Principal Software Engineer

About the role

Roblox is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to spearhead the architecture and development of collaboration workflows within Roblox Studio, the powerful creation engine that enables millions of developers worldwide to build immersive 3D experiences. In this senior technical leadership position, you will design systems that allow creators and AI agents to work together seamlessly at massive scale, sharing and managing content across the platform. The role demands deep expertise in C++ and game engine internals, combined with a genuine enthusiasm for tackling intricate software challenges and guiding fellow engineers toward technical excellence. You will play a pivotal part in shaping how collaborative teams construct imaginative worlds on Roblox, ensuring that the experience remains performant, intuitive, and enjoyable for creators everywhere.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Architect and deliver sophisticated end-to-end technical features within the Roblox game engine and Roblox Studio, empowering developers to expand their presence in the creator community.
• Establish foundational system designs and set the long-term technical direction that will allow Studio to continuously evolve and introduce new capabilities over time.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with multiple teams spanning different technology platforms to ship polished, high-quality functionality that delights users.
• Serve as a technical role model by mentoring engineers across the organization, instilling best practices, design patterns, and strategic thinking in day-to-day development.
• Drive improvements in product reliability and stability by championing automated testing frameworks and quality assurance processes throughout the development lifecycle.
• Contribute to building what aims to be the premier professional application for massively multiplayer game development, pushing the boundaries of what collaborative creation tools can achieve.
• Design workflows that enable creators and AI agents to collaborate at scale, focusing on content creation, sharing, and management across distributed environments.
• Tackle complex challenges related to scale, performance, latency, and throughput in client-server architectures, ensuring that collaboration features remain responsive under heavy load.
• Investigate and resolve intricate problems within large C++ codebases, applying deep systems knowledge to optimize critical paths and reduce technical debt.
• Partner with product managers, designers, and other stakeholders to translate user needs into robust technical solutions that align with the company's mission of connecting a billion people with optimism and civility.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends to inform architectural decisions and keep the platform at the forefront of interactive content creation.
• Document architectural decisions, technical specifications, and implementation guidelines to ensure knowledge transfer and maintainability across teams.

Requirements

• A minimum of eight years of professional software engineering experience, with substantial exposure to deep, challenging problems within large-scale C++ systems.
• Demonstrated experience working on the internals of a multiplayer game engine, addressing issues of scale, performance, latency, and throughput in client-server environments.
• Proven track record of delivering end-to-end features that span multiple teams and technology platforms, coordinating efforts and ensuring cohesive integration.
• A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, a related technical discipline, or equivalent hands-on experience that demonstrates comparable expertise.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences and influence engineering direction.
• Experience mentoring and guiding other engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and technical excellence within development teams.
• Ability to balance long-term architectural vision with pragmatic short-term delivery, making sound trade-off decisions under real-world constraints.
• Comfort working in a hybrid office environment, with onsite presence required at the San Mateo headquarters on designated days each week.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with the inner workings of version control systems, understanding how they manage branching, merging, and conflict resolution at a low level.
• Experience with 3D scene editing tools and game development workflows, including asset pipelines, scene graphs, and real-time rendering considerations.
• Knowledge of file storage systems, distributed storage architectures, or network protocols relevant to content synchronization and collaboration.
• Prior involvement in building or scaling creator platforms, developer tools, or user-generated content ecosystems.
• Exposure to AI-assisted development workflows or integrating machine learning agents into creative tooling.
• Passion for gaming, interactive media, or the broader creator economy, with a genuine interest in empowering others to bring their ideas to life.

Skills & tools

• C++ development in large, complex codebases
• Game engine architecture and internals
• Client-server networking and distributed systems
• Performance optimization and profiling
• Automated testing and continuous integration
• Version control systems and collaborative workflows
• 3D scene management and rendering pipelines
• Cross-platform development and integration
• Technical leadership and mentorship
• Agile development methodologies

Practical notes

• The position is based at Roblox headquarters in San Mateo, California, with a hybrid schedule requiring onsite attendance on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; Monday and Friday presence is optional.
• Compensation falls within the range of USD 295,250 to USD 345,040 per year, with actual salary determined by factors such as professional background, training, work experience, location, and market demand.
• Equity compensation is available to all full-time employees, providing an opportunity to share in the company's growth and success.
• Roblox is committed to equal employment opportunity and prohibits discrimination or 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 provided to candidates with qualifying disabilities or religious beliefs during the recruiting process.
• Candidates should note that the company may not be able to employ individuals whose United States work authorization is tied to certain visa categories, and H-1B sponsorship is not currently available for this role.
• The mission at Roblox centers on connecting a billion people with optimism and civility, and this role offers a chance to shape the future of human interaction through innovative technology and collaborative creation tools.

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.