Principal Data Scientist

About the role

Roblox is seeking a Principal Data Scientist to join their Safety team, where you will serve as the quantitative expert responsible for measuring, detecting, and mitigating harmful content across the platform. This senior individual contributor position focuses on establishing ground truth datasets and developing prevalence measurement methodologies for user-generated content moderation. You will work at the intersection of data science, policy, and product development to protect a global community of tens of millions of daily users who create, play, and connect through immersive digital experiences. The role requires deep expertise in causal inference, statistical modeling, and experimental design to prove the effectiveness of safety initiatives and guide strategic investment in detection systems. This is a high-impact opportunity to shape how one of the largest interactive platforms in the world approaches content safety and platform integrity.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Build and maintain authoritative prevalence measurement systems that quantify the overall level of harmful content and violative behaviors across the platform, serving as the definitive source of truth for organizational safety objectives and key performance indicators.
• Create and continuously validate comprehensive ground truth datasets for harmful user-generated content and problematic on-platform behaviors, ensuring data quality remains high and aligned with evolving platform policies and community standards.
• Conduct deep exploratory analysis on current and emerging threat landscapes to better understand violation patterns, providing evidence-based recommendations on where Product and Engineering teams should focus their detection and moderation resources.
• Architect, execute, and interpret sophisticated experiments for new moderation features and safety enforcement mechanisms, clearly communicating findings to Product and Engineering partners while ensuring strategic alignment with Policy, Compliance, and Legal stakeholders.
• Apply advanced causal inference techniques to accurately assess the effectiveness of various safety initiatives, measuring both intended outcomes and potential unintended systemic impacts on player experience and overall platform integrity.
• Translate complex statistical findings about prevalence rates, ground truth quality, and intervention effectiveness into clear, actionable strategic recommendations for leadership and cross-functional teams spanning Product, Engineering, Policy, Compliance, and Legal.
• Collaborate closely with Machine Learning and Data Engineering teams to ensure that model development, automated reporting systems, and detection pipelines are built upon statistically rigorous ground truth and measurement frameworks.
• Define what metrics matter most for content safety, establishing the measurement standards and methodologies that will guide the organization's defensive strategy against evolving safety threats.
• Develop scalable solutions that can handle the complexity of asset-based content across games, avatars, and emerging in-game behaviors as the platform continues to grow.
• Ensure accountability in safety efforts by creating transparent measurement systems that demonstrate the real-world impact of moderation investments to internal and external stakeholders.
• Stay current with the latest research and industry practices in content moderation, trust and safety, and platform integrity to continuously improve detection and measurement approaches.

Requirements

• A minimum of ten years of professional experience in data science, economics, analytics, or machine learning engineering roles.
• At least seven years of hands-on experience with scripting languages such as Python or R, along with proficiency in big data query and processing tools including SQL, Hive, Spark, and Airflow.
• Strong knowledge of machine learning and deep learning concepts acquired through formal academic training or substantial industry experience.
• Demonstrated ability to apply creative first-principles thinking to solve ambiguous, complex problems that lack clear precedent or established solutions.
• Prior experience developing large-scale safety or moderation systems, with specific exposure to content platforms that handle user-generated content.
• An advanced degree or PhD in Statistics, Computer Science, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Economics, or another related quantitative discipline.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to present complex technical findings to diverse audiences including executives, engineers, and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong collaborative mindset with experience working across multiple functions including Product, Engineering, Legal, Policy, and Compliance teams.

Nice to have

• Experience working specifically in trust and safety roles at major consumer technology platforms or social media companies.
• Background in developing detection systems for emerging threat types and novel violation categories that require rapid response and iteration.
• Familiarity with gaming platforms, virtual worlds, or immersive digital experiences and the unique safety challenges they present.
• Published research or industry contributions in areas related to content moderation, online safety, or platform integrity measurement.
• Experience with real-time detection systems and the operational challenges of moderating content at massive scale.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements and compliance frameworks related to online safety and content moderation.

Skills & tools

• Programming languages: Python, R
• Big data technologies: SQL, Hive, Spark, Airflow
• Statistical methods: Causal inference, experimental design, prevalence measurement, hypothesis testing
• Machine learning: Deep learning, model validation, ground truth development
• Domain expertise: Content moderation, user-generated content platforms, safety systems, threat analysis
• Analytical capabilities: Exploratory data analysis, statistical modeling, product analytics
• Communication: Executive presentations, cross-functional collaboration, technical documentation

Practical notes

• This position is based at Roblox headquarters in San Mateo, California, and follows a hybrid work schedule requiring in-office presence on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week.
• Monday and Friday office attendance is optional unless otherwise specified for particular meetings or events.
• The stated salary range represents base compensation only and may vary based on individual qualifications, professional background, training, work experience, geographic considerations, and current business needs.
• In certain circumstances, actual compensation could fall outside the published range depending on these factors.
• The compensation structure is subject to periodic review and modification based on market conditions.
• Roblox maintains equal employment opportunity policies and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected characteristic.
• Reasonable accommodations are available for candidates with qualifying disabilities or religious beliefs throughout the recruiting process.
• Candidates should note the current limitations regarding certain U.S. visa

About the company

An online space lets people build and play games. Founded long ago by two creators, it grew into a shared world opened to everyone in the mid 2000s. Now reaching millions each day, it hosts games made by its users. A large share of young American children under sixteen are monthly players here. High daily activity shows a lasting community where creativity and shared play remain central.