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 types. 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 couple of 12 months in the past to steer our Product and Utility Safety staff inside Data Safety (InfoSec). Meaning I assist something from our Infrastructure Layer to our Utility 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 might be at this time?

Whilst a small baby, I’d at all times beloved computer systems and expertise. I used to be drawn to laptop courses and took my first programming course in highschool. As quickly as I began school, 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 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 area, and I’ve been right here ever since! Defending customers and firms from malicious unhealthy 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 staff to satisfy Roblox’s quickly rising platform and enterprise, and a few of the forms of motivated risk actors and cyber assaults which are widespread within the trade. As quickly as I obtained residence, I began researching extra in regards to the firm. The extra I realized in regards to the platform, imaginative and prescient, and management, the extra I knew I wished to be a part of the staff.

What motivates you?

I’m aggressive – largely with myself – and have at all times been very motivated to tackle massive challenges and study 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 approach. I’m not overly fixated on climbing ladders, however it’s essential to me to not stagnate. This is among the issues I really like about safety. There are such a lot of completely different subdomains, so I’ve been in a position to concentrate on several types of safety issues and challenges by the years.

Nicole’s aggressive spirit and love of massive challenges involves life each inside and outdoors of labor

What are some management qualities which have labored for you? 

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

In my day-to-day work as a pacesetter, I convey this to life by each massive and small actions that empower my staff and foster autonomy. As a substitute of giving my opinion or recommendation instantly, I wish to ask questions that assist immediate people to succeed in an answer on their very own. I’m at all times attempting to create space for my staff to really feel like they’ll 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 facet, or lodging that may enhance the office for ladies and underrepresented teams inside our group or within the trade at giant, I’m eager on championing it. Right here at Roblox, we now have an important group of ladies 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 sturdy 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 staff has completed that you simply’re pleased with?

The InfoSec staff is quickly rising, and far of the staff is new to Roblox. I’m so pleased with the progress we’ve been in a position to make as a brand new staff in a really quick time period. We’ve additionally constructed out our Utility Safety (AppSec) staff, and that group has already made a ton of impression. In true Roblox vogue, the staff began by constructing a robust system and course of for a way we interact cross-functionally to establish and resolve utility degree vulnerabilities and dangers. We’re certainly not completed with the journey, however the progress we’ve made up to now actually stands out to me.

As a pacesetter of a brand new staff, it’s essential to me to not get in the best way of the vitality that new people convey to the group. Embracing new concepts and ideas has helped our staff succeed and allowed new staff members to ramp up and contribute rapidly. 

For those who had to decide on a worth that almost all resonates with you as a pacesetter, which one would it not be?

Roblox’s “Take the Lengthy View” worth is important to us as a brand new staff. Although we now have instant must deal with, and we’re supportive of recent people leaping proper in, we’re at all times extremely strategic about how we’re going to attain our objectives. When formulating plans and paths ahead, we ask ourselves the place we need to be in ten years, and work our approach again from there as a substitute of specializing in tactical “what’s subsequent” approaches.

What’s one thing you want in regards to the platform?

Roblox is particular as a result of it’s so open and diversified – the forms of experiences you can have or construct on Roblox are infinite, and there’s something for everybody. Any creator can convey 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 potential. It’s an incredible time to work on the firm, and I’ve been so impressed by what I’ve seen up to now. 

In closing, is there a chunk of management recommendation you’ll be able to share?

Ask for suggestions, and be true to you! There’s nobody fashion 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. One of the crucial efficient methods I’ve discovered to make sure I’m hitting the mark is to easily ask – then to hear, study, and evolve based mostly on what I hear. Identical to the Roblox platform, there’s something distinctive for everybody in management. Authenticity and suppleness have been key for me.

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