Machine Learning Research Engineer - RICOCHET - Central Technology

Activision Blizzard; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 79,000 - 147,000; Full time

Job summary

Activision Blizzard is seeking a Machine Learning Research Engineer for the RICOCHET Central Tech team in Los Angeles. You will develop detections, run experiments, and validate model impact to protect Call of Duty franchises from cheating.

You’ll collaborate with game designers, engineers, and producers to identify opportunities and advance anti-cheat techniques, staying current with ML and security research while mentoring peers.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent work experience in a quantitative field.
• 3+ years of experience using data science and ML to solve real problems with measurable impact.
• Experience managing large data volumes for production use.
• Experience developing, evaluating, and improving ML models in production.
• Strong Python and ML library skills (PySpark, Pandas, XGBoost, PyTorch).
• Strong SQL skills and data analysis abilities.
• Experience with supervised, unsupervised, and deep learning techniques.
• Strong communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate on ML projects that enhance detection, prevention, and response to cheating.
• Execute experiments and analyses to validate models and measure impact on players.
• Communicate results, impediments, and the impact of work to team and stakeholders.
• Work with game designers, engineers, and producers to identify anti-cheat opportunities.
• Stay up to date on ML, anti-cheat tech, and statistical analysis.

Skills

Python

SQL

Data analysis

PySpark

Pandas

XGBoost

PyTorch

Machine learning

Communication

Education

Master’s degree or equivalent in Data Science/CS/Math/Stats

Tools

PyTorch

XGBoost

Pandas

Spark

Job description

Job Title

Machine Learning Research Engineer - RICOCHET - Central Technology

Requisition ID

R027933

Job Description

Call of Duty is one of the most iconic and successful video game franchises in the world, delivering unforgettable experiences to millions of players every day. At the heart of that experience is fair play, and that is where the RICOCHET Anti-Cheat team comes in.

Our mission is to protect the integrity of the online experience, ensuring every player enjoys a level playing field. As a Machine Learning Research Engineer on RICOCHET, you will develop and improve machine learning detections, run experiments and analysis to validate model impact, and partner cross-functionally to help detect, prevent, and respond to cheating across Call of Duty live titles, including Modern Warfare, Black Ops, Warzone, and future franchise releases.

Your Mission - RICOCHET

The Machine Learning Research Engineer will detect, prevent, and respond to cheating in Activision games using data, ETL, statistics, and machine learning.

As a Machine Learning Research Engineer in RICOCHET, you’ll fit into cross functional team that focuses on securing the Call of Duty Franchise from cheating. In your role you’ll develop new detections from the data, improve existing detections, and support the rest of RICOCHET through consultation, data analysis, data engineering, and experimentation.

What You Bring To The Team

• Collaborate on machine learning projects that enhance detection, prevention, and response to cheating.
• Execute experiments and analysis to validate models and measure their impact on our players.
• Communicate clearly results, impediments, and the impact of your work to the team and stakeholders.
• Work with game designers, engineers, and producers to identify new opportunities for anti-cheat initiatives.
• Stay up to date on the latest advances in the fields of machine learning, anti-cheat technology, and statistical analysis.
• Learn from experts and take mentorship opportunities across the team.

Player Profile

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree or equivalent work experience in Data Science, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in using data science and machine learning to solve real problems with measurable impact on users and the business.
• Experience managing large data volumes for production purposes.
• Experience developing, evaluating, and improving machine learning models in production
• Competent user of Python and the associated ecosystem of libraries (PySpark, Pandas, XGBoost, PyTorch, etc).
• Strong understanding of data analysis and experimentation, including strong SQL skills.
• Experience with supervised, unsupervised, and deep learning techniques to solve real world problems.
• Strong communication skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• The ability to learn from senior team members and to contribute to the growth and success of other team members.

Extra Points

• Experience in threat intelligence, open-source intelligence, online research, fraud or anti-cheat investigations, or similar.
• Experience working with adversarial machine learning, anomaly detection, graph analytics, or behavioral modeling.
• Experience with machine learning in game security, game development, and anti-cheat software.
• Video game enthusiasm and understanding of the gameplay mechanics in Warzone.

Your Platform

Activision Central Tech works to support our development studios and their titles. Comprised of seven main teams, we have many specialties including big data, privacy and security, motion capture and animation pipeline technologies, graphics, build and infrastructure for studio development and data centers, optimization, systems programming and online services including matchmaking and networking. Central Tech is distributed globally with offices across the U.S., and in Canada, England, and Ireland.

Most of our teams are comprised of both engineering and research talent, allowing us to always have an eye on the future. Our dedicated engineers help with title development and provide valuable knowledge sharing between studios while our researchers are action-oriented and keep a strong connection with the needs of the game studios.

Central Tech is part of Activision. To learn more about us and our research, please visit us at https://research.activision.com/.

Our World

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We're driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Guitar Hero. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our "press start" is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.

We're not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we're forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.

We're in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater - this could be your opportunity to level up.

Ready to Activate Your Future?

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to [e-mail]. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

Rewards

Requirements

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for 'Every World' - we've got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $79,200.00 - $146,504.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.