Internship Game User Research Jobs (NOW HIRING)

This position is for a temporary engagement through our staffing partner Yoh Enterprise Solutions. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States for this position.

This will be an on-site position, requiring you to be onsite five days per week in Santa Monica, CA.

For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5 . We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I is now available for the first time on PC. Currently, we're busy at the kennel working on a brand-new single player game that we're excited about and we'd love to find talented individuals to join us.

Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.

Naughty Dog is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented individual to join our team as an Associate Quality Assurance Tester/ User Research Support. This hybrid role supports both quality assurance efforts and user research playtesting for our games.
The ideal candidate is organized, adaptable, comfortable working directly with playtest participants, and excited to contribute to both QA testing and playtest support in a fast-paced development environment. This role is well suited for someone with strong communication skills, an interest in user research, and a desire to support multi-day user tests while also contributing to broader QA and development support needs.

 What you will do:

• Identify, log, and maintain gameplay issues.
• Conduct ad hoc and bug regression testing when necessary.
• Create and execute test plans.
• Assist with execution of playtests including setup, moderation, participant handling, annotating, lab/equipment maintenance, and other research related activities.
• Provide quality assurance and development support for our playtests.
• Demonstrate eagerness to learn new skills and the ability to teach them to others.
• Remain flexible and adaptive to assignment and schedule changes, including overtime.
• Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed.

What skills you will use:

• A desire to be part of the Naughty Dog Team.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• A passion for gaming and an interest in game quality, user research, and player experience
• Ability to balance bug investigation and documentation with playtest support responsibilities
• Demonstrable skill set beyond just bug investigation and documentation.
• Willingness to share opinions and feedback with other departments.
• Keen attention to detail and accuracy.
• A team-oriented individual who can also work effectively independently.
• Working knowledge of PS5 systems.

Bonus Skills:

• Prior user research or playtest, moderation/support experience.
• Formal post-high school education (college, technical school, etc.).
• Scripting or programming experience.

All applicants must provide a resume and cover letter to be considered. The cover letter should highlight your relevant experience and interest in the position.

As a part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates will be asked to complete a QA Test.

Additional Material Submission:

We recognize that applicants may also possess additional skills relevant to the gaming industry

• Applicants with a Background in Art, Programming, or Design:
  Please submit a portfolio to give us a deeper understanding of your skills and creativity.
• Applicants with a Audio, Film or Editing Background:
  Please include a reel with your application to showcase your technical abilities and editing style.

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and gender reassignment), race (including color, nationality, ethnic, national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees, and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.