Full-Time
QA Lead
Updated on 9/3/2026
Skydance
201-500 employees
Produces films, television, and interactive media
Compensation Overview
$70k - $90k/yr
California, USA
Remote
Residency in California, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Texas, or Washington required.
 QA & Testing (2) |
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- 5+ years of professional QA experience on software projects, with 3+ years in a QA Lead role.
- Experience leading internal test teams and/or overseeing external test partners.
- Functional and usability testing experience across multiple gaming platforms and genres.
- Fluent with Jira (or equivalent) for tracking work, managing assignments, and pulling data for reports.
- Solid grounding in QA concepts, terminology, tooling, and debugging workflows.
- Experience with 1st party compliance and certification testing.
- Comfort with at least one scripting language (Python, JavaScript, C#, or similar) for writing automation, parsing logs, or building small internal tools — you don't need to be a full SWE, but "I can't code at all" isn't a fit.
- Working knowledge of CI/CD concepts and how automated tests fit into a build pipeline.
- Genuine curiosity about applied AI/ML in a QA context, and the judgment to tell hype from substance.
- Strong knowledge of console platforms, peripherals, PC hardware/software, and the standard Microsoft Office toolkit.
- Ability to work independently, juggle priorities, and execute without constant supervision.
- Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Plan, develop, and oversee the execution of project test plans across one or more titles, ensuring work lands on time and at the quality bar the studio sets. This includes authoring and maintaining test plans for partners to execute, collaborating with those partners on scope and expectations, reporting progress, and ensuring deliverables meet studio standards. You'll also help onboard new partner team members to studio policies and processes, and develop your own team through training, feedback, and hands-on coaching.
- Partner with development to provide testing support and feedback across gameplay systems, content, and game balance. You'll build and execute test strategies in lockstep with the engineering & production leadership and represent QA in cross-discipline meetings to ensure testing priorities track with project development priorities.
- Bring an engineering mindset to the QA function. Identify where automation, tooling, or better instrumentation can replace repetitive manual effort. Work with engineering to integrate tests into CI, improve build verification, and shorten feedback loops. Maintain and improve the bug database, ensure issues are well-formed and actionable, and surface major or blocking issues to development immediately.
- Explore how AI tooling can extend the QA practice — test case generation, log triage, crash clustering, automated repro, smarter bug deduplication, AI-assisted exploratory testing. You'll be expected to evaluate tools critically, prototype where it makes sense, and bring the rest of the team along.
- Own the operational backbone of QA: 1st party certification coordination with Production and Development, clear and concise status reporting, and proactive prioritization based on where the project actually is.
- Associate or bachelor's degree in a technical field, or equivalent experience.
- Hands-on experience building test automation frameworks (UI, API, or gameplay automation).
- Experience with AI-assisted developer or QA tooling (Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor, agentic test tools, LLM-powered triage, etc.) and a point of view on where it helps and where it doesn't.
- Familiarity with game-specific automation approaches — bots, replay systems, deterministic sims, telemetry-driven testing.
- Familiarity with Perforce.
- Familiarity with Unreal Engine and/or Unity.
- Experience working with telemetry, crash reporting, and analytics pipelines.
- Understanding of the software test cycle and iterative development practices.
Skydance is a media company that creates and distributes content across several entertainment formats, including feature films, television series, animation, and interactive VR experiences. Its films and shows are released to global audiences, and it also develops original virtual reality games and IP-based experiences, collaborating with partners like Ilion Animation Studios. Revenue comes from box office sales, streaming licensing, and selling interactive games. Unlike organizations that focus on a single medium, Skydance operates across multiple formats and genres to build and monetize intellectual property worldwide. Its goal is to provide high-quality entertainment that spans cinema, television, animation, and immersive interactive experiences, growing its brands and audiences across platforms.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
Debt Financing
Total Funding
$2.4B
Headquarters
Santa Monica, California
Founded
2010
Get referred to Skydance
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Second-quarter 2026 revenue rose 1% to $6.91 billion despite weaker television.
- Streaming revenue climbed 9% to nearly $2.5 billion, with two million new subscribers.
- Studio licensing strengthened through Netflix, Amazon, and Mattel deals, adding non-theatrical cash flow.
What critics are saying
- California’s antitrust trial starts March 2027; Paramount pays Warner $7 million daily after September 30.
- Rob Bonta and the Writers Guild still fight the Warner deal, threatening closure and integration.
- Paramount Skydance cut 2,000 jobs in 2025; another failed deal leaves it smaller and weaker.
What makes Skydance unique
- Skydance spans films, television, animation, games, and licensing across one integrated studio platform.
- Paramount+ reached 81.6 million subscribers in August 2026, driven by sports and Yellowstone.
- The film slate still centers on franchises like Mission: Impossible, Top Gun, and The Old Guard.
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↑ 4%California AG says no settlement talks scheduled with Paramount. Wednesday, 26 Aug 2026 | 7:28 AM MYT LOS ANGELES Aug 25 (Reuters) - California Attorney General Rob Bonta said on Tuesday there are no settlement talks scheduled with Paramount Skydance to resolve the antitrust suit seeking to block the studio's proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. Bonta said he canceled a scheduled Monday meeting after details of confidential settlement discussions leaked to the press, which he said was "unacceptable." "If they are willing to clean things up... and engage in a way that is sincere and in good faith, we will be where we always will be with any party in any case that we're involved in, which is happy to meet," Bonta said at a press conference on public safety issues. Paramount has pushed for a settlement in the case, which is the last hurdle to the deal along with a parallel lawsuit by the Writer's Guild of America. The company faces amountain of fees and coststo keep the deal together if Bonta's lawsuit continues to a trial scheduled for March. Bonta and other states have so far won key rulings, giving them leverage if settlement talks continue. The studio said it was not the source of the leaks. A Paramount spokesperson on Monday said the company shares "Bonta's concerns about the public discussions and misreporting that has surrounded this deal." Bonta reiterated his concerns that the merger of two major Hollywood studios would result in higher prices for consumers, less choice and lower quality films and television series. He also cited a report from Los Angeles county that predicted 4,500 film and television jobs would be lost within three years of the companies combining their operations, exacting an economic toll on the community. The attorneys general are seeking remedies that address their concerns about the deal's potential impact on widely released films and basic cable TV service. "They know exactly what I'm asking for, and it's incumbent upon them if they wish to make proposals that align with what I'm looking for and what the other attorneys general are looking for," Bonta said. "They haven't." Bonta said promises to release a combined 30 films a year from Paramount and Warner Bros fall short of the remedies he and other attorneys general are seeking. (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles, Editing by Franklin Paul, Cynthia Osterman and Nick Zieminski) Is this article useful?
California cancels potential settlement talks with Paramount. Aug. 24, 2026, 3:33 p.m. PT California's Attorney General abruptly canceled a Monday meeting with representatives from Paramount Skydance, which would have brought the two groups together to start discussing a potential settlement of the state's antitrust lawsuit challenging the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger. The attorney general, Rob Bonta, confirmed in a statement on Aug. 24 that his office had "pulled down this meeting," specifically accusing Paramount of leaking and misrepresenting parts of the settlement, and noted that Paramount's leadership had demonstrated "a lack of good faith." "As soon as Paramount stops playing games and engages sincerely, my office is happy to meet again," Bonta said in his statement. Bonta's accusations likely refer to a Wall Street Journal article published over the weekend that included confidential details of the potential settlement discussions. A spokesperson for Paramount told NBC News that the company also shared Bonta's concerns regarding "misreporting that has surrounded this deal." "As we have assured the Attorney General's office, Paramount has not been the source of the leaks of any of our confidential discussions with the AG's office," the Paramount spokesperson told NBC News. How the legal battle over the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger escalated. Bonta's decision to cancel talks with Paramount representatives is the latest twist in the controversial merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, after the companies announced on Feb. 27, 2026, that the pair had reached a $110.9 billion agreement. Prior to Monday's canceled meeting, Bonta had maintained a firm position that the state would pursue an antitrust lawsuit against the merger. Earlier in the month, Bonta even criticized Paramount's leadership, claiming they are attempting to "blackmail the state into letting an illegal deal" to fast-track the state's lawsuit. Specifically, David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance, is threatening to move the company out of California starting in October unless the state's attorney general agrees to resolve the merger via a settlement. "In a span of weeks, Paramount agreed to halt the merger until a court decision or until June 2027, asked for a November trial, and is now back with another attempt to blackmail the state into letting an illegal deal through," Bonta said on X. "Paramount has lost the plot as it continues to lose in court." Would a Paramount-Warner Bros merger lead to fewer movies? On July 13, California and several other states announced they would sue to block the proposed merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance, saying it would lead to higher prices, lower quality, and less content for film and television - among other alleged harms. The lawsuit argued that the merger would create a "media behemoth" and also "likely to substantially harm competition." Between the two movie studios, Warner Bros. and Paramount, create programming for movie theaters, audiences, and cable television distributors, and employ thousands throughout the entertainment industry. The attorneys general argue that the industry would be harmed if the merger were to go through as planned. The states point to previous media consolidation as a warning sign. After Disney acquired 21st Century Fox in 2019, the once-prolific 20th Century Fox film label was dramatically scaled back. Fox released an average of 16 films annually in the decade before the merger, but the studio is scheduled to release just six titles in 2026 and three in 2027. Antitrust critics contend the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal could similarly reduce the number of films and television projects produced, shrinking opportunities for workers, creators and consumers. Paramount CEO David Ellison has pushed back on concerns that consolidation would result in fewer films. Since announcing the deal, Ellison has pledged that the combined company would increase movie production, arguing that the merger would provide the scale and financial resources needed to make more theatrical releases and invest in a broader slate of films. Critics, however, note that similar promises were made during Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Paramount threatens to move studio out of California. About a week after the lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Paramount informed the court that it would not proceed with the lawsuit until June 1, 2026, unless the judge issued a ruling before then, according to court documents. However, on Aug. 5, Ellison met with his 12-member senior executive team to discuss plans to potentially move the company to another state starting Oct. 1, if talks between Bonta and the company did not budge, according to Puck News. Paramount Pictures is one of the oldest film studios based in California, founded in Los Angeles in 1912 and maintaining a presence in the state for over 100 years. Although Bonta initially slammed the idea of reaching a settlement agreement with Paramount, Xavier Becerra, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee and former Attorney General for California, urged the attorney general to settle the lawsuit during POLITICO's The California Agenda: Sacramento Summit. Becerra shared that antitrust lawsuits are "very difficult" to win and urged his predecessor to consider a settlement and pursue a deal that would benefit California's entertainment industry and families. "At the end of the day, is it good for the entertainment community in California? Does it benefit California families to have another merger occur?" Becerra said during the summit on Aug. 11. "I hope it settles before court. It is easier to stand in a conference room to settle than it is to stand in a courtroom." Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at [email protected], follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Sign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow us on Facebook at TODAY Californian.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass throws her support behind paramount-warner Bros. Discovery settlement. The mayor previously stated that she opposed the $111 billion merger deal unless jobs were preserved in the transaction. August 20, 2026 2:04pm Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has changed her tone on the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. The mayor, who is running for reelection this year, previously opposed the $111 billion deal unless it avoided loss of jobs. But in a news conference on Thursday, Bass urged Paramount Skydance and California attorney general Rob Bonta to come to a quick settlement on the antitrust lawsuit from 12 state regulators that is currently challenging the transaction. "While there are varying perspectives on the proposed transaction, today we are united around one clear message: It is time for all parties to come to the table. The continued uncertainty is not good for workers, not good for productions and not good for the future of this industry," Bass said in a press conference. Bass added, "Too many productions are at a standstill, which means Angelenos are out of a job and they're not getting paid. As mayor, I cannot stand by as the job security of thousands of hardworking union members is being put at risk. That is why we are calling on Paramount, Attorney General Rob Bonta and all relevant parties to come together, engage directly and in good faith and work urgently to find common ground and keep our vital industry in Los Angeles." The remarks arrived one day after a report from the L.A. Department of Economic Opportunity and CVL Economics estimated that thousands of corporate, creative and production jobs will be at risk if the merger goes through. The report also pegged potential lost waves at $1.26 billion and lost economic value at $2.78 billion. Her statements prompted a sharp rebuke from the Writers Guild of America West union, which is opposed to the merger and has filed its own lawsuit to stop it. "We are disappointed that Mayor Bass has chosen to join Paramount's pressure campaign on public enforcers, to push through a merger that is being rightfully challenged as illegal and will lead to job losses in the entertainment industry," the union said in a statement on Thursday. "Her statement comes on the heels of a county report estimating thousands of jobs will be lost if the merger proceeds." The union continued, "Industry workers deserve a mayor who believes in upholding the law and protecting the working people of Los Angeles, not serving the interests of powerful corporations." Bass' remarks arrive as several major entertainment organizations have similarly called for a hasty settlement. Cinema United, the movie theater trade organization, once vociferously opposed to the merger, backed off on Tuesday and called for a settlement to avoid industry uncertainty. The previous week two unions, the Directors Guild of America and IATSE, also asked both sides of the antitrust lawsuit to come together and hash out a deal before the scheduled trial date of March 2027. IATSE's political division in California previously endorsed Bass in her run for mayor, citing her frequent communication with the union and efforts to boost production in L.A. You May Like
Report: Paramount chief David Ellison eyes Austin, Texas, for possible move out of California. 20 Aug 2026 107 Paramount head David Ellison has reportedly set his eyes on Austin, Texas, as a possible new home for the studio should California's antitrust lawsuit shut down the Warner Bros. merger. According to the New York Post, sources indicated that David Ellison has been considering Austin since California Attorney General Rob Bonta ratcheted up his lawsuit. "While Paramount has not formally committed to the plans, sources said the entertainment giant and its partners are in advanced negotiations and zeroing in on the Bluebonnet Business Center - a hulking commercial development in the east of the city - as a primary target," it reported. "Located at 9219 Old Manor Road, the sprawling industrial park's crown jewel is Building 4, a 415,000-square-foot cross-dock mega facility," the Post added. "By comparison, Paramount's legendary lot in Los Angeles - whose soundstages have produced iconic films. At least one insider accused Rob Bonta of "trying to kill Hollywood" by emphatically blocking the merger. "Rob Bonta is trying to kill Hollywood jobs in California while boosting real estate commissions in Texas. If Bonta's plans were a movie, it would be 'Dumb and Dumber,'" said the source. "As for Paramount, they don't want to leave the state, but they are sort of being kicked out by the Democrats," it added. The big theaters chains - AMC, Cinemark, and Regal - have all backed the merger and called for a settlement. Xavier Becerra, the Democrat nominee for California governor, also called on Bonta to work out a settlement last week. "I hope it settles before court. It is easier to stand in a conference room and settle than it is to stand in a courtroom. I say that having had to stand both in the conference room and in the courtroom. You get way more done in the conference room than you do in the courtroom," he said. According to confirmation from Variety, Ellison is indeed "prepared to start moving Paramount out of California as soon as October unless the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger is resolved through a settlement with the state's attorney general, Rob Bonta." "Ellison told Paramount senior execs last week that he's prepared to relocate Paramount (and Warner Bros., too, if the merger successfully closes) if Bonta does not agree to negotiate a settlement in the case," Variety reported. "Ellison said the company will begin the process of exiting California starting Oct. 1 in the event that such talks have not started, and he told his team the Paramount Skydance board has approved the move."
Paramount seeks $1.9B surety from suing states. August 19, 2026 LOS ANGELES, California - Paramount Skydance is demanding California and other US states suing to block its merger with Warner Bros. put up $1.9 billion to cover fees the company will have to pay if the deal gets delayed, according to a lawsuit filed on Monday. The audacious bid is the latest step in an increasingly high-stakes row pitting the media giant against a coalition of liberal states who say the attempt to swallow a historic studio will be bad for filmmakers and bad for moviegoers. Paramount, which is run by David Ellison, whose ultra-wealthy family is a close ally of United States President Donald Trump, launched a $110-billion bid for control of a stable of assets that includes Warner Bros. Pictures, CNN and the HBO Max streaming service. Opponents in the movie industry say the combined company would slash jobs in already-under-pressure Hollywood and reduce the number of films produced every year, while news media groups fret that CNN's independence could be tamed. Monday's filing reflects the pressure on Paramount, with a $7-million-a-day "ticking fee" due to kick in for Warner Bros. shareholders if the takeover is not complete by Oct. 1. The suit is an attempt to insulate Paramount from those costs, which it says will only accrue because of the ongoing legal action. If a judge approves the move at a hearing on Wednesday, California and the other 11 states, as well as the Writers' Guild of America, which is also suing to block the merger, would be on the hook for the cash if their legal action fails. Last week, Ellison threatened to move the company out of California if the state's attorney general, Rob Bonta, did not negotiate on his lawsuit. Bonta dubbed the threat "blackmail." The US federal government, the European Union and the British government are among those who have already given their blessing to the takeover.