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:

Board EQT (PE sponsor)

Working closely with:

CEO Group Transformation Officer 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:

Stay neutral Cut through politics 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:

Melbourne, Australia Montreal, Canada UK

Key friction points:

Melbourne team resistant to late‑night calls (e.g. 9pm local). Montreal + UK teams operate on more traditional overlap hours.

One of the Product Leader's challenges will be to:

Link Australian and Montreal engineers Establish workable collaboration models without forcing unsustainable hours.

4. Commercial & Cultural Considerations

Selling technology‑led services into creative organisations:

Internally (within Keywords studios) Externally (B2B customers)

Requires someone comfortable operating between:

Engineers Creative teams 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):

Productivity Target: Evidence of a 20% reduction in manual effort for automated tasks within 12 months. Commercial Conversion: Secure at least three "Platinum" client partnerships for the AuQA productised offering. 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr