Senior Design Engineer
Roblox · San Mateo, CA
- On site
- Full-time
- $255,000 / year
- San Mateo, CA
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Senior Design Engineer
Roblox · San Mateo, CA
Dana Walsh
Hiring Manager · h•••••@careers.roblox.com
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Subject: Interested in the Senior Design Engineer role at Roblox
Hi Dana — I came across the Senior Design Engineer opening and wanted to reach out directly. I've spent the last few years doing exactly this kind of work, and Roblox stood out because…
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Job highlights
- Build scalable backend services and APIs for design tools.
- Develop agentic workflows for AI-generated UI components.
- Create automated CI/CD pipelines for designers.
- Design data architecture for design systems and AI.
- Develop internal tools and Figma plugins.
About the role
About Roblox
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.Job Overview
As a Design Engineer on the Design Acceleration team, you’ll be an individual contributor focused on evolving the systems and processes which power Roblox’s design organization through scalable systems, AI integrations, and custom tooling. Our team is responsible for building the orchestration layers and internal tools that empower designers and engineers to work faster and more cohesively. You will help build internal tools, like Figma plugins and design utilities, that empower designers and engineers to work faster and more cohesively. You have experience at the intersection of systems engineering and design tooling. You understand design systems, but your superpower is building the backend services, APIs, and data models that allow those systems to scale. Your work will help ensure our design tools, AI agents, and prototypes not only inspire—but deploy seamlessly into production environments.What You'll Do
- Architect and build scalable backend services and APIs that connect our design tools to AI models and production environments (Roblox Studio).
- Develop agentic workflows and orchestration layers (such as Model Context Protocol servers) to enable natural language generation of UI components, layouts, and prototypes.
- Build automated CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure to abstract away complex DevOps workflows, creating "zero-config" development environments for non-technical designers.
- Design and maintain the data architecture that connects our design system to our AI data sources, ensuring design tokens and components are programmatically accessible and synced across multiple platforms.
- Create internal tools, develop plugins for tools like Figma and Cursor, and build web apps focused on design linting, code generation, and automated compliance at scale.
- Serve as the deeply technical bridge between core engineering, AI research, and product design, ensuring our design acceleration tools are secure, performant, and structurally sound.
- You will report to the Manager of Design Acceleration.
What You Bring
- 6+ years of software engineering experience with a strong focus on full-stack or backend development, systems architecture, and API design.
- Demonstrated experience building scalable internal services, not just frontend interfaces.
- Familiarity with LLM orchestration, agentic workflows, and AI protocols (e.g., MCP).
- Experience with cloud infrastructure, feature-flag management, version control (GitHub Enterprise), and automated deployment pipelines.
- Strong understanding of Figma plugin architecture and how to programmatically parse and manipulate design data at scale.
- (Nice to have) Experience with Roblox development, Lua/React-Lua, or game-engine UI architecture.
- (Nice to have) Experience with ASTs (Abstract Syntax Trees), compiler logic, or automated code generation.
Compensation and Benefits
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 as described on this page. Annual Salary Range: $214,710—$255,720 USDWork Environment
Roles that are based in an office are onsite Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with optional presence on Monday and Friday (unless otherwise noted).Equal Opportunity
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 to candidates with qualifying disabilities or religious beliefs during the recruiting process.Visa Sponsorship
For US based roles only, please note the Company may not be able to employ candidates for this role who have United States work authorization related to certain U.S. visa categories, or support future H-1B sponsorship at this time.Key skills/competency
- Design Engineering
- Systems Architecture
- API Design
- Backend Development
- LLM Orchestration
- Figma Plugins
- CI/CD
- Cloud Infrastructure
- Internal Tools
- Roblox Studio
Skills & topics
- Senior Design Engineer
- Systems Engineering
- Design Systems
- Backend Development
- API Design
- AI Integration
- Figma Plugins
- CI/CD
- Cloud Infrastructure
- Roblox Studio
- LLM Orchestration
- Agentic Workflows
- Software Engineering
- San Mateo
- CA
- Full-Stack Development
- Game Development
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight systems architecture, API design, and backend development experience. Emphasize any experience with LLM orchestration or Figma plugins.
- Showcase your portfolio: Include projects demonstrating your ability to build scalable internal services and integrate AI.
- Prepare for technical interviews: Be ready to discuss systems design, API best practices, and your experience with cloud infrastructure and CI/CD.
- Understand Roblox's mission: Articulate how your skills can contribute to building immersive digital experiences and connecting people.
- Ask informed questions: Inquire about the Design Acceleration team's roadmap and the challenges they aim to solve.
Technical preparation
Master backend architecture and API design principles.,Practice building scalable internal services.,Study LLM orchestration and AI protocols.,Familiarize with Figma plugin development.
Behavioral questions
Describe a complex system you designed.,How do you bridge engineering and design?,Tell me about a time you automated a process.,How do you ensure tool adoption by non-technical users?
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Frequently asked questions
- What specific experience is most valued for the Senior Design Engineer role at Roblox?
- The Roblox Senior Design Engineer role highly values candidates with over 6 years of software engineering experience, particularly in full-stack or backend development, systems architecture, and API design. Proven experience building scalable internal services, familiarity with LLM orchestration and AI protocols, and a strong understanding of Figma plugin architecture are key. While not mandatory, experience with Roblox development or game-engine UI architecture is a plus.
- How does the Design Acceleration team at Roblox use AI?
- The Design Acceleration team at Roblox leverages AI to enhance the design process. This includes integrating AI models with design tools, developing agentic workflows for natural language generation of UI components and prototypes, and using AI to inform data architecture that connects design systems to AI data sources. The goal is to empower designers and engineers to work more efficiently and cohesively.
- What is the expected work arrangement for a Senior Design Engineer at Roblox?
- For roles based at the San Mateo, CA headquarters, the work arrangement is hybrid. Employees are expected to be onsite Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with optional presence on Monday and Friday, unless otherwise specified. This ensures a balance between collaborative in-office work and flexibility.
- What are the key responsibilities of a Senior Design Engineer at Roblox?
- Key responsibilities include architecting and building scalable backend services and APIs, developing AI-driven workflows for UI generation, creating automated CI/CD pipelines, designing data architecture for design systems, and building internal tools and plugins. You'll act as a technical liaison between engineering, AI research, and product design.
- Does Roblox offer visa sponsorship for the Senior Design Engineer position?
- For US-based roles, Roblox may not be able to employ candidates requiring certain US visa categories or support future H-1B sponsorship at this time. It's advisable to check the specific details for the role and location you are interested in.
- What technologies or tools are essential for a Senior Design Engineer applicant at Roblox?
- Essential technologies include expertise in backend development, systems architecture, and API design. Familiarity with LLM orchestration, AI protocols (like MCP), cloud infrastructure, version control (GitHub Enterprise), automated deployment pipelines, and Figma plugin architecture is crucial. Experience with abstract syntax trees (ASTs) or automated code generation is considered a bonus.
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