Director of Engineering, Economy ML

About the role

As the Director of Engineering for Economy ML at Roblox, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of machine learning applications within the company. This position involves leading a dynamic team that focuses on developing and implementing innovative ML solutions that enhance user experiences across various platforms. You will be responsible for defining the strategic direction of the Economy ML team, ensuring that our machine learning capabilities align with Roblox's mission to connect a billion people through immersive digital experiences.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Develop and articulate a comprehensive long-term strategy for Economy ML that encompasses core areas such as modeling, recommendations, search functionalities, pricing strategies, content intelligence, and overall ML systems.
• Build and nurture a high-performing engineering team specializing in machine learning, including recruiting managers and senior individual contributors to drive the team's success.
• Collaborate with various teams across the organization to enhance shared AI technologies, infrastructure, and modeling capabilities that enrich user experiences on Roblox.
• Spearhead investments in advanced ML systems, focusing on large-scale recommendation models, foundational models, semantic retrieval, and Generative AI workflows.
• Establish and promote scalable ML development practices that encompass experimentation, feature engineering, model serving, training infrastructure, and evaluation methodologies.
• Advocate for the adoption of contemporary ML architectures, including transformers, multi-task learning, retrieval systems, and multi-modal modeling techniques.
• Work closely with senior leadership to ensure that technical investments are in alignment with the long-term business strategy and overarching company objectives.
• Mentor engineering leaders within the organization, fostering a robust technical culture and a strong execution mindset.
• Balance the need for innovation with the necessity of delivering immediate product impact while also investing in long-term platform advancements.

Requirements

• A minimum of 12 years of experience in software engineering, with a significant portion spent in leadership roles managing engineering teams.
• Proven experience leading teams that focus on machine learning, recommendation systems, search algorithms, ranking mechanisms, or large-scale distributed systems.
• Deep technical knowledge of ML systems, infrastructure, and contemporary machine learning architectures.
• Familiarity with recommendation systems, marketplace or e-commerce ML applications, search technologies, or advertising systems.
• Experience with Generative AI, large language models (LLMs), multi-modal models, or foundational model architectures.
• Background in operating at scale, including managing high-throughput inference systems, distributed training, or real-time personalization platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives that span multiple teams and departments.
• Strong product and business acumen, with a history of delivering measurable outcomes.
• Experience in hiring, developing, and retaining top engineering talent and leaders.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with the gaming industry or experience in developing gaming-related technologies.
• Knowledge of user-generated content (UGC) systems and virtual economies.
• Experience with cloud-based ML services and infrastructure.
• Understanding of ethical AI practices and their application in real-world scenarios.

Skills & tools

• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Java, or C++.
• Experience with ML frameworks and libraries like TensorFlow, PyTorch, or similar.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure for deploying ML solutions.
• Knowledge of data engineering tools and practices for managing large datasets.
• Understanding of software development methodologies, including Agile and DevOps practices.

Practical notes

This position is based in San Mateo, California, and the starting salary for this role ranges from $399,420 to $457,970 USD annually. The actual salary may vary based on several factors, including professional experience, training, and market demand. All full-time employees are also eligible for equity compensation and a comprehensive benefits package. For candidates based in the U.S., please note that the company may not be able to employ individuals who require specific work authorization related to certain U.S. visa categories, nor can it support future H-1B sponsorship for this role.

Roblox is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. The company prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. Reasonable accommodations are available for candidates with qualifying disabilities or religious beliefs during the recruitment process.