2. Role 1: Strategic Product Leader (Contract → Perm)
Core Objective
* Define where and how KWS should build automation‑led QA products for B2B gaming customers.
* Help the business move from services‑led delivery to a productised / SaaS‑style offering.
Key Characteristics
* CTPO‑level profile (senior, credible, board‑facing).
* Strong Product Management fundamentals.
* Deep QA / testing / automation background.
* Ideally from a gaming or interactive entertainment environment.
* Clear understanding of B2B customers (selling into studios, publishers, enterprise clients).
Stakeholder Exposure
* Presenting directly to:
o Board
o EQT (PE sponsor)
* Working closely with:
o CEO
o Group Transformation Officer
o CDO (particularly on pitches)
* Will primarily engage with 3 business divisions, with emphasis on the Globalise division.
Delivery Reality
* High political complexity internally.
* Business does not yet know where to build (tech, geography, ownership).
* Contractor required initially to:
o Stay neutral
o Cut through politics
o Shape strategy without long‑term internal bias
Contract Structure
* 6‑month contract, strong likelihood of extension / contract‑to‑perm.
* Budget exists but sits within 2026 planning.
3. Geography & Operating Model Challenges
* Distributed engineering teams:
o Melbourne, Australia
o Montreal, Canada
o UK
* Key friction points:
o Melbourne team resistant to late‑night calls (e.g. 9pm local).
o Montreal + UK teams operate on more traditional overlap hours.
* One of the Product Leader's challenges will be to:
o Link Australian and Montreal engineers
o Establish workable collaboration models without forcing unsustainable hours.
4. Commercial & Cultural Considerations
* Selling technology‑led services into creative organisations:
o Internally (within Keywords studios)
o Externally (B2B customers)
* Requires someone comfortable operating between:
o Engineers
o Creative teams
o Senior commercial stakeholders
* Must translate technical automation value into commercial and creative outcomes.
Job Specification: Product & GTM Director (AuQA) (Contractor)
Strategic Context:
Keywords Studios is transitioning from a traditional B2B service provider to an AI‑first Digital Products leader. The AuQA initiative (Mighty TestBot & TestBuddy) is the spearhead of this transformation. This role is tasked with delivering a 20% productivity uplift across our 13,000‑strong specialist base, moving the needle from "selling hours" to "selling outcomes."
The Mandate:
* Operational Excellence: Realise a $13M–$14M productivity impact by integrating Autonomous QA tools into the Globalise division's core workflow.
* Commercial Evolution: Pivot the business from Time & Materials (T&M) to Outcome‑Based Pricing (e.g., cost per automated test suite, cost per bug‑free build).
* Global Orchestration: Manage the "Golden Triangle" of stakeholders: Melbourne (Engineering), Montreal (Pilot Ops), and UK/US (Strategic Clients).
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
1. Productivity Target: Evidence of a 20% reduction in manual effort for automated tasks within 12 months.
2. Commercial Conversion: Secure at least three "Platinum" client partnerships for the AuQA productised offering.
3. Roadmap Velocity: Successful transition of "Mighty" tools from internal prototypes to market‑ready SaaS‑lite products.
Candidate Requirements (The "Dan" Criteria):
* Zero Learning Curve: Must have led similar global digital transformations in B2B service or gaming sectors.
* Communication Mastery: Ability to navigate the "unsociable hours" required to sync Australia and Canada from a UK base without losing strategic focus.
* Financial Literacy: Deep understanding of how digital efficiency impacts the P&L and the ability to articulate "Value‑Based Pricing" to skeptical clients and internal sales teams.
Key Responsibilities:
* Product Evolution & Market Fit: Transform internal engineering outputs into a client‑ready product suite. Partner with "Platinum" clients to co‑develop features that solve real‑world AAA development bottlenecks.
* The 20% Productivity Mandate: Define, track, and deliver a robust roadmap specifically designed to extract 20% efficiency gains across the Globalise division.
* Strategic GTM & Pricing: Design and test "Outcomes‑Based" pricing models that protect margins while providing a competitive edge in a consolidating market.
* Global Technical Orchestration: Act as the strategic bridge between our Melbourne‑based Engineering team and the Montreal‑based Pilot operations.
* Budgetary Stewardship: Manage the initiative against the allocated digital investment budget, prioritising features that drive the highest ROI and client stickiness.
Candidate Profile:
* Strategic Resilience: Capable of managing a complex global stakeholder map across multiple time zones (AU/CA/UK).
* B2B Product Visionary: Experience in shifting traditional service organisations toward digital product models.
* Outcome‑Obsessed: You don't just deliver features; you deliver measurable productivity and business value.
* Technically Credible: Sufficiently versed in AI/ML and Agentic workflows to challenge engineering timelines and evaluate third‑party 'Buy' opportunities.
Strategic Strategy Visual: The Transition to Outcome‑Based Value
To ensure the candidate understands the commercial shift we are demanding, I will be looking for their ability to execute against this model:
My Assessment of the Selection Process:
Since you've confirmed we are moving to Outcome‑Based Pricing, this candidate must be a "Commercial Product Manager," not just a "Technical Product Manager." They need to be able to talk to a CFO about ROI just as fluently as they talk to a Developer about API integration.
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