Senior / Principal Data Scientist - Engine Avatar

Roblox; San Mateo (CA); On-site; USD 301,000 - 367,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative firm is seeking a Senior Data Scientist to join their Avatar team, where you'll drive advancements in character technology and enhance player identity in the Metaverse. This role involves defining success metrics, analyzing features, and collaborating with diverse teams to unlock new opportunities. You will leverage your expertise in data analysis, statistical modeling, and machine learning to influence product development and improve user experiences. Join a dynamic environment that values creativity and collaboration, and play a crucial role in shaping the future of digital interaction.

Benefits

Industry-leading compensation package

Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage

401k program

Flexible vacation policy

Free catered lunches

Onsite fitness center

Annual CalTrain Go Pass

Roblox Admin badge for your avatar

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in data science or analytics roles.
• Advanced degree in a quantitative field is required.

Responsibilities

• Define success metrics for Avatar performance and quality.
• Analyze and enhance Avatar features and products.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration across teams.

Skills

Data Analysis

Statistical Modeling

Machine Learning

Data Engineering

Creative Problem Solving

Data Storytelling

Education

Advanced degree in Statistics

Degree in Computer Science

Degree in Applied Math

Tools

A/B Testing

Telemetry Logging

Data Pipeline Building

Dashboard Design

Job description

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.

WHY DATA SCIENCE & ANALYTICS?

The Data Science & Analytics organization's mission is to increase our speed, frequency and acumen of making decisions at scale by instilling a data-influenced approach to building products. We cover a wide area of the data spectrum including analytical data engineering, product analytics, experimentation, causal inference, statistical modeling and machine learning. Aligned and partnering with product verticals, we use this extensive tool belt to discover new opportunities and unmet use cases, influence and shape the product roadmap and prioritization, build data products and measure impact on our community of players and developers.

WHY AVATAR?

The Roblox Avatar is at the heart of a player's identity, serving as a foundational pillar of the Roblox Metaverse. As a Senior Data Scientist on the Avatar team, you will drive cutting-edge advancements in character technology, expanding the spectrum of avatar aesthetics and behaviors—from iconic, toy-like characters to highly realistic, human-like figures and everything in between.

Collaborating closely with engineers, data scientists, technical program managers, and leaders across Roblox, you will play a critical role in enhancing Avatar quality and performance. Your work will span the entire Engine, influencing key areas such as threading, memory management, physics, and scripting. You will define top-line metrics, evaluate the impact of core Avatar innovations, and uncover new opportunities through dashboards, data analysis, and A/B experiments.

You Will:

• Define Success Metrics for Avatar Performance and quality – Establish key performance indicators, such as Avatar loading speed, and identify the metrics that matter most to end-users.
• Analyze and Enhance Avatar Features & Products – Investigate ways to improve the Avatar creation experience, track style trends, and optimize how users interact with their Avatars.
• Drive Cross-Functional Collaboration – Work alongside teams across Economy, Growth, and Creator organizations to navigate uncharted areas and unlock new opportunities.
• Transform & Visualize Data – Access raw data, process and analyze it, then present insights in a compelling way using a custom analytics toolkit built from cutting-edge open-source technologies.
• Leverage A/B Testing & Causal Inference – Design experiments to measure the impact of product features and ensure data-driven decision-making.
• Shape the Future of Roblox Avatars – Influence how Roblox enhances the player and developer experience, driving innovation in Avatar technology.

You Have:

• Advanced or equivalent degree in Statistics, Computer Science, Physics, Applied Math, Economics, Engineering or other related quantitative fields
• 5+ years of relevant industry experience; background in game engine, system performance is a plus, etc.
• Data engineering experience. e.g. telemetry logging, data pipeline building, dashboard design
• Experience applying creative first-principles reasoning to solve ambiguous problems
• Experience leading and presenting analytics results and enjoy data storytelling to influence engineering teams and leaders
• Experience driving an area as an individual contributor and thought leader

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 $301,400 — $366,350 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.