QA Test Lead

Job Title: QA Test Lead (Performance Testing)Onsite/Remote Role: 121 Albright Way, Los Gatos, CA 95032 (Onsite as needed)Compensation: $90.00-$120.00/hrDetails: 6 month contract (Opportunity to extend or convert, W-2 and benefits eligible)Position Overview: We are seeking a highly skilled Performance QA Test Lead to help define and drive the overarching test strategy for performance and networking within Netflix Games. In this role, you will be the owner of game performance metrics, device hardware strategies, network scalability validation, and end-to-end system reliability The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of mobile and streaming hardware constraints, rendering performance, and network protocols. You will architect testing strategies that ensure our diverse catalog of games, from locally rendered mobile titles to real-time Cloud Streaming experiences, runs flawlessly across thousands of different device configurations and network environments.Responsibilities:

• Lead Performance Testing on one or more game projects from the Quality Assurance perspective, shaping the test strategy and working with external partners on planning and scheduling throughout different phases of the project
• Architecture, Strategy & KPIs: Participate in defining the holistic performance standards and KPIs for our game catalog. This includes client-side metrics (FPS stability, memory footprint, CPU/GPU frame times, load times) and network metrics (latency, jitter, packet loss).
• Device & Hardware Strategy: Establish and manage the device profiling strategy. Create compatibility matrices and baseline performance profiles across a vast ecosystem of iOS and Android chipsets to ensure optimal gameplay on both flagship and low-end devices.
• Performance Optimization: Identify and research critical bottlenecks, including device thermal throttling, memory leaks, battery drain, and "chatty" API protocols that impact gameplay fluidity.
• Network Simulation & Scalability: Design and execute complex test suites simulating real-world network conditions.
• Tooling & Automation: Develop automated performance and network profiling scripts (using Python, Go, or similar). Integrate network telemetry with client-side performance tools like PerfDog, GameBench, or native Android/Xcode profilers.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Act as the primary technical translator, turning complex hardware telemetry and network packet data into clear, actionable information for developers, producers, and leadership.
• Incident Response: Lead deep-dive root cause analyses for "live-service" issues, providing detailed packet-level data and hardware logs to resolve synchronization, memory crash, or disconnection bugs.

Requirements:

• Proven experience as a QA Lead or similar role.
• Experience working with external developers and external QA providers.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, time management and communication skills.
• Comfortable working with multiple stakeholders and prioritizing a wide range of tasks
• Significant experience (typically 10+ years) in Performance Testing, QA Performance Engineering, or Software Development, with a heavy focus on gaming.
• Deep expertise with mobile performance profiling tools (PerfDog, Android Studio Profiler, Xcode Instruments, RenderDoc) and a strong understanding of mobile SOCs, thermal management, and memory limits.
• Deep understanding of UDP, TCP, TLS/SSL, and HTTP/3 (QUIC).
• Network Analysis Tools: High proficiency with Wireshark, Charles Proxy, Tcpdump, PerfDog and Fiddler.
• Experience with Clumsy, Network Link Conditioner, or hardware-based network emulators.
• Hands-on experience with AWS (Direct Connect, Global Accelerator) or Google Cloud Networking.
• Previous experience working on multiplayer titles, mobile games, cloud-based gaming platforms.
• Advanced knowledge of BGP, Anycast routing, and how they affect global Edge computing performance.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex performance findings into clear, actionable language for non-technical stakeholders. Comfortable presenting risk assessments and analyses to mixed audiences with confidence and precision.
• Experience setting and communicating expectations to external vendor teams, that can be acted on by teams across different disciplines, languages, and organizational cultures. Proven ability to hold external partners accountable to quality bars without the need to micromanage.