Safety Response Operations Lead

About the Role

The Safety Response Operations team operates at the intersection of operations, compliance, user trust, and safety, working closely with various departments such as Legal, Policy, Engineering, Product, and external partners. The goal is to ensure that Openai's platforms remain safe, compliant, and trusted by a diverse, global user base. This is achieved through 24/7 coverage for user safety, risk, and regulatory escalations, handling the highest-priority cases that require human judgment and rapid response.

Given the global nature of Openai's operations, the Safety Response Operations Lead must be adaptable and able to work in a fast-paced environment, including nights, weekends, and holidays, as part of a leadership on-call model. The ability to make sound decisions in ambiguous, high-risk environments and to communicate complex safety and risk decisions clearly and credibly is essential.

What You Will Do

• Lead and coach a regional team of Safety Response Analysts to ensure high performance, engagement, and consistent decision quality.
• Own regional operational outcomes, including utilization, SLA adherence, backlog health, and quality benchmarks.
• Handle and oversee the most complex and high-risk cases, serving as the first line of escalation and incident lead for your region.
• Contribute directly to frontline work, including investigations, enforcement decisions, and regulatory or legal escalations.
• Partner cross-functionally with Product, Policy, Legal, Investigations, and local market teams to execute safety outcomes and manage risk.
• Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement, improving workflows, tools, automation, and escalation paths.
• Identify emerging risks and trends, translating frontline insights into actionable recommendations for policy, product, or enforcement.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including Product, Policy, Legal, and regional partners.
• Stay updated on the latest developments in content moderation, user safety, and risk operations, applying this knowledge to improve processes and outcomes.

What We Are Looking For

• 5+ years of experience in Trust & Safety, Risk Operations, Investigations, Fraud, Annotation, or platform integrity.
• 4+ years of people leadership or senior-level operational ownership.
• Strong decision-making skills in ambiguous, high-risk environments.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly and credibly articulate complex safety and risk decisions.
• Ability to translate between frontline operations and strategic stakeholders, turning real-world cases into structured insights.
• Skill in influencing without authority, building trust with partners to drive alignment and resolve ambiguity.
• Deep familiarity with content moderation, user safety, fraud, or developer risk frameworks.
• Experience with Excel and other productivity tools.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Nice to Have

• Experience with automation tools and workflows.
• Knowledge of legal and regulatory frameworks relevant to trust and safety.
• Familiarity with AI and machine learning principles.
• Certification in a related field, such as trust and safety or risk management.

Benefits and Perks

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Opportunity to work with a global, innovative company.
• Flexible working hours, including remote work options.
• Professional development and growth opportunities.
• Access to the latest tools and technologies in trust and safety and risk operations.
• Collaborative and dynamic work environment.
• Recognition and rewards for outstanding performance.

• Develop a strong understanding of trust and safety principles, risk operations, and content moderation to stand out in your application.
• Highlight your ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and to make sound decisions in ambiguous, high-risk situations.
• Showcase your leadership and communication skills, with examples of how you have effectively managed teams and communicated complex decisions.
• Be prepared to discuss your experience with automation tools and workflows, and how you have used these to improve operational efficiency.
• Research Openai's products and services, and be prepared to discuss how your skills and experience align with the company's goals and values.
• Consider creating a portfolio that demonstrates your experience and skills in trust and safety, risk operations, and content moderation.
• Be prepared to negotiate your salary and benefits package, and to discuss your expectations for professional development and growth opportunities.