Complex case team investigator, Trust & Safety

Upwork ($UPWK) is the world’s work marketplace. We serve everyone from one-person startups to over 30% of the Fortune 100 with a powerful, trust-driven platform that enables companies and talent to work together in new ways that unlock their potential. Last year, more than $4 billion of work was done through Upwork by skilled professionals who are gaining more control by finding work they are passionate about and innovating their careers. This is an engagement through Upwork’s Hybrid Workforce Solutions (HWS) Team. Our Hybrid Workforce Solutions Team is a global group of professionals that support Upwork’s business. Our HWS team members are located all over the world. The work will require 1 freelancer and I anticipate the project will last more than 6 months. In fact we have many investigators in the team that have worked for many years on various projects and tasks. As a technical investigator for Upwork’s Trust & Safety Complex Case Team (CCT), you will be responsible for investigating and communicating complex, high profile, high risk escalations involving fraud, scam, fake identities, security, and anomalous user trends. Upwork’s CCT is a mission driven, globally distributed team. The team's primary purpose is to review, identify, model and advise on emergency & emerging Trust & Safety threats. Our stakeholders are company-wide, accepting escalation work from Executive Escalations, Information Security, Talent Acquisition, Legal, Product and Engineering. Work/ Project Scope: Using internal data and tooling to find new opportunities to mitigate risks, and build systems and controls to protect our customers and the platform Pulling and analyzing large amounts of user data in order to identify trends and “connect the dots” that other teams do not. Managing critical investigations and escalations with key internal stakeholders by responding to queries in a timely and accurate manner Clearly and effectively communicating emerging trends and investigative findings within detailed reports. Deliver Agentic workflows to enhance operational efficiency and controls. This role is for you if you like working remotely within a small - dedicated and effective team. You should genuinely enjoy digging into complex fraudulent patterns, identifying bad actors, and staying up to date on political and global issues that could impact the Upwork customers and platform. At times you will be expected to move fast and operate under pressure in an environment that you may not be a subject matter expert in. You would be expected to own your personal development and knowledge and operate effectively under tight deadlines with minimum oversight. You should also be open to investigating sensitive content and/or highly confidential issues under the guidance of counsel. Must Haves (Required Skills): A good personality fit for the team - You could have the rest, but will you work well within the team. 5+ years experience with investigations, risk, fraud, trust & safety, cybersecurity or other related fields, or other comparable experience that demonstrates investigative acuity Extremely proficient in oral and written English in order to uplevel complex casework Proficient in SQL and data analysis An aptitude for creatively collecting data across the web or experience with OSINT tools Knowledge of global Geopolitical and Nation state risks Analytical experience in making assessments and solving problems using data, as well as providing practical business insights Strong attention to detail Ability to conduct in-depth OSINT & HUMINT investigations Self-starter with strong time and organizational skills Proven track record of approaching obstacles with curiosity and using creative problem-solving methods to find quick and effective solutions Able to work with an overlap of 2 hours during the Pacific timezone business hours Preferably with Python or data visualization tools experience (Looker, Tableau, HEX, Domo etc.) that help refine data analysis AI literate with an understanding of AI governance and risk mitigation Preferably experience with Cryptocurrency fraud investigations and asset tracing Upwork is proudly committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce. We never discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.