News Lead - TikTok Content Operation - Berlin

Responsibilities

About the Team
The DE Content team partners with the country's leading broadcasters, digital publishers, and creators across entertainment, sport, and news to accelerate content growth and scale on TikTok.

Overview of Role
The Leader of the News team will oversee a team managing creators, journalist, broadcaster and publishers to help maximise their impact on TikTok and expand the supply of high-quality content on the platform. In this role, you will drive growth of the News vertical by advising on short-form video strategy, optimising content performance, and supporting key initiatives aligned with team objectives and product priorities. Your team will serve as trusted partners to creators and publishers, enabling them to use the platform effectively while contributing to the overall health and success of the sports ecosystem on TikTok.

Responsibilities:
- Own OKR responsibility for the News strategy including creator growth, monetisation, perception, publisher growth, programs, tentpoles and offline activations
- Manage a team of creator managers, publisher managers and program managers to deliver against targets
- Set quarterly operational goals and deliver results against OKR targets
- Identify high potential creators to onboard to direct and scaled management programs, conceive and deliver growth programs to improve their supply of high quality content
- Manage high-impact News publishers, grow content supply and negotiate content partnerships with News publishers
- Lead content and operation strategy for the local market, identifying key platform goals for creators and publishers across the market and develop clear, metrics-based plans to deliver these objectives. Ensure close alignment and collaboration across local and product teams.
- Localize global product strategies and initiatives to creator and publisher activations in the local market to increase product adoption within News
- Understand local News content ecosystems, identify market trends, brainstorming aspirational ideas and drive high quality local News content growth and partner engagement
- Work to uncover the local experience of News creators and publishers, represent their feedback to other teams and advocate for their success based on the specific market context.
- Develop News programs and content strategies that will help mobilize at scale creators and publishers, consistent with our overall platform objectives. Ensure execution of News programs at the local level.
- Lead News content strategies to grow priority content formats and creator/communities, develop strategic News content partnerships with creators and publishers, and to drive diversified and safe high-quality content on the platform to attract and retain users based on deep understanding of the regional content ecosystem.
- Identify areas for improvement and evangelize creator partner management workflow by facilitating alignment and efficiency through data driven methodologies.
- Where relevant, support Cross-functional partnership to support, innovate and effectively grow user base at the Market level, also to support revenue efforts where relevant or identify areas for mutual collaboration, and shared approaches to market opportunities and risks.
- Serve as a spokesperson as necessary for TikTok with industry and News partners, press, and other stakeholders, to present TikTok's News value proposition narrative clearly and with local resonance.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification(s):
- Proven experience working at a news publisher or digital platform on news strategy/execution or equivalent.
- Strong understanding of the German news landscape.
- At least 7 years of experience across the broader news media ecosystem, peferably with a track record in editorial capacity, social media strategy, and/or partnership management.
- Hands-on experience working with social media platforms, or deep knowledge of how creators, publishers and platforms collaborate to grow audiences and build sustainable business models.
- Exceptional communication, presentation, and collaboration skills, with the ability to engage confidently with creators and cross-functional teams across global markets.
- Experience of managing a team (of any size) to deliver against clear business goals and objectives
- An existing network of contacts within both German legacy media and the emerging independent creator scene
- Fluent in German (C2 Level) and English is desirable, with the ability to collaborate with local market partners.

Preferred Qualification(s):
- Strategic, insights-driven thinker who leverages data to make pragmatic, high-impact decisions.
- Strong self-starter and collaborative partner, comfortable leading projects end-to-end while thriving in cross-functional environments.
- Public speaking experience - able to represent your business in public forums and conferences
- Demonstrated success in creator management, account support, and building long-term, trust-based relationships.
- Thrives in fast-paced environments; adaptable, solutions-oriented, and effective at managing both operational and strategic priorities amid change.