Deputy Head of Case Screening

About the Oversight Board

The Oversight Board makes binding and independent decisions about the most challenging content issues on Facebook and Instagram. Members of the Board include Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former Prime Minister of Denmark, Tawakkol Karman, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Michael McConnell, Director of Stanford’s Constitutional Law Center, and many other diverse leaders and thinkers from around the world. The Board issued its first decisions in January 2021.

The Oversight Board Administration is the team of full-time staff who support Board Members in carrying out their duties. The Administration has a presence in London, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., and operates with a global scope.

You can learn more about the Board at www.oversightboard.com.

The Role

Joining the Oversight Board Administration is a chance to be part of an organization which is leading on some of the most prominent and challenging issues facing the tech industry and society.

The Case Screening Team plays crucial role in the Oversight Board project, managing the process by which the Board’s Case Selection Committee chooses the most important and impactful cases for close review from among the hundreds of thousands of Facebook and Instagram user appeals received annually. The team also curates research to inform this Committee’s decisions and the Board’s efforts at large. Furthermore, the team’s officers work closely with Board Members in drafting Summary Decisions for publication. The Deputy Head of Case Screening supports the Head of Case Screening in overseeing this work and managing the top-notch, global team that conducts it.

The deputy will also collaborate with other organizational leaders to ensure the success of the broader Content Policy & Review Team through the full life cycle of case operations. They will contribute to the general strategy of the Oversight Board Administration as an innovative new mechanism for promoting transparency, accountability and respect for human rights in online platform policy.

The post holder will be relied on to use their expertise in the practicalities of platform policy, freedom of expression and international humanitarian law to rigorously prioritize the best advice for the Board. Writing excellent, succinct executive briefings is a frequent task. The deputy will also need to speak effectively on calls and in person to Board Members, leadership, and the public.

The post holder will be trusted to independently identify and solve problems. They will run key cross-functional projects and decision-making processes. Issues at the Board are typically complex, with varied opinions and desired outcomes. Therefore, the successful Deputy will be adept at formulating solutions which are both very practical and thoughtful in nuance. A flexible, iterative mindset is required to adapt to fast-moving requirements and occasionally tight deadlines.

Most importantly, while juggling these responsibilities, the post holder must keep in mind real-world impact on social media users around the world and exhibit the Oversight Board’s values in daily decision-making.

Responsibilities will include:

• Assists the Head of Case Screening in the team’s officers -- organizing delegation of work, ensuring wellbeing, and supporting career growth. Line management may be required.
• Independently leads key projects for the Case Screening Team and Content Policy and Review Team, to create positive results for the Administration Staff, Board Members, and social media users around the world
• Serves as a point of escalation for important decisions, standing in for the Head of Case Screening as necessary.
• Manage multiple internal Oversight Board processes to ensure efficiency and fairness.
• Directly assists Board Members with briefings, drafting of documents, and preparation for meetings or conferences.
• Participate in working groups on working policies, budget, and other management matters for the Oversight Board Administration.
• Oversee research and writing efforts for internal and public consumption.
• Speak publicly on the Board’s work, including with stakeholders around the world.

This role may be based in the Administration’s location of Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, or London.

Skills & Experience

• Advanced degree educated or equivalent experience. Preferably with some specialisation in international human rights, law, technology, journalism, or related fields.
• 7+  years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience as a manager, or senior contributor to management tasks such as hiring, onboarding, training, feedback, and quarterly planning.
• Strong written and oral communications skills in English are required. Knowledge of multiple languages is preferable.
• Mastery of the issues in content moderation “at scale”, ideally including experience working with a social media or similar platform.
• Deep understanding of international humanitarian law, regional human rights trends, and a range of global cultural dynamics.
• Excellence in briefing executives on complex and sensitive subjects: in writing, online calls, and in-person meetings.
• Demonstrated skills in managing multi-faceted, cross-functional projects including elements of law, policy, technology, communications, and operations.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to organizational strategy, connecting the big picture to day-to-day work.
• Experience building strong stakeholder relationships.
• Experience working in multiple countries and/or diverse multinational workplaces. Experience working in remote environments across time zones is a preferable.

What we can offer you

As well as a competitive annual salary of circa £116,000, we also offer a market leading benefits package, covering a variety of areas, both professional and personal. These benefits include:

• A generous 12% pension employer contribution with no requirement for you to contribute;
• Progressive family friendly benefits including a robust paid parental leave policy;
• An extensive health support package, including comprehensive healthcare and dental coverage for both you and your family members;
• Comprehensive life assurance, income protection and business travel insurance packages providing financial support in events of ill health, injury etc;
• A generous childcare subsidy to provide financial support for eligible childcare costs;
• A generous home working and commuting allowance to provide financial support for remote and/or office working;
• A training allowance to support both your continuous professional development and professional membership;
• 5 study leave days per calendar year to support professional development;
• 25 days of annual leave (in addition to bank holidays), with the opportunity to carry up to 5 unused days to the next year;
• 2 'recharge' paid vacation days per calendar year;
• 2 'personal' paid vacation days per calendar year
• Festive season time off (between Christmas and New Years)
• A holistic wellbeing support plan encompassing a variety of offerings to assist you. We provide you with an allowance to fund activities to best support your wellbeing as well as workshops and training to provide tools and guidance. Additionally, there is a wide-ranging employee assistance programme available to advise on personal, family or financial matters, and also fun social events all year round.

Oversight Board is committed to promoting equal opportunities in employment. You will receive equal treatment regardless of age, mental or physical disability, gender, gender expression or gender identity (including transgender status), gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions) or maternity, race, colour, creed, nationality, ancestry, citizenship status, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, and any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances.

We welcome all applications for this role. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. If you are submitting an application, please note that we will only be in touch if your application is shortlisted for interview. Please see our privacy notice here.

If you would like to keep updated with the work of the Oversight Board and future opportunities, please follow us on our LinkedIn page.