Senior Expert ARM Kernel Developer – RICOCHET - Central Technology

ACTIVISION PUBLISHING, INC.; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Activision Publishing, Inc. is seeking a Senior Expert ARM Kernel Developer for the RICOCHET Central Technology team in Los Angeles.

You will design, develop, and optimize kernel-mode drivers, work across Windows on ARM platforms, and collaborate with security engineers to advance anti-cheat protections.

Strong background in C/C++, 5+ years of Windows kernel-mode experience, and deep knowledge of OS internals are required.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional software development in C/C++.
• 5+ years of Windows kernel-mode driver development.
• Experience with Windows on Arm, ARM64/ARM64EC.
• Experience diagnosing driver/platform/OS compatibility issues.
• Experience with automated build, test and validation environments.

Responsibilities

• Build and evolve platform protections with kernel-mode drivers for x64 and Windows on Arm.
• Strengthen core driver systems for stability, performance, and compatibility.
• Investigate and counter advanced threats using Windows internals and reverse engineering.
• Collaborate across studios and platforms to validate hardware compatibility and ship driver tech.

Skills

C/C++

Windows kernel

WinDbg

ARM64

Assembly

Debugging

OS Internals

Job description

Job Title: Senior Expert ARM Kernel Developer - RICOCHET - Central Technology Requisition ID: R028287 Job Description:

Your Mission Your contributions will help millions of players experience Call of Duty as it's meant to be played: competitive, fair, and thrilling. You'll solve complex challenges involving Windows kernel development, driver security, platform architecture, and low-level system behavior while helping shape the future of anti-cheat technology on both traditional PC and Windows on Arm devices. Your work will directly influence the security, reliability, and effectiveness of the RICOCHET platform and help protect one of the world's largest gaming communities.

What you bring to the table

The Game Security team's priorities can change quickly based on the threat landscape. The following areas of ownership will act as a baseline. Therefore, this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Build and Evolve Platform Protections: Design, develop, and maintain kernel-mode driver capabilities that provide a strong foundation for anti-cheat protections across x64 and Windows on Arm platforms.
• Strengthen Core Driver Systems: Analyze, port, debug, and enhance production driver functionality while ensuring stability, performance, and compatibility across a wide range of hardware and Windows configurations.
• Investigate and Counter Advanced Threats: Research cheat techniques and evasion methods, leveraging expertise in Windows internals, reverse engineering, and kernel architecture to develop resilient detection and protection mechanisms.
• Collaborate Across Studios and Platforms: Partner with security engineers, platform teams, and external partners to validate hardware compatibility, improve development and testing infrastructure, and successfully ship and operate driver technology in live products.

Why This Role Matters

Your contributions will help millions of players experience Call of Duty as it's meant to be played: competitive, fair, and thrilling. You'll solve complex challenges involving Windows kernel development, driver security, platform architecture, and low-level system behavior while helping shape the future of anti-cheat technology on both traditional PC and Windows on Arm devices. Your work will directly influence the security, reliability, and effectiveness of the RICOCHET platform and help protect one of the world's largest gaming communities.

Player Profile Minimum Requirements

• Experience 10+ years of professional software development experience with deep expertise in C/C++
• 5+ years developing, debugging, and maintaining Windows kernel-mode drivers
• Proven experience building and supporting production-quality system software Windows on Arm, ARM64, or ARM64EC development experience
• Experience diagnosing and resolving complex driver, platform, and OS compatibility issues
• Experience with automated build, test, and validation environments

Knowledge & Skills

• Deep understanding of the Windows on Arm, Windows kernel, driver model, and operating system internals
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ and Arm, x86/x64 assembly
• Expert-level debugging skills using WinDbg and related tooling
• Strong understanding of Windows Internals, process, memory, and executable image internals
• Solid understanding of algorithms and data structures

Key Attributes

• Passion for building reliable, high-quality low-level software
• Curiosity to understand how systems work internally and solve complex technical problems
• Comfortable analyzing and debugging code at the assembly level
• Strong troubleshooting and root-cause analysis skills
• Clear and effective communication skills

Extra Points

• Experience Windows security or security software development experience
• Reverse engineering experience
• Experience developing anti-cheat, endpoint security, anti-malware, or E