QA Lead – Space Engineers

About the Role

Space Engineers is a highly technical sandbox game with a global player base of over six million. We are seeking a QA Lead to ensure the highest quality of the game, influencing its development directly. This role involves collaborating with skilled developers, making critical release decisions, and embedding quality into every phase of development.

Key Responsibilities

• Bear full responsibility for the quality measurement of Space Engineers, elevating standards across gameplay, tech systems, content, and releases.
• Manage multiplatform release readiness and production stability, making go/no-go decisions grounded in risk assessments and quality data.
• Develop and maintain the QA strategy, priorities, and standards, focusing efforts on areas delivering maximum value to developers and players.
• Lead, mentor, and cultivate a team of seven QA experts, fostering a culture of ownership, accountability, continuous improvement, and high performance.
• Continuously enhance QA workflows and processes to integrate quality seamlessly into development, rather than as a final checkpoint.
• Oversee post-release quality by analyzing player reports, crash logs, telemetry, and feedback to mitigate player-affecting problems.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Design, Production, and Community teams to anticipate risks and resolve issues effectively.
• Direct release validation, regression testing, and quality reviews at milestones.
• Ensure clear bug reporting, prioritization, and communication emphasizing business and player impacts.
• Provide leadership with transparent insights into product quality, release risks, and overall QA health.

Candidate Profile

• Possesses over five years of QA Lead experience in game development, preferably with PC and/or console titles.
• Has overseen multiple game launches through complete lifecycles.
• Understands software testing methodologies, release management, and risk-based approaches thoroughly.
• Experienced in designing, refining, and implementing QA processes beyond execution.
• Proficient in test automation strategies, frameworks, and best practices.
• Able to balance technical quality with practical production constraints.
• Capable of making tough release decisions backed by evidence.
• Excellent communicator with stakeholder management skills.
• Fluent in English.
• Located within the EU, preferably the Czech Republic, with willingness to travel to Prague as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with sandbox, simulation, or system-intensive games.
• Knowledge of telemetry, crash analytics, and live operations.
• Background working on long-term live products.
• A passion for engineering-driven gaming experiences.

Success Metrics

• Deliver stable, high-quality game releases with minimal player-reported issues.
• Maintain clear visibility and informed approaches to release decisions.
• Develop a motivated, accountable, and high-achieving QA team.
• Create scalable, efficient QA processes aligned with development growth.
• Proactively reduce customer support tickets through quality enhancements.
• Foster effective collaboration and trust among QA, Engineering, Design, and Production teams.

Work Environment and Benefits

• Hybrid working model with the possibility to work remotely.
• Low bureaucracy and fast decision-making processes.
• Five weeks of vacation and flexible sick leave policies.
• Modern office facilities in Prague featuring quiet zones, a scenic garden, quality equipment, bike storage, gym, showers, stocked kitchen, and chef-prepared lunches.
• Community-focused atmosphere with regular team breakfasts, workshops, social events like BBQs, game nights, parties, and team-building activities.