QA Test Lead (m/f/d)

We’re in search of an experienced QA Test Lead (f/m/d) who can play a pivotal role in creating, what we believe, will be the first MMO of its kind.

So who would you be working with?

You would sit in our QA Team team, responsible for helping bring SEED to life through testing.

In this role, you will play a pivotal part in our development process, collaborating closely with our talented developers and Product Owners to ensure a seamless and captivating gaming experience for our users.

Your responsibilities will encompass crafting test plans for the features you work on. As a crucial team member, you will actively participate in Sprint Demos and other essential Scrum rituals. In collaboration with the QA Director, you will work towards achieving quarterly OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), contribute to the refinement of processes, and establish benchmarks for excellence in testing practices.

Supporting fellow QA Test Leads, distributing workloads, sharing insights to enhance our practices, and assisting in the onboarding of new team members will also be part of your responsibilities.

Part of the QA team works from our Klang HQ in Berlin, and another part of the team works from Madrid, Spain.

So, what would you be doing?

• Overseeing all QA testing efforts and facilitating daily testing needs to ensure comprehensive testing of our game to identify and report bugs and other issues.
• Continually monitoring and updating the bug reporting database to maintain an accurate and up to date reflection of project health.
• Creating and overseeing the execution of test plans and the creation of detailed test cases to ensure the game meets quality standards.
• Collaborating with developers to escalate and prioritize QA bugs and player feedback/issues, monitoring and pushing critical issues through to resolution.
• Mentoring QA staff and actively and continually developing QA processes, methodologies, and best practices.

You could be the person we are searching for if you have…

• Minimum 3 years of experience working as a QA Test Lead (or similar) in the gaming industry
• Proficiency with Agile Development methodologies.
• Strong knowledge of test management and bug-tracking software.
• The ability to communicate fluently in English, inside and outside of your own domain.
• The ability to work well in a cross-location team, collaborate effectively, and adapt to evolving project requirements.

Bonus points for…

• Passion for gaming and a deep understanding of MMOs and multiplayer experiences.
• Experience with Jira, Confluence
• Previous work on multiplayer networked games, ideally persistent ones.

Our benefits…

Klang Spain

• An opportunity to work on a groundbreaking project with a lot of room for professional and personal development
• Reimbursement for physical health activities
• Employee Assistance Program, including mental health support, legal advice as well as support finding doctor’s appointments
• Mental health support
• Flexible office hours (with core hours)
• Virtual Stock Options (VSOP)
• Competitive salary and 23 days of paid vacation
• Reduced working hours during the month of August
• Private healthcare
• Paid trips to Berlin to attend team events and meet the team

Additional information that may be interesting to you

How we get to know you…

1. The recruiter screen: You will have a 45-minute interview with one of the Klang Talent Acquisition Team. During this conversation, you will be asked questions about your motivations for joining us here at Klang and to give an overview of your relevant skills/experience. We will also ask you a set of questions that are linked to our company values.
   
   
2. Hiring Manager: If successful, you will have a 45-minute interview with Craig Harrison, our QA Director. This is usually the person who you would report to and you will dive much deeper into your experience.
   
   
3. Culture Add: A 45-minute interview with María Rey (Studio Operations Director) and/or Cathy Liu (Development Director). This is to assess how you would fit into the team as well as for you to decide if you feel there is a team fit from your side.

So what can you expect to be working on after starting with us?

In your first 30 days:

• Onboarding and Relationship Building: Complete the initial onboarding process, including an introduction to Klang's culture, values, and policies. Begin forming connections with members of the QA team and other team members.
• Tool Proficiency: Familiarize yourself with the basic functionalities of test management and bug-tracking tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Testmo). Establish a means of reviewing, understanding and editing the bug database quickly and effectively, and create processes to understand/set bug quality expectations.
• Game Immersion and Initial Testing: Begin immersing yourself in SEED, the game, to understand its basic mechanics and core loops.
• Process Improvement and OKRs: Start observing the current QA processes within the studio, identifying initial areas for improvement. Collaborate with team members on minor process enhancements based on initial observations. Collaborate with Klang QA staff to begin understanding and analyzing existing test coverage and testing practices, putting in place processes to document necessary changes and begin working on making the essential changes.

In your first 60 days:

• Onboarding and Relationship Building: Deepen your understanding of Klang's culture and how it aligns with the studio's mission and vision. Begin meeting regularly with the QA team and providing performance feedback, expectations and change ideas. Begin attending the relevant Feature Team rituals to understand the expectations and contribute where possible.
• Tool Proficiency: Progress in mastering the selected tools, exploring advanced features and configurations. Collaborate with the QA team to establish efficient workflows within these tools. Demonstrate your ability to stay on top of the bug database, maintaining an accurate and useful reflection of SEED, and ensuring high bug quality.
• Game Immersion and Initial Testing: Deepen your understanding of SEED's gameplay mechanics and world. . Engage in discussions with the development team to prioritize and address reported issues.
• Process Improvement and OKRs: Begin actively participating in discussions aimed at optimizing QA workflows. Propose and implement process enhancements or modifications in collaboration with the QA Director. Lead and collaborate on the completion of essential changes to test coverage, practises and processes identified in the first 30 days.

In your first 90 days:

• Onboarding and Relationship Building: Actively participate in QA team meetings and in the relevant Feature Team rituals, and be accountable for the QA-related outcomes, action items and changes needed during/as a result of those meetings.
• Tool Proficiency: Become proficient in using the selected tools to manage and track testing efforts effectively. In addition to your established processes, provide recommendations for tool improvements or customizations to align with QA needs.
• Game Immersion and Initial Testing: Actively play SEED to experience it from a player's perspective, identifying potential user experience improvements. Lead and collaborate on the completion of the remaining changes to test coverage, practises and processes initially identified in the first 30 days, and reassess to identify any new/additional changes.
• Process Improvement and OKRs: Actively contribute to the development and tracking of quarterly Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). Utilize data collected from testing to make data-informed decisions and strategy adjustments.Understand, collaborate on and use the SEED roadmap to create/update and maintain the QA test plan, and ensure that the current test plan is executed against.

In your first 180 days:

• Onboarding and Relationship Building: Serve as a source of knowledge and guidance for new QA team members who join the studio. Demonstrate mentorship skills to support the onboarding of future hires, enhancing team cohesion.
• Tool Proficiency: Act as a subject matter expert (SME) in the selected tools, providing training and support to new team members. Provide measured results for the success of any tool improvements or changes made for QA, so far.
• Game Immersion and Initial Testing: Become well-versed in SEED's core loops, mechanics, and evolving gameplay features. Collaborate with the development team to contribute ideas for enhancing gameplay and player engagement. Ensure that the QA Test Plan has been adhered to, with measured planned VS actual work completed, lessons learned and action items for future changes.
• Process Improvement and OKRs: Lead process improvement initiatives, driving more substantial changes in QA processes based on data and feedback. Serve as a resource for process-related guidance and best practices within the QA team. Provide measured results on the changes that have been made to test coverage, practices and processes, to show QA’s growth and improvements.