Nickelodeon Games Group is seeking a talented and energetic Senior QA / QA Lead to join our team to help expand our industry leading Virtual Worlds Games brand. This position will focus on ensuring the top quality of our various MMO games and online gaming applications. The ideal candidate must have solid experience testing MMO/MMORP games with a focus on testing overall game play and game mechanics.

Responsibilities will include:
• Build, manage, lead, and mentor a QA team, maintaining quality standards across all supported applications and brands.
• Provide effective communication regarding QA status and issues between all project stakeholders including Development, Project, Production and Senior Management.
• Develop and maintain software test plans/scripts.
• Manually execute tests and document/report results.
• Manage and track all internal defects/bugs in JIRA.
• Participate in project team meetings and represent QA interests in requirement, design, and bug review meetings.
• Work in conjunction, as well as coordinate all testing efforts, with offshore resources during development phases as well as live support.
• Lead QA checks and provide approvals for regular code publishes.
• Coordinate with customer support teams to identify, verify & prioritize live bugs.
• Use various industry standard testing tools like Charles, Fiddler, Http Watcher, Wireshark, Firebug, etc to help facilitate debugging efforts for development.

Required Qualifications/Skills:
• Must possess a passion for excellence in quality.
• QA Management/Lead experience (process implementation, task delegation, conflict resolution, performance reviews, etc.)
• Experience working with/managing an offshore QA team.
• Experience with hands-on testing, functionality, UAT, smoke, unit, compatibility, integration stress, navigation, regression, automation and performance testing using custom scripts and automated tools.
• Strong QA skills, including technical/tool skills, as well as knowledge of various SDLC approaches and QA procedures/best practices in all phases of the SDLC.
• Experience with and/or solid understanding of PC and Macintosh operating systems, web development tools, web browsers, internet standards, web analytics, Rich Internet Applications, streaming media, and third party web plug-ins.
• Excellent communication skills -- verbal as well as written.
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills; ability to interact effectively with diverse teams and individuals to accomplish project goals and the overall goals of the organization.
• Proven experience and talent for defining use cases and writing detailed/maintainable test cases/test plans.
• Detail oriented and highly organized with ability to multi-task, prioritize and effectively manage and deliver amidst tight deadlines.
• Creative problem-solving skills and ability to exercise sound judgment in quickly evaluating situations and rendering prompt decisions.
• Experience in assessing project risks and identifying and communicating mitigation plans.
• Strong teamwork skills -- must have a strong sense of commitment toward the overall goals of the QA group, the project teams, and the organization as a whole.

Desired Qualifications/Skills:
• Experience in Gaming Console QA a plus.
• Solid understanding of the underlying architecture and systems that run virtual worlds / MMO’s.
• Familiarity with software/tools such as JIRA, Content Management Systems, Request Tracker, SQL, QTP, WinRunner, and LoadRunner a plus
• Experience with building, maintaining, and executing automated test scripts using Selenium, SilkTest, Ranorex, Sikuli, Quality Center, etc a huge plus
• Experience with Load, Stress and Performance testing.
• Working knowledge of SQL – ability to query databases to verify testing results.
• Familiarity with administering and using test management tools such as PHPUnit, Canoo, CLIF, CURL, DOTS
• Working experience in AGILE methodology.
• Some basic familiarity with Neopets, Petpet Park & Monkey Quest content preferred
• Understanding of Sociology and/or Behavioral Sciences as it relates to virtual worlds and social experiences

Educational/Experience Requirements:
• BS in Computer Science or BA in Interactive Design, Sociology, Psychology - or equivalent experience required
• At least 2 years experience in leading a QA team required
• 4+ years working in Quality Assurance
• Project management or Quality certifications desired but not required (e.g. Scrum Master, PMP, Six Sigma, Lean, etc.)

This job listing originated on Gamasutra.com, the game industry's leader.