, including our creators and backers, payment payment processors, law enforcement agencies, and industry associations.
  • Collaborate closely with stakeholders, including providing regular reports and updates to executive leadership and other teams and groups, such as the Creator Advisory Council, on fraud trends, patterns, prospective policies, and business impact.
  • Stay up-to-date and educate your team on industry trends, tools, and techniques related to fraud prevention and detection and matters impacting the integrity of Kickstarter, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and standards.
  • Take a proactive approach in understanding and problem solving T&S processes and practices that impact our business and the experience of our employees, creators and backers.
  • Support the T&S team in crafting messaging and approaches that promote the best possible experience for our creators and backers.
  • Build, develop and retain a high performing team through mentorship, feedback and career developing, and by being aware of and championing the health and welfare of analysts handling challenging subject matter and difficult behavior by users.
  • Model and insist on inclusively and the fostering of a safe environment for your team.
  • Engage in people management related tasks in support of Kickstarter's policies and processes. 

About You

  • You have 10+ years of experience in content moderation, trust & safety, risk, fraud, abuse or a similar field, preferably at a marketplace, e-commerce, or social media company.
    • Preference for expertise in risk factors related to product manufacturing, product fulfillment, and product (mis)representation.
  • You have strong leadership and people management skills, including managing other people managers. This includes experience in coaching, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams, as well as engaging with executive leadership on top level company initiatives.
  • You have experience building work streams and processes, including those that involve technical tools and solutions.
  • You have proven experience in leading a team responsible for investigating and preventing fraudulent activities.
  • You have familiarity with relevant regulations and industry standards related to fraud prevention and detection.
  • You have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
  • You have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with internal teams, external partners, and regulatory bodies.
  • You have a demonstrated ability to adapt to a fast-paced, high-growth environment, effectively managing multiple priorities and stakeholders.
  • You have exceptional attention to detail, organizational skills, and a commitment to quality.
  • You consistently demonstrate a willingness to dive deep to understand the internal workings of the team you will lead, and lend a hand when necessary.
  • You have comfortable viewing extreme subject matter, maintaining neutrality
  • You’re never satisfied with the status quo, always looking to continuously innovate and re-examine established processes.
  • You have experience with Stripe, Zendesk (JIRA a plus).
  • You have a passion for Kickstarter’s mission and community.

What You'll Enjoy

  • A fully remote workforce with plenty of opportunities to get to know your colleagues
  • 100% employer-paid health plan offerings
  • 16 paid vacation days, 10 sick days, and a company-wide winter break between Christmas and New Years
  • 25 volunteer hours each year to give back to your community
  • 16 weeks of parental leave plus fertility/family planning resources
  • Kickstarter currently operates with a 4-day workweek, a model that aligns our belief in a healthy work-life balance and gives staff the space to be more than their work
  • Incredibly talented and inspiring colleagues who know how to blend their creative endeavors into their work
You can read more about our benefits and working at Kickstarter at our Jobs page: https://jobs.kickstarter.com/

Our Fully Virtual Team

We’re currently able to support employees based in the following US locations: CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OR, VA, and WA. We're also able to support employees in the United Kingdom and Canada (Ontario & British Columbia). If you live in—or are willing to move to—any of these locations, we look forward to your application! If there is a required or preferred location for an open role, it will be listed in the job description.
 
Kickstarter is an equal opportunity employer. As part of our commitment to fight for equality, we work to ensure a fair and consistent interview process. We celebrate diversity and we are committed to an inclusive work environment.
 
Reminder to applicants: Authentic communications from Kickstarter will always originate from official Kickstarter email domains (@kickstarter.com). Exercise caution and verify the legitimacy of anyone who claims to be representing Kickstarter on other platforms.
 
Please reach out to Kickstarter’s Help Center to report potentially fraudulent contact here: https://help.kickstarter.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

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