Policy Specialist [FTC]

This 11 month contract role will join the Appeals Centre Europe's Policy Specialist Team. This team provides secondary escalated review for complex cases and supports consistent decision-making across the Appeals Centre. The team interprets platform policies, provides guidance on complex or ambiguous policy questions, and drives alignment in how platform policies are best interpreted and applied. Policy Specialists also provide training, guidance and ongoing support to the Case Review team, helping reviewers apply platform policies accurately and consistently. 

About the Appeals Centre Europe

The Appeals Centre Europe, a leading out-of-court dispute settlement body that empowers people and organisations that use social media platforms, is expanding. The Appeal Centre’s mission is to independently and impartially resolve disputes raised by people and communities in the EU about the application of content standards by online social media platforms in a scalable, swift, efficient and cost-effective manner. This role with the Appeals Centre offers successful candidates the opportunity to gain experience in this new and evolving regulatory landscape and the opportunity to work with a diverse and dynamic team.  

Location: 

Dublin. In office attendance is required 3x a week. (In office required for 5 days per week for the first 8 weeks of onboarding.) 

Role Description:

The successful candidate will be expected to bring themselves up to speed on the fast-moving fields of content governance, trust and safety, and digital regulation. As a specialist, key responsibilities include:

• Policy Interpretation & Application:
  • Interpret existing platform policies and enforcement standards to support and guide consistent and accurate decision-making.
• Complex Case & Policy Escalations:
  • Review escalated, borderline and complex cases that require additional Policy consideration. 
  • Assess relevant policy provisions and contextual factors, conduct additional analysis where required, and provide clear rationale and guidance to support final decision-making.
• Research: Conduct targeted research where policy requires contextual evidence to support its application and case resolution, including analysis of relevant socio-political, cultural, linguistic, and current-event context. 
• Policy Guidance Resources: Develop and maintain resources that map platform policies into clear, usable guidance for Case Review, including policy hierarchies, escalation criteria, and other operational resources.
• Case Review Enablement & Training: 
  • Support the onboarding, ramp-up and ongoing development of Case Reviewers through Policy training, refreshers, practical guidance and coaching. Use recurring questions, escalation patterns and quality insights to identify areas where additional Policy training is required.
  • Partner with Quality and Case Review to identify recurring decision-making trends, interpretation issues and knowledge gaps. Translate these insights into targeted guidance, clarification or training.
• Policy Scope Expansion: Support the operationalisation and interpretation of additional policy areas as the Appeals Centre’s remit evolves, including researching new areas, establishing interpretation approaches and preparing Case Review to apply them consistently.
• Platform Onboarding: Support the onboarding of additional platforms by developing an understanding of their policies and enforcement frameworks, establishing operational interpretation guidance and enabling Case Review teams to apply new platform standards effectively.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with Case Review, Quality, Operations, Legal and other relevant stakeholders to resolve interpretation issues, align approaches, share Policy insights and support consistent, high-quality case review.
  

Skills, Competencies, Experience:

• Degree educated, or relevant industry experience, preferably with at least some specialisation or strong interest in digital policy, human rights, legal issues, or technology.
• 4+ years professional experience.
• Excellent analytical, communication and writing skills.  
• Experience supporting trust and safety and/or content moderation teams for social media platforms.
• Proven track record of the ability to apply policy and market context to deliver quality decision outcomes.
• Knowledge of digital regulation, specifically the Digital Services Act.
• Knowledge of fundamental rights standards and experience developing and applying policy is a plus.
• Proficiency in English and at least one other language.
• Expertise in the socio-political, cultural, and linguistic context for one or more EU countries and understanding of regional and international current affairs.
• Ability to work both independently and in a collaborative environment.
• Ability to provide coaching and training to reviewers to drive overall case review quality.
• A flexible mindset and ability to adapt to changing systems, policies and workflows.
• Ability to demonstrate empathy and professionalism when reviewing potentially sensitive, disturbing or controversial content.
• Ability to exhibit grace under pressure and work in a fast-moving environment.