QA Project Lead

Job Title:

Requisition ID:

Job Description:

Job Title: QA Project Lead

Reporting To:  Senior QA Project Lead & QA Manager

Department: Quality Assurance

Location: Austin, TX (This role is anticipated to be assigned to work fully on-site at an Activision Blizzard office)

Your Platform

Founded in 1979, Activision has continuously disrupted the world of entertainment as a leader in the videogame industry. With a history of delivering iconic game changers -- like Pitfall®, Tony Hawk®, Guitar Hero®, Crash Bandicoot™, Skylanders™ and Call of Duty® -- our obsession is delighting our players around the globe. Focused and committed to innovation, we consistently deliver the most beloved, engaging and successful entertainment.

And while we have world-class franchises, infrastructure and resources, our success comes from a passionate, talented and diverse team of people producing greatness together. So, if you’re interested in our biggest priority, it’s our people.

We’re currently driving the next era for our company and community by creating amazing experiences for fans and continuing to make Activision an inclusive place where everyone can thrive.

Join us, make history.  To learn more, check us out at www.activision.com, www.activisiongamesblog.com or @Activision on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Your Mission

The QA Project Lead is directly responsible for guiding a team of Associate QA Project Leads (“APLs”) who oversee QA Testers through the functionality testing and/or 1st party compliance testing of an Activision product.  The QA Project Lead will be the main point of contact between Production staff, Development teams, and other Activision QA teams.

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:   

Project Management

• Communicates with Development and Production teams to provide recommendations on compliant game functionality and/or technical requirements.
• Creates and maintains all project related checklists.
• Completes milestone assessment reports at Alpha & Beta in accordance with QA policies. 
• Identifies and documents requirements in a clear and concise manner using the assigned bug tracking databases.
• Creates informative and accurate daily reports and ensures distribution and delegation of work to designated production and management staff such as APLs.
• Develops effective test plans and perform standards testing on console games to verify proper function, data content, performance, usability/playability, and hardware/software compatibility.
• Administers the defect report database and other platform associated databases.
• Manages proper closure of all assigned projects and ensures all final code and documentation are properly archived.
• Assists in special projects, such as demonstrations, training, surveys, focus groups, etc.
• Assists in forming and improving QA systems and procedures.

Managing and Mentoring

• Supervises the test team including APLs, Senior Testers and Testers on a daily basis to ensure rapid and accurate completion of delegated tasks.
• Actively evaluates APL performance and works closely with APLs to address any issues that arise in their work through coaching and counseling testers.
• Collaborates with APLs, and testers directly, in order to prepare testers for additional responsibilities, such as becoming Senior QA Testers.
• Participates in and makes recommendations in decisions to hire and promote APLs.
• Collaborates with APLs on Senior QA Tester and QA Tester interviews and contributes to hiring decisions in collaboration with APLs.

Database Administration

• Reviews all issues entered by the test teams to ensure bug reports include required information and conform to Activision QA standards.
• Reviews all disputed issues (e.g., ‘Not a Bug,’ ‘Will Not Fix,’ & ‘Duplicate’) with Senior QA Project Lead. 
• Updates the database after each bug sweep.

Player Profile

Minimum Requirements:

Technical

• Proficient with Devtrack & Jira or similar bug tracking database.
• Able to identify defects in software titles and report defects in a clear and concise manner.
• Capacity to create and implement innovative testing procedures and materials.
• Strong working knowledge of most popular console platforms and related peripherals, PC Software/hardware, and Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel).
• Has been in a leadership role (Senior QA Tester and/or Associate QA Project Lead).

Non-Technical

• 2+ year of experience working in the Activision QA Department or in a comparable Quality Assurance department.
• Excellent written/spoken communication with others.
• Strong leadership ability.
• Proficient in exercising independent judgment in managing others and/or making meaningful recommendations to senior managers with respect to decisions concerning personnel and team management.
• Ability to handle high pressure situations and prioritize multiple tasks.
• Possesses excellent spoken and written communication skills and be able to work with varied staff members and personalities.
• Must be honest, punctual, and have a strong work ethic.
• Able to work in a team environment.
• Actively communicates a positive, outgoing approach to Quality Assurance.  Able to give and accept positive as well as negative feedback.
• Must be an avid gamer, with interests in many different genres of games and a passion for developing high quality games.
• A strong desire to learn and understand the technologies involved in game creation.
• Demonstrable ability to work with and help mentor and manage new testers.

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

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovate worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment.  We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

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 [email protected] General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

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