Senior Specialist, Escalations

About the role

Airbnb began in 2007, when two hosts opened their San Francisco home to three guests. Since then, the company has expanded to more than 5 million hosts and over 2 billion guest arrivals across nearly every country in the world. The platform helps guests connect with communities through distinctive stays and experiences.

The Senior Specialist, Escalations is part of the internal Community Support organization and works directly with customers and internal partners. This is a full-time onsite position based in Japan, Korea, or Singapore. The role calls for excellent communication, strong problem-solving ability, and solid customer service experience. You should be comfortable working in a fast-paced setting, sometimes under pressure, while staying adaptable, proactive, efficient, professional, and discreet.

The position may evolve according to business needs, and you may be moved to other teams within Community Support or asked to take on different responsibilities over time. Flexibility is an important part of the job.

What you will do

You will handle complex customer cases end to end and aim to deliver the highest standard of service in every interaction. The role includes supporting users across current and future channels such as live chat, social platforms, messaging, and phone, both inside and outside Airbnb tools.

You will assess case type and severity, route issues correctly, and escalate to the right teams when needed. Many cases will require sound judgment, especially when there is no clear workflow to follow. You will be expected to work largely independently, step back when needed to de-escalate situations, and read between the lines of customer communication and behavior to identify the most appropriate resolution.

This role also involves collaborating with cross-functional partners inside and outside Community Support to solve complex issues, while clearly explaining difficult information and answering nuanced questions with confidence.

Quality and operational contribution

You will balance high case volumes and complex, high-severity work while maintaining strong quality standards. An understanding of trauma-informed support and ways to reduce retraumatization is important for this role and should be reflected in case handling.

You will also help improve team performance by coaching teammates, sharing operational insights with management, contributing to continuous improvement efforts, and supporting initiatives such as performance improvement work, consultations, and subject matter expertise. Part of the role includes helping leaders communicate key messages and drive outcomes across the team.

Stakeholder management

You are expected to build trust with both internal and external stakeholders by managing sensitive issues with professionalism, integrity, and sound judgment. When needed, you should involve management appropriately.

Experience and availability

Applicants should have at least 4 years of relevant experience in customer service, mediation, social media response, front desk work, or a similar contact-center environment that includes phone-based and customer/client interactions. Experience in hospitality is a plus, especially with technology platforms. Prior use of phone, messaging, or live chat to support customers is preferred.

You should also have experience working with internal stakeholders and/or third-party providers to resolve conflicts in a detailed, effective, and timely manner.

The role requires availability for weekend days, public holidays, and early morning or evening shifts. Work schedules may change based on business needs.

Skills and professional strengths

You should bring strong interpersonal and verbal/written communication skills, including conflict resolution. The role requires the ability to handle a large workload, multitask, prioritize effectively, and work within set schedules that include breaks, lunches, and training time.

We are looking for someone who advocates for high standards, innovation, and hospitality while keeping a business-focused mindset. You should be able to judge risk and urgency accurately, share the right information with stakeholders, and remain calm, empathetic, and adaptable in difficult situations.

Experience working with executive-level stakeholders and the ability to explain complex topics in a simple, clear way are important. Strong critical thinking, comfort with ambiguity, and readiness to take on new responsibilities are also key. The role calls for a proactive, flexible attitude, willingness to move to a different team if needed, and advanced computer literacy, including Apple/Mac OS and Google Suite. English fluency is required, and additional languages are an advantage.

Inclusion statement

Airbnb is committed to reaching the widest possible talent pool. The company believes that diverse perspectives drive innovation and engagement, and help create better products, services, and solutions. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.