Main at Roblox is a collection 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 Utility Safety inside our Infrastructure Crew.
What do you do at Roblox?
I joined Roblox a few yr in the past to steer our Product and Utility Safety group inside Data Safety (InfoSec). Which means I help something from our Infrastructure Layer to our Utility and guarantee they’re sufficiently hardened. My group is answerable for proactive safety in addition to discovering and remediating vulnerabilities and dangers.
Describe your profession journey. How did you land the place you’re at this time?
At the same time as a small baby, I’d at all times cherished computer systems and know-how. 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 Laptop Science and in the end graduated with that diploma. After commencement, I began my profession in full-stack software program engineering centered on constructing merchandise. I used to be working at a Silicon Valley tech firm after they had a serious information breach, and located myself fascinated by all of the work that went into the incident response. That’s how I fell into the safety house, and I’ve been right here ever since! Defending customers and firms from malicious dangerous actors has develop into 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 group to fulfill Roblox’s quickly rising platform and enterprise, and a few of the varieties of motivated risk actors and cyber assaults which can be frequent within the business. As quickly as I acquired 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 group.
What motivates you?
I’m aggressive – principally with myself – and have at all times 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 following one and problem myself in a brand new or completely different means. I’m not overly fixated on climbing ladders, nevertheless it’s necessary to me to not stagnate. This is among the issues I like about safety. There are such a lot of completely different subdomains, so I’ve been capable of concentrate on various kinds of safety issues and challenges via 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 prepared the ground I wish to be led. I admire being empowered and given house to tackle tough challenges, and I’ve discovered that Roblox’s govt management group fosters this tradition and helps me in emulating it for my very own group. Belief is vital to execution and fixing tough issues, so I lead with belief and transparency to drive our group ahead.
In my day-to-day work as a pacesetter, I carry this to life via each massive and small actions that empower my group and foster autonomy. As a substitute 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 at all times attempting to create space for my group 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 outdoors of my safety purview. If I discover a system, cultural facet, or lodging that may enhance the office for girls and underrepresented teams inside our group or within the business at giant, I’m eager on championing it. Right here at Roblox, we’ve got an ideal group of girls engineering leaders that meets month-to-month. I’m additionally concerned with our Girls@ Affinity Group. Over the past ten months since I began my function 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 group has completed that you simply’re happy with?
The InfoSec group is quickly rising, and far of the group is new to Roblox. I’m so happy with the progress we’ve been capable of make as a brand new group in a really quick time period. We’ve additionally constructed out our Utility Safety (AppSec) group, and that group has already made a ton of influence. In true Roblox vogue, the group began by constructing a robust system and course of for the way we have interaction cross-functionally to establish and resolve software stage vulnerabilities and dangers. We’re on no account completed with the journey, however the progress we’ve made to date actually stands out to me.
As a pacesetter of a brand new group, it’s necessary to me to not get in the best way of the vitality that new people carry to the group. Embracing new concepts and ideas has helped our group succeed and allowed new group members to ramp up and contribute shortly.
In the event you had to decide on a worth that almost all resonates with you as a pacesetter, which one wouldn’t it be?
Roblox’s “Take the Lengthy View” worth is vital to us as a brand new group. Although we’ve got instant must deal with, and we’re supportive of latest people leaping proper in, we’re at all times extremely strategic about how we’re going to realize our targets. When formulating plans and paths ahead, we ask ourselves the place we wish to be in ten years, and work our means again from there as a substitute 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 various – the varieties of experiences that you may have or construct on Roblox are infinite, and there’s something for everybody. Any creator can carry 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 actually potential. It’s a tremendous time to work on the firm, and I’ve been so impressed by what I’ve seen to date.
In closing, is there a bit of management recommendation you may share?
Ask for suggestions, and be true to you! There’s nobody type of management that works for everybody, so do what feels genuine, emulate the belongings you admire most out of your leaders, and ask for suggestions alongside the journey. One of the crucial 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 group are hiring. Go to our careers web site to discover open roles.
