Principal Security Software Engineer, Anti-Cheat

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.

As a Principal Security Software Engineer, Anti-Cheat on our Game Client Engineering Team, you’ll be a key defender at the forefront of Roblox’s security. Every day, you’ll take on sophisticated hackers around the world who attempt to exploit and manipulate our platform. We rely on your expertise to uncover and analyze new threats, implement robust protective layers to fortify our client, and work closely with engineering partners to make our defenses stronger, smarter, and more resilient. This is a role for those passionate about taking on real-world security challenges and building systems that stop attackers in their tracks.

You will:

• Detect and Neutralize Threats: Identify, analyze, and reverse engineer exploits, vulnerabilities, and cheat mechanisms used against our platform, devising effective countermeasures to safeguard our community.
• Architect Robust Defenses: Design and implement advanced anti-tamper and anti-cheat systems directly within the Roblox client, elevating its resilience against current and future threats.
• Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Partner closely with engineering, Trust and Safety, and infrastructure teams to ensure seamless integration of security features, and drive alignment on best practices for platform protection.
• Lead Innovation in Client Hardening: Pioneer new methods to protect our client, from memory protection to code obfuscation and beyond, anticipating and mitigating potential exploits.
• Monitor and Adapt: Stay ahead of emerging threats by continuously analyzing hacker behavior and adapting protection strategies to maintain our lead in the evolving security landscape.
• Mentor and Guide: Support the growth of junior engineers through knowledge sharing and mentorship, fostering a culture of proactive security within the team.

You have:

• Mobile Security Expertise: Significant experience in Android security and mobile threat modeling, with a deep understanding of client hardening, anti-tamper mechanisms, and exploit mitigation techniques.
• Low-Level Systems Knowledge: Proven ability in low-level systems programming, including hands-on experience with operating system internals and reverse engineering. Familiarity with ARM assembly is a strong advantage!
• Programming Proficiency: Skilled in C/C++ for native Android development, with working knowledge of Java. Able to write high-performance code that is secure, maintainable, and efficient on resource-limited mobile platforms.
• Security System Engineering: Demonstrated experience architecting and implementing security features for mobile or embedded systems, ideally within the gaming or app security space.
• iOS Development Experience: While Android expertise is critical, experience with iOS development is a plus, as it broadens the potential for cross-platform security solutions.
• Embedded Systems and Malware Analysis: Familiarity with embedded systems security, binary analysis, and malware detection methods is beneficial for tackling advanced anti-cheat challenges.

You are:

• A Hacker at Heart: You’ve been uncovering vulnerabilities and finding security flaws in software since your early days, with a passion for staying one step ahead of potential attackers.
• A Low-Level Software Engineer: You’re well-versed in the depths of operating systems, with hands-on experience in kernel APIs, executable file formats, debugging tools, assembly, and calling conventions.
• Mobile Security Expert: Android is your specialty, with expertise in securing mobile applications, working with Android OS internals, and implementing advanced anti-tamper and anti-cheat techniques. Knowledge of iOS security is a plus!
• Proficient in Reverse Engineering: You can dissect and analyze code, identifying potential vulnerabilities and understanding attacker methods, with practical skills in ARM assembly and binary analysis.
• A Collaborative Problem Solver: You thrive on working closely with cross-functional teams, translating complex security challenges into practical solutions that protect our users and platform.

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$313,400—$370,100 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.