Embedded QA
Also called: embedded tester, QA consultant, QA contractor
Embedded QA is a tester or QA consultant who works inside a product team, in its tools and ceremonies, instead of in a separate test department or vendor team.
An embedded tester sits with the squad: same backlog, same chat, same stand-up. For an outside consultant it means working as part of the client’s team and not behind a vendor wall with a weekly report.
The risk is becoming a bottleneck, the only route by which anything is declared ready. The remedy is to push ownership outward: written severity rules, readiness notes Product can read, and mentoring so others can decide without waiting.
This is how I work, on a B2B basis through my own company and remotely from Romania. An engagement has gone well if the team is stronger on the day the contract ends.