Information Governance Program Manager - USDS

Responsibilities
Team Intro The USDS Privacy and Integrated Security team is responsible for overseeing and governing all activities of privacy impacts to TikTok USDS' operations. We address complex and cutting-edge challenges, aiming to build the world's most trusted social media platform. We partner with TikTok global legal, R&D, Privacy and Data Protection Office, and security organizations in advancing our privacy practices. We oversee, govern and support the integration and optimization of operational privacy capabilities including data inventory, data classification, data retention/deletion, and incident response, etc., to ensure scalable and compliant privacy and data protection practices. We are seeking a strategic and detail-oriented Information Governance Program Manager to join the TikTok US Privacy and Integrated Security team. This role will lead information governance across both USDS business operation systems and service platforms. This role will work closely with USDS operations teams, providing leadership on information governance across its lifecycle. Initially focused on business tools and collaboration platforms, this role will also evolve to help establish visibility and privacy policy enforcement across business lines, ensuring service / platform data usage and practice follows global policies and standards. Reporting Structure: Initially reporting to the Head of Privacy and Integrated Security. The reporting structure may evolve as the capability grows. 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 Corporate Data and Information Governance - Drive implementation of corporate data retention and deletion standards in USDS business systems, such as messaging, collaboration, and productivity tools. - Act as the main POC and lead for information governance considerations for business system rollouts and decommissions. Advise on and support litigation holds and defensible data disposition activities in collaboration with USDS and global legal, IT, and operational teams. - Ensure global policies are operationalized in USDS, incorporating data sovereignty requirements and exceptions as needed. - Document and track retention rules, system-level exceptions, and business-area dependencies. Program Management & Cross-Functional Engagement - Lead and support the development of the Information Governance capability across USDS. - Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive information governance policies, standards, and procedures in alignment with TikTok corporate policies and USDS business objectives. - Participate in global information governance initiatives, representing USDS privacy requirements and concerns. - Contribute USDS current and future state and requirements to global corporate data retention strategy and tooling development. - Work closely with peers to support developing privacy processes, visibility, and business enablement. - Support capability maturity improvements (e.g., periodic privacy reviews with operations teams). - Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the effectiveness and maturity of the governance program. Report regularly to leadership on program status, risks, and achievements. - Engage in special projects and additional responsibilities may be needed as the team expands and capabilities are enhanced. Platform Data Governance & Lifecycle Enablement - Over time, drive to establish visibility into how business lines access, use, and store platform data outside core systems, identifying use cases beyond automated tracking. Leverage this visibility to collaborate with global privacy and engineering teams, driving the maturation of automation and bringing previously untracked data under governance. - Lead and support efforts to define and implement policy specifications that operationalize global privacy and data usage policies, ensuring that all business data usage, including those outside of automated data lineage tracking, adheres to established principles such as purpose limitation and data minimization. - Support development of governance models for business-initiated data use (e.g., partner data sharing, offline storage, unstructured data).
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Information Management, Computer Science, Law, or a related field. - Strong understanding of privacy frameworks (e.g., GDPR, CCPA), privacy by design principles, and data protection capabilities. - 5+ years experience in information governance, data governance, data management, or related fields, with at least 3+ years in a program management or leadership role. Proven experience designing, implementing, and maturing enterprise-level Information and/or Data Governance programs, including the development and operationalization of data retention and disposition policies . - Deep understanding of data management principles (e.g., data quality, metadata management, data architecture, data security, master data management, and data retention/lifecycle management). - Experience with governance tools, technologies and mechanisms (e.g., data catalogs, configuring/managing records and retention capabilities within enterprise business applications). - Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with diverse stakeholders. Must be adaptable and able to navigate through ambiguity and vagueness within a large complex organization. Preferred Qualifications - Experience in the social media industry - Experience in a global R&D setting - Certifications such as CISSP, CDPSE, CIPT, CIPP, CIPM - Experience with Cloud Security Governance and Micro-services Architecture
Job Information
(For Pay Transparency)Compensation Description (Annually)
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $ - $ 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.
About USDS
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.
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.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect - and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
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.
USDS Reasonable Accommodation
USDS 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