• Lead UAT & Manual QA • Define test scenarios, test cases, and test data requirements for complex payroll workflows, including nuanced edge cases and multi-step operational flows. • Perform hands-on manual UAT across workflows, validating accuracy, usability, and operational readiness—not just happy paths. • Execute end-to-end testing, including feature flag sequencing, environment setup, and multi-entity test configurations (company, project, worker). • Own use case identification and validation for high-risk workflows (e.g., payroll calculations, HTG, union-specific logic), including up- and down-stream platform validation and regression testing, ensuring issues are identified before formal UAT. • Partner deeply with Product, Engineering, Client Ops & Release Management • Work side-by-side with Product, Design, and Engineering throughout development—not just at the end—to influence quality earlier in the lifecycle. • Surface defects, edge cases, and workflow gaps early, enabling teams to course-correct before features reach Client Ops or formal UAT. • Partner with Engineering and third-party teams to determine what should be automated vs. manually tested, balancing speed, risk, and coverage. • Collaborate closely with Client Ops subject matter experts to translate real-world payroll workflows into structured test scenarios. • Reduce the reliance on Client Ops as primary early-stage testers by centralizing validation within Product. • Create structured feedback loops between Client Ops and EPD to continuously improve release readiness. • Provide clear, actionable feedback that helps teams make informed tradeoffs while maintaining a high quality bar. • Ensure testing reflects real operational complexity across FTV productions. • Contribute to Go/No-Go readiness by providing a clear quality assessment of release candidates, highlighting risk areas and any unresolved defects. Provide Quality sign-off recommendations for high-risk releases. • Evaluate release risk across workflows, edge cases, and downstream impacts. • Validate launch rollout sequencing (feature flags, phased releases, environment configuration) prior to production deployment. • Confirm operational readiness, including regression coverage, and downstream implications. • Assist with documenting quality trends and release patterns to continuously improve predictability and confidence. • Apply industry & operational expertise • Use entertainment industry domain knowledge to validate that solutions work in real-world entertainment payroll operations, not just in theory. • Pressure-test assumptions around HTG, union rules, FTV vs. commercial nuances, and cross-persona workflows. • Ensure UAT sessions serve as final validation, not first discovery—raising confidence for launches and enablement. • Enable scale & focus • Prepare UAT environments and test data so Product Managers and Engineering Managers can review features efficiently without serving as primary test executors. • Serve as a force multiplier: Reduce the number of people required for early testing by centralizing workflow validation until features are ready for broader review. • Document recurring issues, patterns, and learnings to continuously improve testing coverage and raise the quality bar over time.