Staff QA Engineer - Cinema Imaging

As a Staff QA Engineer in the Dolby Cinema QA group, you will provide senior test leadership for next-generation cinema imaging products and integrated theatrical systems. This is a highly hands-on role requiring regular on-site work in Dolby’s San Francisco hardware labs.

You will own test strategy, planning, lab readiness, system configuration, execution, risk assessment, and release-quality reporting across complex imaging programs involving projectors, cinema servers, networking, and related infrastructure.

You will also serve as a key technical interface with external hardware partners and help advance practical AI-assisted QA tools that improve test efficiency and coverage.

Responsibilities

• Lead QA strategy and end-to-end test ownership for high-priority cinema imaging products, from early development through release readiness.
• Design, set up, configure, document, and maintain cinema hardware labs and test environments involving projectors, cinema servers/integrated media blocks, network systems, measurement equipment, and supporting infrastructure.
• Perform hands-on functional, integration, system, interoperability, performance, reliability, upgrade, and regression testing on complex cinema systems.
• Develop comprehensive test plans, test cases, test matrices, and release criteria based on product requirements, architecture, technical risk, customer use cases, and field configurations.
• Own picture-quality and video-path validation, including calibration, image evaluation, video playback, color processing, signal integrity, metadata handling, multi-projector configurations, and 3D imaging workflows.
• Configure and troubleshoot complete cinema systems, isolate failures across hardware, firmware, software, networking, and content boundaries, and work closely with engineering teams to drive issues to resolution.
• Provide technical leadership for multiple concurrent programs and communicate test status, coverage, defects, quality risks, dependencies, and schedule impacts to engineering and business stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary QA interface with external projector and hardware partners, including alignment on test standards, issue escalation, defect reproduction, release readiness, and cross-company coordination.
• Produce high-quality defect reports and lead defect triage, root-cause investigation, reproduction, prioritization, and verification of fixes.
• Mentor QA engineers and provide technical direction on imaging test design, lab practices, troubleshooting, and quality decision-making.
• Identify opportunities to improve test efficiency and coverage through appropriate scripting, automation, data analysis, AI-assisted workflows, and custom QA tools, while maintaining strong hands-on system validation.
• Collaborate across QA, imaging engineering, systems engineering, product management, program management, operations, and field teams in a fast-paced product development environment.

Requirements

• Minimum 7+ years of experience in quality assurance, systems testing, hardware validation, or a related engineering discipline, including ownership of complex test plans and product releases.
• Demonstrated experience leading QA for video, imaging, projection, display, media, broadcast, cinema, or other complex hardware-software systems.
• Strong hands-on lab experience configuring, operating, testing, and troubleshooting integrated systems that include devices such as projectors, video servers, audio processors, amplifiers, networking equipment, and measurement tools.
• Proven experience of implementing and maintaining scalable and reusable Python based test automation frameworks/tools/tests using various tools/libraries like Pytest, Selenium, etc using Python.
• Proven experience integrating test automation tool/frameworks within CI/CD pipeline hosted on Gitlab CI, Electric Flow, or similar
• Deep understanding of digital imaging and video fundamentals, including video formats, color spaces, transfer functions, media containers, signal paths, HDMI and/or SDI, image processing, and picture-quality evaluation.
• Experience with Digital Cinema technologies and workflows such as DCP, MXF, JPEG 2000, Dolby Vision, HDR, DCI color workflows, cinema servers, integrated media blocks, projection systems, 3D, or multi-projector systems.
• Experience using video and image analysis tools, HDMI/SDI analyzers or frame grabbers, test-pattern generators, scopes, color-measurement equipment, playback/capture devices, or equivalent lab instrumentation.
• Proven ability to design and execute system-level, integration, interoperability, regression, performance, reliability, negative, and upgrade testing across hardware and software boundaries.
• Excellent troubleshooting skills and a logical, structured approach to isolating complex issues involving hardware, firmware, software, networking, content, timing, and configuration.
• Experience working with external technology partners or suppliers on test alignment, issue escalation, defect resolution, and release-quality decisions.
• Strong leadership, ownership, planning, prioritization, and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple high-priority programs and clearly communicate quality risk to senior stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Linux/UNIX and Windows operating systems, command-line tools, logs, network troubleshooting, and common protocols such as TCP/IP, SSH, NTP, FTP, HTTP, SNMP, and SOAP/REST web services.
• Familiarity with software-development and QA practices, including Agile development, source control, code reviews, defect tracking, test-case management, release processes, and product life cycles.
• Ability to work regularly on-site in the San Francisco office to support hardware laboratories and physical cinema test systems.

Preferred Experience

• Experience testing cinema projectors, laser-illumination systems, high-brightness displays, projection optics, six-primary or stereoscopic 3D systems, or other advanced imaging architectures.
• Experience with Dolby Cinema, Dolby Vision, Christie projection systems, or comparable premium cinema and professional imaging products.
• Knowledge of JPEG 2000, HD-SDI, HDMI, DCP, MXF, Dolby Vision, PQ, DCI color specifications, display calibration, and image-quality metrics.
• Experience managing multiple hardware labs or shared test environments, including equipment readiness, configuration control, documentation, and scheduling.
• Working knowledge of Python and PyTest or similar scripting tools for targeted test utilities, data collection, analysis, or regression support.
• Experience developing or adopting AI-assisted QA tools, custom agents, or data-driven workflows to improve test design, defect analysis, coverage, or reporting.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Imaging Science, or a related technical field.

Knowledge Of These Tools Is Required

• Unix/Linux
• Python, PyTest
• Jira
• qTest
• Git, Perforce
• AI Tools (Claude, MS Copilot, Copilot Studio, Github Copilot)

The San Francisco/Bay Area base salary range for this full-time position is $152,900 - 210,200, which can vary if outside this location, plus bonus, benefits, and some roles may also include equity. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, competencies, experience, market demands, internal parity, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range and perks and benefits for your location during the hiring process.

Dolby will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of San Francisco Police Code, Article 49, and Administrative Code, Article 12

Equal Employment Opportunity

Dolby is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our success depends on the combined skills and talents of all our employees. We are committed to making employment decisions without regard to race, religious creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, marital status, family status, medical condition, disability, military service, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws and ordinances.