Process Strategy and Optimization Lead

About the Company

Airbnb started in 2007 when two hosts opened their San Francisco home to three guests. Since then, the platform has expanded to more than 5 million hosts and over 2 billion guest arrivals across nearly every country, helping people experience communities in a more genuine way through unique stays and experiences.

Team Overview

The Process and Strategy Optimization team within Fraud and Safety Operations supports Airbnb’s larger mission of protecting the community and building trust across the platform. This group is responsible for operational excellence for fraud and safety investigations, delivering large-scale programs that strengthen quality, efficiency, customer experience, and cost performance while keeping solutions innovative and scalable.

Role Impact

In this position, you will lead major cross-functional initiatives that support the strategic priorities of Fraud and Safety Operations. The work involves solving complex business problems in a global environment with a high level of ambiguity. You will own programs end to end, improve efficiency and user experience, and do so with a strong focus on measurable outcomes and cost effectiveness.

What You Will Do

• Own operational excellence initiatives that directly support the main goals of the fraud and safety operations function.
• Run end-to-end process improvement programs, including business case creation, KPI and measurement setup, root-cause analysis, solution design and launch, plus controls and feedback loops to make improvements durable.
• Convert business and operational needs into clear direction for partners in product, tools, policy, engineering, and shared services.
• Build alignment across stakeholders so operational priorities are reflected in system design, roadmap decisions, and delivery plans.
• Spot opportunities to improve processes using operational data, customer insights, and market trends.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on workflows, tools, and processes in fraud and safety operations, while keeping up with new technologies and industry practices.
• Apply AI thoughtfully to operations work to reduce waste, streamline workflows, and improve consistency.
• Lead cross-functional project teams to deliver initiatives on schedule and within budget, while managing dependencies, risks, and adoption.
• Promote continuous improvement by coaching and applying Lean and Six Sigma methods in training and improvement projects.
• Define and monitor key performance indicators across functions to measure impact and find optimization opportunities.
• Encourage a data-first decision-making culture supported by strong analytics and operational insight.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Science, or a related discipline; a background in management consulting, industrial engineering, or a similar area is preferred.
• At least 6 years of experience improving operations at scale, with a demonstrated record of measurable results.
• Proven success in driving continuous improvement and operational optimization in complex global organizations.
• Strong analytical problem-solving ability and experience defining and tracking KPIs.
• Experience putting quality assurance frameworks and process governance in place to uphold high standards.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams and senior leaders in a matrixed environment.
• Strong skills in organization, project management, and stakeholder communication.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver in fast-moving settings.
• Self-directed mindset with ownership, initiative, and autonomy.
• Lean/Six Sigma Black Belt, PMP, or an equivalent certification is a plus.
• Strong ethics, integrity, resilience, and a bias toward action and results.
• Entrepreneurial drive, persistence, and comfort with ambiguity.
• Customer and stakeholder orientation with a long-term strategic outlook.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, negotiation, and consensus-building skills.
• Collaborative approach with the ability to build trust through transparency and credibility.

Work Location

This is a US-remote eligible role. Occasional visits to an Airbnb office or attendance at offsites may be required, based on agreement with your manager. You must live in a state where Airbnb, Inc. is registered. If you are employed by a different Airbnb entity, your recruiter will clarify which states are eligible.

Inclusion and Accessibility

Airbnb welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds and is committed to an inclusive hiring process. Candidates who need reasonable accommodations for the application or interview process may contact the company directly with their full name, the role they are applying for, and the accommodation needed. This support is intended for candidates whose disability prevents them from completing the online application.

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary range for this role is USD 106,000 to USD 125,000. Actual pay depends on factors such as training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, and market conditions. The pay range may change over time. This position may also be eligible for bonus, equity, benefits, and Employee Travel Credits.