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 Utility Safety inside our Infrastructure Staff.

What do you do at Roblox? 

I joined Roblox a few yr in the past to guide our Product and Utility Safety staff inside Info 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 present?

Whilst a small baby, I’d at all times liked computer systems and know-how. I used to be drawn to pc courses and took my first programming course in highschool. As quickly as I began school, 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 significant 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 unhealthy actors has change 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 fulfill Roblox’s quickly rising platform and enterprise, and a few of the kinds of motivated menace actors and cyber assaults which can be widespread 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 staff.

What motivates you?

I’m aggressive – principally 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, nevertheless it’s vital to me to not stagnate. This is likely one of the issues I really like about safety. There are such a lot of completely different subdomains, so I’ve been capable of concentrate on several types of safety issues and challenges by way of the years.

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

What are some management qualities which have labored for you? 

I purpose to prepared the ground I prefer to be led. I respect being empowered and given area to tackle troublesome challenges, and I’ve discovered that Roblox’s government management staff fosters this tradition and helps me in emulating it for my very own staff. Belief is vital 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 carry this to life by way of each massive and small actions that empower my staff and foster autonomy. As a substitute of giving my opinion or recommendation instantly, I prefer 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 staff 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 obsessed 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 have now an excellent neighborhood of girls 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 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 achieved that you simply’re happy with?

The InfoSec staff is quickly rising, and far of the staff is new to Roblox. I’m so happy with the progress we’ve been capable of make as a brand new staff in a really brief time frame. We’ve additionally constructed out our Utility Safety (AppSec) staff, and that group has already made a ton of affect. In true Roblox trend, the staff began by constructing a robust system and course of for the way we have interaction cross-functionally to establish and resolve software degree vulnerabilities and dangers. We’re certainly not completed with the journey, however the progress we’ve made to date actually stands out to me.

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

In the event you had to decide on a price that the majority 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 staff. Though we have now speedy 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 realize our targets. When formulating plans and paths ahead, we ask ourselves the place we wish 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 concerning the platform?

Roblox is particular as a result of it’s so open and diversified – the kinds of experiences which you could 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 get pleasure from them. We’re simply scratching the floor of what’s actually doable. It’s an incredible time to work on the firm, and I’ve been so impressed by what I’ve seen to date. 

In closing, is there a chunk of management recommendation you may 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 stuff you respect most out of your leaders, and ask for suggestions alongside the journey. One of the efficient methods I’ve discovered to make sure I’m hitting the mark is to easily ask – then to hear, study, and evolve primarily based 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.