Content Policy Lead

Patreon is a media and community platform where creators give their biggest fans access to exclusive work and experiences. Over 300k creators are cultivating fandoms and building their businesses each month. Creators can offer free memberships to fans looking to explore more of their work, paid memberships to give access to exclusive media and community, or sell directly to fans with Shops.

Ultimately our goal is simple: fund the creative class. And we're leaders in that space, with:

• 8B+ earned since Patreon's inception

• 30M free new memberships in the first year of launching that option, and

• 10M fans paying each month for exclusive access to creators' work and community.

We're continuing to invest heavily in building the best creator products with the best team in the creator economy and are looking for a Content Policy Lead to support our mission

This role is a Remote friendly role or open to those who are able to be in-office 2 days per week on a hybrid work model in our San Francisco or New York office.                            

About the Role

As the Content Safety Policy Lead, you will define, implement, and refine policies that enable creators to thrive while safeguarding our platform from harmful, high-risk, or inappropriate content. This role combines policy expertise, operational understanding, and cross-functional collaboration to address the nuanced challenges of modern content moderation—including evolving regulatory landscapes, emerging technologies like AI, and the complexities of 18+ content.

What You’ll Do:

1. Policy Development & Strategy

• Lead the development of clear, enforceable, and adaptable content policies that address risks associated with user-generated content, including 18+ content, misinformation, copyright violations, and hate speech.

• Stay ahead of emerging trends, legal frameworks (e.g., COPPA, KOSA, GDPR), and industry best practices to proactively update policies.

• Balance user expression and platform safety by crafting policies that support artistic expression while meeting compliance and enforcement needs.

• Align with Patreon’s core value to Put Creators First, ensuring policies reflect their needs and the unique dynamics of the creator economy.

2. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Legal, Operations, Product, Engineering, and Design teams to ensure policies are operationally feasible, user-friendly, and enforceable at scale.

• Collaborate with Payment & Risk teams to align policies with the requirements of payment processors and regulatory bodies.

• Provide guidance to Trust & Safety operations teams, including training materials, escalation processes, and implementation of enforcement guidelines.

• Embody the core value to Win Together by fostering strong partnerships across teams and departments.

3. Risk Management & Escalation

• Own the policy perspective in escalations involving sensitive content, such as off-platform investigations or violations of high-risk categories.

• Work closely with the Intel and Investigations team to identify trends, adversarial behaviors, and policy gaps.

• Evaluate and refine appeal mechanisms, ensuring a fair and transparent process for creators impacted by enforcement actions.

4. Education & Communication

• Develop educational resources to help creators and users understand our content policies and how they’re applied.

• Represent Patreon externally, collaborating with industry groups, regulators, and partners to shape the future of trust and safety in the creator economy.

• Act as a thought leader internally, building awareness of content safety challenges and opportunities across the company.

• Uphold the value of Be Curious by seeking innovative solutions and continuously learning from industry peers.

5. Data-Driven Approach

• Use insights from enforcement metrics, user feedback, and external benchmarks to continuously improve policy effectiveness.

• Drive A/B testing and other experiments to measure the impact of policy updates on both safety outcomes and user experience.

• Reflect Patreon’s value to Build with Craft by leveraging data to create thoughtful, high-quality policies.

About You

• Experienced Policy Professional: 5+ years of experience in content policy, trust & safety, or legal roles at a tech or social media company.

• Strategic Thinker: Able to balance long-term vision with pragmatic solutions to address immediate challenges.

• Excellent Communicator: Skilled at articulating complex policy decisions to diverse audiences, from creators to executives to regulators.

• Cross-Functional Leader: Comfortable navigating the complexities of cross-team collaboration, especially in highly matrixed environments.

• Data-Informed: Proficient in leveraging metrics and insights to guide decision-making and policy refinement.

• Mission-Aligned: Passionate about supporting creators and fostering safe, inclusive online spaces.

• Adaptable: Thrives in fast-paced environments and can manage competing priorities effectively.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with content moderation tools, processes, and AI-driven solutions.

• Experience managing sensitive or high-profile escalations in a content moderation or risk management context.

• Knowledge of global regulatory frameworks, particularly those affecting user-generated content.

• Background in the creator economy or deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by creators online.

About Patreon

Patreon powers creators to do what they love and get paid by the people who love what they do. Our team is passionate about making this mission and our core values come to life every day in our work. Through this work, our Patronauts:

• Put Creators First | They’re the reason we’re here. When creators win, we win. 

• Build with Craft | We sign our name to every deliverable, just like the creators we serve.

• Make it Happen | We don’t quit. We learn and deliver. 

• Win Together | We grow as individuals. We win as a team.

We hire talented and passionate people from different backgrounds across the organization. If you’re excited about a role but your past experience doesn’t match with every bullet point outlined above, we strongly encourage you to apply anyway. If you’re a creator at heart, are energized by our mission, and share our company values, we’d love to hear from you.

Patreon is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We provide employment opportunities without regard to age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected class.

Patreon offers a competitive benefits package including and not limited to salary, equity plans, healthcare, unlimited paid time off, company holidays and recharge days, commuter benefits, lifestyle stipends, learning and development stipends, patronage, parental leave, and 401k plan with matching.

Compensation Range: $160.7K - $241.5K