Senior QA Tester

Kinetic Games; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic game studio in Southampton is seeking a Senior QA to enhance the quality of their games. This role involves supporting development teams, managing bug workflows, and ensuring best practices in QA methodology. You will need strong interpersonal skills, with at least 3 years of experience in QA at a commercial game studio, and familiarity with JIRA and Unity. The position offers a hybrid work environment, free weekly lunches, and various employee benefits including training budgets and generous holidays.

Benefits

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

Training & Development Budget

30 days holiday including birthday

Christmas studio shutdown

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years' experience in a Senior/Lead QA role with a shipped title.
• Experience in commercial game studio QA.
• Direct experience managing submissions and compliance testing.

Responsibilities

• Support the QA Lead on test status, risks, and metrics.
• Drive best practices for the entire development lifecycle.
• Manage bug workflow including triage and closure criteria.

Skills

Strong interpersonal and technical skills

Attention to detail

Confident communicator

Knowledge of industry trends

Experience with JIRA

Experience in Unity testing

Tools

JIRA

Unity

Job description

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 dynamic, organised and collaborative Senior QA to join Kinetic Games and support the development teams across the studio. As Senior QA, reporting to the QA Lead, you will support junior members of the QA team while demonstrating best practice in QA testing throughout the lifecycle of our games.

An eager contributor with a keen eye for detail, you will be passionate about supporting the development team in delivering the best possible experience for our players.

This role is hybrid, based in the Southampton area.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Support the QA Lead, working with Production on test status, risks and metrics to stakeholders and production.
• Drive best practices, standards and methodologies for the entire development lifecycle.
• Help to manage bug workflow within issue tracking systems including triage process, priority assignment guidelines and closure criteria.
• Participate in comprehensive testing functional, compatibility and compliance as well as localisation, performance and user experience.
• Be an agent of continuous improvement, evaluating, recommending and implementing process and practical innovation in how we work within your area of expertise.

Requirements:

• Strong interpersonal and technical skills with an excellent attention to detail
• Player experience of our game, ‘Phasmophobia’
• Confident communicator both in writing and verbally
• Experience of delivering embedded QA in a commercial game studio
• Provide regular objective feedback on new features to the design team.
• 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 testing, executing bug workflows, test plans and contributing to reporting structures.
• Solid knowledge of JIRA and testing experience in Unity
• Direct experience of managing submissions and compliance testing on console.
• Minimum of 3 years' experience within a Senior/Lead QA role with a minimum of 1 shipped title on PC or console.

🍽️ 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

🎓 Training & Development Budget – invest in your growth with courses, conferences & learning resources

🎂 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:

30,000 - 35,000 GBP per year (Hybrid (Southampton, England, GB))