Senior Expert ARM Kernel Developer – RICOCHET - Central Technology
About The Position
The Senior Expert ARM Kernel Developer will help develop and evolve RICOCHET anti-cheat technology for Call of Duty, protecting players by improving the platform’s security, reliability, and effectiveness. The role focuses on Windows kernel development, driver security, platform architecture, and low-level system behavior across traditional PC and Windows on Arm devices. The position involves developing and maintaining kernel-mode driver capabilities, strengthening production driver systems, investigating cheat techniques and evasion methods, and building resilient detection and protection mechanisms. The developer will collaborate with security engineers, platform teams, external partners, and studios to validate hardware compatibility, improve development and testing infrastructure, and ship and operate driver technology in live products. Activision Central Tech supports development studios and their titles through areas including security, systems programming, infrastructure, optimization, and online services. The team combines engineering and research expertise and is distributed across several countries.
Requirements
- 10 or more years of professional software development experience, with deep expertise in C/C++.
- 5 or more years developing, debugging, and maintaining Windows kernel-mode drivers.
- Proven experience building and supporting production-quality system software.
- Experience with Windows on Arm, ARM64, or ARM64EC development.
- Experience diagnosing and resolving complex driver, platform, and operating system compatibility issues.
- Experience with automated build, test, and validation environments.
- Deep understanding of Windows on Arm, the Windows kernel, the driver model, and operating system internals.
- Strong proficiency in C/C++ and Arm and x86/x64 assembly.
- Expert-level debugging skills using WinDbg and related tools.
- Strong understanding of Windows internals, processes, memory, and executable image internals.
- Solid understanding of algorithms and data structures.
- Ability to build reliable, high-quality low-level software, investigate complex technical problems, analyze and debug assembly-level code, troubleshoot and identify root causes, and communicate effectively.
Nice To Haves
- Experience in Windows security or security software development.
- Reverse engineering experience.
- Experience developing anti-cheat, endpoint security, anti-malware, or EDR solutions.
- Experience working with multiplayer game technology.
- Understanding of advanced cheat-evasion techniques, rootkits, and bootkits, including hypervisors, DKOM, EPT manipulation, and vulnerable-driver abuse.
- Deep understanding of C++ build systems, compilation, linking, and toolchains.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain kernel-mode driver capabilities for anti-cheat protections across x64 and Windows on Arm platforms.
- Analyze, port, debug, and enhance production driver functionality while ensuring stability, performance, and compatibility across hardware and Windows configurations.
- Research cheat techniques and evasion methods, using expertise in Windows internals, reverse engineering, and kernel architecture to develop resilient detection and protection mechanisms.
- Collaborate with security engineers, platform teams, and external partners to validate hardware compatibility, improve development and testing infrastructure, and ship and operate driver technology in live products.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
- Health savings or health reimbursement account and healthcare and dependent care spending accounts.
- Life and AD&D insurance and disability insurance.
- 401(k) with company match.
- Tuition reimbursement.
- Charitable donation matching.
- Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, and floating holidays.
- Compassion and bereavement leaves.
- Parental leave.
- Mental health and wellbeing programs.
- Fitness programs.
- Free and discounted games.
- Voluntary benefits including supplemental life and disability coverage, legal services, ID protection, and rental insurance.
- Relocation assistance may be available when the company requires a geographic move.
- Eligible employees may receive incentive compensation; it is not guaranteed.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
