Applied Research Scientist - Trust and Safety

Applied Research Scientist - Trust and Safety

Overview:
The Applied Research Scientist will drive rigorous research to deepen understanding of Trust & Safety challenges and inform policy, product, and operational decisions. The role combines quantitative analysis, qualitative research, and domain expertise to uncover risks, evaluate interventions, and translate insights into actionable strategies. The researcher will partner with Data Science, Policy, Product, Operations, and Engineering to address evolving safety challenges at scale.

• Conduct mixed-methods research on complex safety problems, from problem framing and hypothesis development to analysis, validation, and recommendations.
• Apply quantitative methods including statistical analysis, experimentation, causal inference, and modeling to identify trends, measure impact, and evaluate interventions.
• Apply qualitative methods including user research, case analysis, stakeholder interviews, and ecosystem research to understand behaviors, motivations, and emerging risks.
• Develop research frameworks to measure safety outcomes, policy effectiveness, enforcement quality, and user impact.
• Translate research into policy and safety insights, analyzing large-scale behavioral data to uncover risk patterns and opportunities for intervention.
• Investigate drivers behind quantitative signals using qualitative evidence and domain understanding.
• Partner with Policy teams to evaluate policies, identify gaps, and provide evidence-based recommendations for policy evolution.
• Assess effectiveness and unintended consequences of safety interventions, balancing enforcement, user experience, and ecosystem health.
• Translate complex findings into clear narratives and recommendations for stakeholders.
• Drive research excellence and cross-functional impact by partnering with Product, Engineering, Operations, and Policy teams to influence safety strategy and decision-making.
• Build reusable research methodologies and measurement frameworks across Trust & Safety Data Science.
• Challenge assumptions and bring rigorous evidence into high-impact safety decisions.
• Contribute to raising research standards and capabilities across the organization.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in applied research, quantitative research, data science, behavioral science, social science, or related fields.
• Strong quantitative foundation in statistics, experimentation, causal inference, and analytical modeling.
• Experience applying qualitative research methods to understand human behavior, operational processes, or complex systems.
• Ability to combine multiple evidence sources to develop holistic understanding and actionable recommendations.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in Trust & Safety, online platforms, fraud, abuse prevention, security, risk, or compliance domains.
• Experience partnering with policy teams or evaluating policy/intervention effectiveness.
• Experience researching adversarial behavior, online communities, or evolving ecosystem risks.
• Experience building measurement frameworks or research programs that influence product and policy decisions.

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $219,000 - $408,000 annually.

Compensation may vary outside this range depending on a number of factors, including 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 location. Employees have day-one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) savings plan with company match; paid parental leave; disability coverage; life insurance; wellbeing benefits; and other programs. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year, and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated on hire with tenure).

The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.