AI Summary
Join Kinetic Games as a QA Lead to drive the QA strategy, support the QA team, and provide best practices for the development lifecycle. As a key member of the team, you will be responsible for coaching and mentoring team members, defining and managing bug workflows, and overseeing comprehensive testing.
Key Highlights
Drive QA strategy and best practices
Support QA team and provide coaching and mentoring
Define and manage bug workflows and comprehensive testing
Technical Skills Required
Benefits & Perks
Competitive salary
5% Employer Match Pension Scheme
Annual performance bonus + Company performance bonus
Weekly free team lunches
Regular social events
Hybrid & flexible working options
Flextime
Opportunities to travel to industry events
Relocation package
Employee of the Month vouchers
Personal wellbeing allowance
Referral scheme
Electric Vehicle Car Scheme
Training & Development Budget
Vitality Health Insurance
Aviva Life Insurance
30 days holiday
Job Description
About Kinetic Games
We’re an independent games studio best known for creating Phasmophobia, enjoyed by millions of players worldwide. Our team is passionate, creative, and collaborative and we’re looking for someone equally enthusiastic about games to join our growing team.
We’re a small, friendly team that values creativity, openness, and personal growth. Whether you’re helping various departments or talking about your favourite horror game, you’ll be part of a supportive environment where passion and curiosity are celebrated. You’ll be joining a small but ambitious team where your ideas are valued, your growth is supported, and your development truly matters.
About The Role
We are looking for a positive, enthusiastic, organised and collaborative QA Lead to join Kinetic Games and support the development teams across the studio. As QA Lead, reporting to the Technical Director, you will support the QA team while driving the QA strategy in coordination with technical leadership.
Comfortable with people as much as process, you will be a keen, experienced coach and mentor for your team members with a genuine interest in their growth and wellbeing while seeking to provide the best QA support for the development team.
This role is hybrid, based in the Southampton area.
NOTE: For this role we require someone with a deep player experience of our game ‘Phasmophobia’ please only apply if you have this.
Your Responsibilities Will Include
- Serve as the primary point of contact for QA, communicating test status, risks and metrics to stakeholders and production.
- Drive best practices, standards and methodologies for the entire development lifecycle.
- Support the QA team with coaching and mentoring through 1:1s, training and a focus on ongoing development and satisfaction keyed to individuals' motivations.
- Define and Manage bug workflow within issue tracking systems including triage process, priority assignment guidelines and closure criteria.
- Oversee and participate in comprehensive testing functional, compatibility and compliance as well as localisation, performance and user experience.
- Provide regular objective feedback on new features to the design team.
- You will manage the QA budget in coordination with the Technical Director
- Be an agent of continuous improvement, evaluating, recommending and implementing process and practical innovation in how we work within your area of expertise.
- Strong interpersonal and technical skills
- Deep player experience of our game, ‘Phasmophobia’
- Confident communicator both in writing and verbally
- Experience of delivering embedded QA in a commercial game studio
- Strong management skills experience
- Up-to-date knowledge of industry trends and platform holder requirements, as well as an understanding of the gaming landscape and audience.
- Proven experience of designing and implementing bug workflows, test plans and reporting structures.
- Expert knowledge of JIRA and testing experience in Unity
- Direct experience of managing submissions and compliance testing on console.
- Minimum of 3years' experience within a Senior/Lead QA role with a track record of shipping titles on multiple platforms.
💰 Competitive salary
💼 5% Employer Match Pension Scheme
💸 Annual performance bonus + Company performance bonus
🍽️ Weekly free team lunches – good food, great company!
🎉 Regular social events – we love bringing our teams together!
🏠 Hybrid & flexible working options
🕓 Flextime – because life doesn’t always fit 9–5
✈️ Opportunities to travel to amazing industry events like GDC, Gamescom, TwitchCon (EU & US), EGX & Develop:Brighton
📦 Relocation package to help you settle in
🏅 Employee of the Month vouchers
🧘 ♀️ Personal wellbeing allowance
🤝 Referral scheme
🚗 Electric Vehicle Car Scheme
🎓 Training & Development Budget – invest in your growth with courses, conferences & learning resources
🚀 Training & career development support
💚 Vitality Health Insurance – includes Vision, Dental & Travel cover
🛡️ Aviva Life Insurance
🎂 30 days holiday, including your birthday and a dedicated wellbeing day
🎄 Christmas studio shutdown – enjoy the holidays, on us!
The Pay Range For This Role Is
45,000 - 55,000 GBP per year(Hybrid (Southampton, England, GB))