Data Understanding Team Lead

Responsibilities
About Data Cycling Center (DCC)

AI is the new electricity and data is the energy for AI. Our core belief is that unstructured data contains the untapped wisdom of humanity — and by building the best AI-ready data infrastructure, we enable more meaningful, responsible, and creative uses of AI.

Data Cycling Center (DCC) is a Data Science team that is responsible for building the mid-platform data layer that powers AI development across all business lines of TikTok, including e-commerce, advertising, livestreaming, and emerging technologies. Our initiatives include:

• Scaled human-in-the-loop (HITL) data processing (including capability, methodology, E2E process, platform), delivering the most cost-effective results at benchmark quality levels that outperform leading tech peers.

• Built a highly automated end-to-end data pipeline for AI-generated content (AIGC) that supports strong model performance with minimal resource input.

• Develop a comprehensive content understanding and insight generation system, setting new benchmarks for marketing intelligence in the online ads ecosystem.

DCC aims to be the number 1 data service provider in the AI era. Our mission is to build the most effective (lossless and affordable) content understanding capabilities to fully satisfy AI needs of TikTok and to help the industry push the limit.

The Team Leader will oversee a team of Data Understanding Specialists (DUS), providing hands-on guidance and support in operational execution and project delivery. This role focuses on day-to-day team management, ensuring that projects are delivered efficiently while maintaining high-quality standards. The ideal candidate will have experience in both operations and cross-functional project management, helping to bridge teams, drive progress, and support the professional growth of their direct reports.

Labelling rules clarification and training

• Define clear and unambiguous labelling rules to ensure high quality labelling output

• Simplify labelling rules to reduce contextual knowledge for labelling while providing training to labellers if needed

• Ensure that labelling rules meet model training requirements

Quality improvement and assurance

• Monitor and review quality of labelled data

• Timely root-cause identification of quality issues for remediation

• Identify opportunities and areas of improvement to optimize delivery

Project management

• Deliver projects on time and on target flagging any key risks that arise

• Deep dive into issues that arise during project lifecycle with solutions that ensure delivery

• Manage stakeholders to drive transparency across the data delivery pipeline

Leadership Skills

• Managing a team: ability to identify strengths and weaknesses, provide constructive feedback & motivate and recognize effort

• Building & Directing: encourage cross team collaboration, provide clear direction and milestones, inspire actions towards challenging objectives

• Ownership & Accountability: accept and apply constructive feedback, eager to embrace uncertainty, promotes culture and core values consistently

Why join us?

• Shape the Future of AI

Work at the core of TikTok's AI development, where your data powers cutting-edge applications across e-commerce, ads, livestream, and more.

• Massive Scale, Real-World Impact

Process petabytes of unstructured data to influence real products used by over a billion users worldwide.

• Global Team, site Leadership

Join a diverse, high-performing team spread across Singapore, New York, San Jose, Shanghai, and more

• Build What Others Benchmark Against

Our innovations in HITL systems, AIGC pipelines, and content understanding set the industry standard - not just keep up with it.

• From Data to Strategy

We don't just process data — we turn it into actionable insight that shapes product and business strategy across all TikTok verticals.

• Dynamic, Fast-Paced, Fun

Experience the energy of a high-impact team that moves fast, breaks new ground, and never stops learning.

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications

• 5 years experience managing or leading teams within an operational or project management setting with data/business analytics education/experience

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for clear and effective communication with both requestors and labellers

• Some experience in project management with organizational skills to manage multiple tasks concurrently, preferably in a data environment

• Demonstrates learning agility with strong problem solving skills

• Fluency in English (written and verbal)

Preferred Qualifications

• Preferably managed a team of 3-5 data specialists previously

• Proficiency in data interpretation and analysis; Interest in AI and Machine Learning concepts, particularly in the field of data annotation

• Strong technical skills in Excel, SQL and scripting languages (Python, R) are a plus

• Self-starter who is driven to deliver impactful outcomes

About TikTok
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.​

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.​

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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.​

Trust & Safety
TikTok recognises that keeping our platform safe for the TikTok communities is no ordinary job which can be both rewarding and psychologically demanding and emotionally taxing for some. This is why we are sharing the potential hazards, risks and implications in this unique line of work from the start, so our candidates are well informed before joining.​

We are committed to the wellbeing of all our employees and promise to provide comprehensive and evidence-based programs, to promote and support physical and mental wellbeing throughout each employee's journey with us. We believe that wellbeing is a relationship and that everyone has a part to play, so we work in collaboration and consultation with our employees and across our functions in order to ensure a truly person-centred, innovative and integrated approach.​