Principal Machine Learning Engineer, Roblox
Embodied AI and Smart NPCs
$345-399.4k
+ Equity
More information about location
3-5 days a week in office (San Mateo, CA)
Online gaming and entertainment platform
Posted today
Online gaming and entertainment platform
1001+ employees
Posted today
$345-399.4k
+ Equity
More information about location
3-5 days a week in office (San Mateo, CA)
1001+ employees
Company mission
To connect a billion people with optimism and civility.
Role
Who you are
- PhD or Master’s in Computer Science, Applied Math, or other field. A record of top-tier publications (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, CVPR, AAAI, SIGGRAPH, etc) in embodied agents or related domains is a plus
- 7+ years of experience as a Machine Learning Engineer or Research Scientist, applying research to tangible products
- Deep technical understanding of Imitation Learning, Robotics, Reinforcement Learning, Computer Graphics and Vision, with experience working on low-latency motor control (human-like movement) and high-level strategic reasoning (game rules/goals)
- Proficiency in Python (PyTorch/TensorFlow) and familiarity with C#, C++, or similar systems languages
- Experience training models on large-scale distributed clusters and understanding the challenges of inference in real-time gaming environments
- A passion for bridging the gap between research and production, moving beyond academic benchmarks to launch scalable solutions that directly impact millions of users
What the job involves
- As a Principal Machine Learning Engineer within the Creator Services Machine Intelligence team, you will focus on the research and development of Embodied AI and Behavioral Agents that revolutionize how games are created and played on Roblox
- You will bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and massive-scale product application, building agents capable of complex 3D gameplay and unblocking many use cases across Roblox, from automated playtesting to ensure quality, to "Smart NPCs" with human-like movement and strategic reasoning, playing with real players in games
- You will work on Imitation Learning (IL), Reinforcement Learning (RL), Computer Vision, Computer Graphics, Robotics, and Agentic Reasoning to create generalizable agents that can perceive 3D environments, understand game rules, plan long-term strategies, and execute complex physics-based actions
- Report to the Engineering Manager of Creator Services Machine Intelligence
- Design and implement foundation models for embodied agents that master both fluid, human-like movement and high-level strategic reasoning
- Define the long-term roadmap for Game AI and Embodied Intelligence, acting as a technical bar-raiser for code quality and architectural design
- Balance the exploration of cutting-edge deep learning research with the practical constraints of serving models to millions of concurrent users
- Mentor fellow engineers and researchers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and scientific inquiry
- Collaborate with Product Managers, Backend and Game Engine Engineers and other Roblox team members
Our take
Online gaming may be a well-established space, but Roblox has distinguished itself as a leader by empowering its community to build, share, and profit from their own creations, turning game development into an accessible, rewarding ecosystem for millions of users.
In addition to standard games, the platform offers virtual worlds and other experiences to explore and interact with. Its platform provides an online ecosystem for millions to create, socialize, chat, and explore immersive experiences with friends. In fact, in the US its used by two-thirds of children aged 9 to 12.
While the platform does face scrutiny over users safety (particularly given its young audience) the company's efforts to strengthen parental controls and open dialogue through initiatives like its new Parents Council signal a growing commitment to addressing these challenges. At the same time, its financial performance and creator-focused investments underscore a business in very strong health. With record payouts to developers, an expanding older player base, and a platform that increasingly rewards creative talent, Roblox's trajectory remains one of innovation and impressive growth.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
25% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 9 rounds)
Jan 2021
$520m
SERIES H
Feb 2020
$150m
SERIES G
Total funding: $922.8m
Company HQ
South San Mateo, San Mateo, CA
Leadership
David Baszucki
(Founder & CEO)Studied Electrical Engineering at Stanford before founding Knowledge Revolution in 1990, where they spent 9 years as CEO. They worked as VP of MSC.Software for 2 years, and started Roblox in 2005.
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