Elliot Kuykendall
Tempe
Summary
Seasoned quality assurance professional with 18 years of experience, including 7 years in leadership roles within high-scale game development and live services. Led the architecture of QA organizations and managed teams of 30+, overseeing full-cycle development. Specialized in platform compliance and vendor management, aligning product vision with technical execution to ensure stability and quality.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Test Lead
Experis Game Solutions
Tempe
01.2019 - 01.2026
- Test Framework Architecture: Developed strategic test plans and methodologies in advance of development phases, ensuring a proactive approach to risk and resource allocation.
- Goal-Driven Execution: Owned feature delivery by translating complex project goals into actionable test tasks for multi-disciplinary teams of 20-30.
- Platform Compliance & Sign-off: Accountable for final QA sign-offs to production, ensuring games met rigorous standards for stability and platform compliance.
- Strategic Risk Assessment: Delivered quality signals and readiness input to stakeholders, aligning QA requirements with Production to mitigate cross-departmental risks.
- Process Improvement: Developed skill-tracking and knowledge-gap tools, enhancing team adaptability and cross-training during high-pressure release windows.
QA Lead Tester
Electronic Arts
Baton Rouge
09.2013 - 12.2018
- Led quality assurance testing for multiple game titles at a leading gaming company.
- Developed and implemented testing strategies to ensure product quality and performance.
- Coordinated QA operations with production teams to ensure comprehensive coverage across multiple live game titles, enhancing user experience for large active user bases.
- Monitored team productivity and mentored testers, improving their skills in testing methodologies and bug-writing best practices.
- Collaborated with developers to identify and resolve software defects during testing phases.
QA Engineer I
Zynga
Austin
03.2012 - 03.2013
- High-Volume Readiness: Delivered QA sign-off for features impacting millions of daily active users, ensuring stability and optimal performance.
- Mobile F2P Expertise: Tested social and mobile game titles (iOS/Android/Facebook) in high-pressure, rapid-turnaround environment to ensure quality and user satisfaction.
- Developed and executed test plans for mobile and web game applications.
- Collaborated with development teams to identify and resolve software defects.
- Designed automated test scripts using industry-standard testing tools.
QA Lead Tester
THQ
Phoenix
02.2007 - 01.2012
- Led quality assurance testing for major game releases at a leading gaming company.
- Developed and implemented testing strategies to ensure product quality and performance.
- Collaborated with development teams to identify and resolve software defects.
- Led comprehensive QA efforts across multiple projects, ensuring delivery of high-quality software.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Game Design
Collins College
Tempe, AZ04-2007
Skills
- QA governance
- Test planning
- Execution frameworks
- Proficiency in Jira
- Proficiency in Azure DevOps
- Power BI expertise
- Platform compliance
- Live service management
- Team leadership
- Engineering leadership
- Cross-functional strategy
- Vendor management
Timeline
Test Lead
Experis Game Solutions
01.2019 - 01.2026
QA Lead Tester
Electronic Arts
09.2013 - 12.2018
QA Engineer I
Zynga
03.2012 - 03.2013
QA Lead Tester
THQ
02.2007 - 01.2012
Bachelor of Arts - Game Design
Collins College