Technical Director, Engine Data Model

Every day, tens of millions of people come to Roblox to explore, create, play, learn, and connect with friends in 3D immersive digital experiences– all created by our global community of developers and creators. 

At Roblox, we’re building the tools and platform that empower our community to bring any experience that they can imagine to life. Our vision is to reimagine the way people come together, from anywhere in the world, and on any device. We’re on a mission to connect a billion people with optimism and civility, and looking for amazing talent to help us get there. 

A career at Roblox means you’ll be working to shape the future of human interaction, solving unique technical challenges at scale, and helping to create safer, more civil shared experiences for everyone.

As a Technical Director for the Engine Data Model at Roblox, you will define the technical vision and lead the evolution of one of the most fundamental components of the Roblox Engine: the Data Model. The Data Model serves as the core representation of all objects in a 3D Roblox experience—from terrain, lighting, and parts to the scripts that drive dynamic, interactive behavior. It is the connective tissue that powers the structure and runtime behavior of every Roblox world.

In this role, you will lead the most ambitious engineering initiatives aimed at scaling the Data Model to support Roblox’s growing complexity and future aspirations. Your work will directly shape the performance, scalability, and extensibility of the engine that underpins millions of daily user experiences.

We are looking for a visionary technical leader with deep experience in systems programming and platform design, who is excited to take on challenging problems at the core of a real-time engine. This is a rare opportunity to build and evolve one of the key technologies that make Roblox special!

You Will:

• Define and lead the technical roadmap for the Roblox Engine Data Model, with a focus on scalability, performance, and extensibility.
• Design and build core engine systems that support the dynamic, interactive 3D environments Roblox is known for.
• Lead by example as a hands-on individual contributor while setting architectural and engineering standards.
• Author and review design documents and technical specifications for foundational platform features.
• Partner closely with engineering, product, and design teams to deliver seamless, intuitive collaboration experiences.
• Become an expert in Roblox's proprietary technology stack and ensure that all development aligns with long-term goals and best practices.
• Explore and evaluate emerging technologies, balancing innovation with execution.
• Represent Roblox in relevant industry forums and communities, acting as a technical ambassador for our platform.

You Are:

• Experienced:You bring 12+ years of experience developing high-performance, large-scale C++ systems. You have a proven track record of delivering robust platforms, including deep work in areas such as memory management, concurrency, data structures, or real-time systems. A BS in Computer Science or a related field is required; MS/PhD is a strong plus.
• A Technical Leader: You have successfully driven complex technical initiatives across multiple teams or organizations. You influence through technical expertise, mentorship, and clear, strategic communication with engineers and executives alike.
• User-Centric: You understand the importance of developer and creator experience. Whether you're building tools for internal engineers or systems for external developers, you start with the end user in mind and strive for performance, usability, and reliability.
• Versatile: You are fluent in C++ and comfortable working across a wide range of systems and technologies. You embrace new challenges, learn quickly, and bring clarity to ambiguous problems.
• Deeply Knowledgeable: You have deep architectural understanding of game engines or high-performance systems. You're well-versed in the technical tradeoffs that come with designing complex, extensible platforms, and you guide teams through them with confidence.
• Creative and Strategic: You bring a strategic mindset to engineering, identifying innovative solutions to complex problems. You simplify complexity and design systems that are both elegant and practical.

A Mentor and Culture Builder: You uplift those around you, fostering a culture of collaboration, technical rigor, and continuous learning. You lead by example and are passionate about growing teams and individuals.

You Have:

• 10+ years of experience and a proven track record of designing, delivering, and improving large-scale systems
• Initiated and facilitated significant technical decisions across multiple teams and organizations 
• A passion for rolling up your sleeves to tackle complex problems or infrastructure challenges when they come up
• A BS in Computer Science or a related field, MS/PhD are a definite plus.

 

For roles that are based at our headquarters in San Mateo, CA: The starting base pay for this position is as shown below. The actual base pay is dependent upon a variety of job-related factors such as professional background, training, work experience, location, business needs and market demand. Therefore, in some circumstances, the actual salary could fall outside of this expected range. This pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. All full-time employees are also eligible for equity compensation and for benefits.

Annual Salary Range$391,590—$448,990 USD

Roles that are based in our San Mateo, CA Headquarters are in-office Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with optional in-office on Monday and Friday (unless otherwise noted).

You’ll Love: 

• Industry-leading compensation package
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage
• A rewarding 401k program
• Flexible vacation policy (varies by exemption status)
• Roflex - Flexible and supportive work policy 
• Roblox Admin badge for your avatar
• At Roblox HQ: 
• Free catered lunches five times a week and several fully stocked kitchens with unlimited snacks
• Onsite fitness center and fitness program credit
• Annual CalTrain Go Pass

Roblox provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to 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 federal, state or local laws. Roblox also provides reasonable accommodations for all candidates during the interview process.