Main at Roblox with Nicole Grinstead

Main at Roblox is a sequence that explores the profession journeys of Roblox’s leaders and discusses their roles, philosophies, and administration kinds. On this profile, we get to know Nicole Grinstead, Director of Product and Software Safety inside our Infrastructure Workforce.

What do you do at Roblox? 

I joined Roblox a couple of 12 months in the past to steer our Product and Software Safety crew inside Data Safety (InfoSec). Which means I assist something from our Infrastructure Layer to our Software and guarantee they’re sufficiently hardened. My group is accountable for proactive safety in addition to discovering and remediating vulnerabilities and dangers. 

Describe your profession journey. How did you land the place you’re right this moment?

Whilst a small youngster, I’d all the time beloved computer systems and expertise. I used to be drawn to laptop lessons and took my first programming course in highschool. As quickly as I began faculty, I set my main as Pc Science and finally graduated with that diploma. After commencement, I began my profession in full-stack software program engineering targeted on constructing merchandise. I used to be working at a Silicon Valley tech firm after they had a serious knowledge breach, and located myself fascinated by all of the work that went into the incident response. That’s how I fell into the safety area, and I’ve been right here ever since! Defending customers and corporations from malicious dangerous actors has grow to be a real ardour of mine. 

My path to Roblox started with an informational dialog with Roblox’s VP of Safety Engineering. He was sharing a few of the challenges with scaling the crew to fulfill Roblox’s quickly rising platform and enterprise, and a few of the sorts of motivated risk actors and cyber assaults which are frequent within the trade. As quickly as I bought dwelling, I began researching extra concerning the firm. The extra I discovered concerning the platform, imaginative and prescient, and management, the extra I knew I wished to be a part of the crew.

What motivates you?

I’m aggressive – principally with myself – and have all the time been very motivated to tackle massive challenges and be taught new issues. As soon as I’ve solved an issue, I’m keen to maneuver onto the subsequent one and problem myself in a brand new or completely different means. I’m not overly fixated on climbing ladders, nevertheless it’s vital to me to not stagnate. This is likely one of the issues I like about safety. There are such a lot of completely different subdomains, so I’ve been in a position to give attention to several types of safety issues and challenges by the years.

Nicole’s aggressive spirit and love of huge challenges involves life each inside and out of doors of labor

What are some management qualities which have labored for you? 

I goal to cleared the path I wish to be led. I respect being empowered and given area to tackle tough challenges, and I’ve discovered that Roblox’s govt management crew fosters this tradition and helps me in emulating it for my very own crew. Belief is important to execution and fixing tough issues, so I lead with belief and transparency to drive our crew ahead. 

In my day-to-day work as a frontrunner, I deliver this to life by each massive and small actions that empower my crew and foster autonomy. As an alternative of giving my opinion or recommendation instantly, I wish to ask questions that assist immediate people to achieve an answer on their very own. I’m all the time attempting to create space for my crew to really feel like they will completely personal their work. 

How do you contribute to Roblox’s tradition?

As a lady chief in tech, I’m captivated with exploring issues exterior of my safety purview. If I discover a system, cultural side, or lodging that may enhance the office for ladies and underrepresented teams inside our group or within the trade at massive, I’m eager on championing it. Right here at Roblox, we have now an ideal neighborhood of ladies engineering leaders that meets month-to-month. I’m additionally concerned with our Ladies@ Affinity Group. During the last ten months since I began my position at Roblox, these communities have led me to construct robust bonds with colleagues throughout the group that I won’t in any other case work with.

Nicole on Roblox’s campus in San Mateo, CA

What’s one thing your crew has achieved that you just’re happy with?

The InfoSec crew is quickly rising, and far of the crew is new to Roblox. I’m so happy with the progress we’ve been in a position to make as a brand new crew in a really brief time period. We’ve additionally constructed out our Software Safety (AppSec) crew, and that group has already made a ton of impression. In true Roblox trend, the crew began by constructing a robust system and course of for the way we have interaction cross-functionally to determine and resolve utility degree vulnerabilities and dangers. We’re on no account completed with the journey, however the progress we’ve made thus far actually stands out to me.

As a frontrunner of a brand new crew, it’s vital to me to not get in the best way of the vitality that new people deliver to the group. Embracing new concepts and ideas has helped our crew succeed and allowed new crew members to ramp up and contribute shortly. 

In the event you had to decide on a price that almost all resonates with you as a frontrunner, which one wouldn’t it be?

Roblox’s “Take the Lengthy View” worth is important to us as a brand new crew. Although we have now rapid must sort out, and we’re supportive of latest people leaping proper in, we’re all the time extremely strategic about how we’re going to realize our targets. When formulating plans and paths ahead, we ask ourselves the place we need to be in ten years, and work our means again from there as an alternative of specializing in tactical “what’s subsequent” approaches.

What’s one thing you want concerning the platform?

Roblox is particular as a result of it’s so open and diversified – the sorts of experiences that you could have or construct on Roblox are infinite, and there’s something for everybody. Any creator can deliver their creativeness and concepts to life on the platform, and customers of all walks of life can take pleasure in them. We’re simply scratching the floor of what’s really attainable. It’s an incredible time to work on the firm, and I’ve been so impressed by what I’ve seen thus far. 

In closing, is there a bit of management recommendation you possibly can share?

Ask for suggestions, and be true to you! There’s nobody model of management that works for everybody, so do what feels genuine, emulate the belongings you respect most out of your leaders, and ask for suggestions alongside the journey. Some of the efficient methods I’ve discovered to make sure I’m hitting the mark is to easily ask – then to pay attention, be taught, and evolve primarily based on what I hear. Identical to the Roblox platform, there’s something distinctive for everybody in management. Authenticity and adaptability have been key for me.

Impressed by Nicole’s story? She and her crew are hiring. Go to our careers website to discover open roles.