Quality Assurance Project Manager

JAMES SCHOTT

*** *. *** **, *** Angeles CA ***** 323-***-**** (h) 310-***-**** (c)

***********@*****.***

Technical Manager with proven expertise in Software Quality Assurance and

Process Improvement for Client/Server, Internet, and Enterprise environments.

Summary of Qualification:

Senior technical manager of Software Quality Assurance (SQA) with a well-rounded combination of

skills in Project Management, Quality Assurance and Process Improvement within software and hardware

environments.

Superior communication, interpersonal, organizational, and analytical skills.

Proven expertise in streamlining processes, increasing productivity, and solving problems in a cost -

effective manner by working cross-departmentally with Program Management, Marketing, Product

Development, and Data Center Operations

Effective in implementing quality assurance Best Practices including test case and requirement reviews,

requirements traceability, test planning and documentation, test strategy, defect, and release management.

Experienced in creating self-organizing teams spanning multiple, diverse roles that support a company-

wide need for quality assurance.

Possess wide experience and expertise in the software test discipline including functional, integration,

regression, load, performance, and automated testing.

Experienced within diverse environments such as Client/Server, Ecommerce, Web – (WebLogic, IIS,

Apache), SOA, Windows, Unix, Linux, SQL Server, Oracle DB, Oracle Financials, Java, .Net.

Experienced Project Manager with a MS degree in Systems Engineering. Knowledgeable in SDLC,

CMMI, Work Breakdown Structures, GANNT charts and PERT/CPM analysis. Member of PMI,

pursuing the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) Credential.

Certified ScrumMaster with strong interest, knowledge, and application of Agile Software Development

Methodologies and techniques including Scrum, XP, TDD, Lean, etc.

IT Skills:

Languages/Script Automation: Numerous vendor, open source, and in-house developed automation

frameworks, tools, and languages including SilkTest, SilkPerformer, FIT, Selenium, Watir, Ruby, Perl,

Python, JMeter, Junit, QuickTest Pro, JavaScript, Java, PHP, ASP, CSS, HTML, XML.

OS: Windows, Linux/Unix, Mac.

Servers: IIS, Apache, WebLogic, Tomcat.

Databases: SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, Oracle Financials, Informix.

Applications: MS Office Suite, Jira, Rally, MS Project, Visio, SourceSafe, TrackWeb, ClearQuest,

VMware, PVCS, Fogbugz, Nagios, Visual Studio, Eclipse, CVS, Subversion, Perforce.

Professional Experience:

eHarmony Inc, Pasadena, CA Oct 2008 to Feb 2009

(eHarmony is a subscription and ad revenue supported relationship service.)

DIRECTOR OF QUALITY ASSURANCE

Established automation strategy and roadmap for both front and back-end systems, utilizing open source

projects such as Selenium, TestNG, DBUnit, JUnit, and Jmeter.

Led Quality Assurance efforts of the core website product, customer care applications, and various

independent vertical website offerings which span an international market and audience.

Define and track metrics to determine quality performance targets for the year.

Working with competing interests of development, product management, and customer care established

priority and work effort needed for weekly releases.

Ensured QAs voice was heard in daily Scrum meetings including effort estimates.

Stamps.com, Los Angeles, CA 1999 to May 2008

(Stamps.com is an internet service providing secure USPS postal transactions through a client/server

architecture, as well as web-based USPS-approved postage. Environment: ATG - Java, .Net, WebServices,

C++, Perl, Windows, Linux, SQL Server.)

DIRECTOR OF QUALITY ASSURANCE (2002 to May 2008)

Established, communicated and managed the strategic vision and role of the QA department. Ensuring

that department goals were being met and ensured progress in meeting future short-term and long-term

software testing strategies to meet business needs in a fast-paced, dynamic environment

Designed and oversaw implementation of extensive Framework for Integrated Testing (FIT) style

automation frameworks to support Continuous Integration and Build testing of all back-end servers and

services. Frameworks featured gui driven domain language constructs used by both business analysts and

QA analysts to create acceptance and functional/regression test cases. Frameworks were developed in

.Net using Visual Studio Team Test. Additionally implemented a range of GUI and non-GUI test

automation tools and applications making use of open-source (Watir, Selenium), in-house (.Net and Perl)

developed, and vendor specific (Seque) test tools. Performed code reviews of automation scripts by QA

Engineers ensuring good design and conformance to coding standards.

Created and led development of an ASP Web application for communicating production release approval

and status, along with SOX compliance. Led development of a process-oriented ASP application used by

Marketing for the creation and tracking of OEM product requirements, and development of a process-

oriented application used by the Marketing department to generate data requirements for offer/pricing

plans.

Successfully responded to changing testing requirements during rapid introduction of Web Services

offerings by simple refactoring of existing test frameworks and introduction of SoapSonar and SoapUI.

Created an environment in which QA works along with Development, Marketing, Operations and IT to

create successful quality software releases. Established a higher level of commitment from QA team

members by ensuring QA team was aware of the business and operational impact involved for every

deliverable and product release.

Communicated to executives and departments outside of QA the possible software quality risks of

releases so effective business and operational decisions could be made resulting in minimal negative

impact to the company.

Prepared comprehensive project plans for multiple products in Microsoft Project including work

breakdown structures, resource allocations, milestones, and work package assignments. Refined time and

effort estimates whether based on actual or ideal hours or story points. Applied knowledge of Project

Management and development methodologies to assist PM and development departments to understand

and apply new techniques and processes to meet business goals and deadlines.

Hired, led and directed a 14 person in-house and 6 person outsourced QA department including

technicians, manual testers, GUI automation Engineers, and Developers in Test. Ensuring in-house testing

resources were properly allocated across diverse projects to meet business and budgetary needs while

maintaining high levels of quality, accessibility and up-time for a high volume internet website and

supported client applications.

Coordinated testing with out-sourced off-shore QA department including creation of standardized policies

and procedures to ensure effective communication of project requirements and deadlines are met on -time

and within budget. Additionally ensured that iterative testing processes are continually exercised on a

24/7 basis.

QA MANAGER (2000 to 2002)

Managed the Quality Assurance department whose primary functions included the testing of large front -

end and back-end client/server internet software applications. Defined the overall direction of the

department, ensuring that the provided testing services directly met the needs of the business.

Architected and led development of GUI automation utilizing SilkTest OO 4Test scripting language.

Ensured coding standards were established and maintained as new QA Engineers were hired. Performed

code reviews of QA scripts.

Through strong leadership, coaching, mentoring, empowerment, and team building evolved a QA

department from startup mode to an established, mature organization.

Developed BDL scripts and Perl scripts to parse data and generating reports for capacity planning tests.

Established, implemented and ensured documentation of QA policies, processes, and procedures including

defining defect life cycle, escalation procedures, test documentation including test plans and test cases and

test scripts, requirement reviews.

Key role in communicating the quality level and risk assessment for release of server and client software

deliverables to Development, Operations, Program Management and Senior Management.

QA ENGINEER (1999 to 2000)

Integrated the Segue Suite of test management and automation tools into the testing process. Responsible

for designing and developing SilkTest scripts for functional GUI testing and SilkPeformer scripts for load

testing.

Architected and developed Silk BDL scripts to for capacity, load and performance testing of all back-end

servers and databases prior to public launch of the Stamps.com service. Additionally developed BDL

scripts to exercise stored procedures to uncover timeout and deadlock issues. Developed BDL scripts to

test and tune Server resource pooling mechanism.

Developed BDL scripts for verification and validation of United States Postal Service financial

calculations of the Stamps.com service. Successfully identified financial issues before launch and no

financial issues have ever been reported post launch.

Worked closely with developers throughout R&D in order to ensure that proper testing of the servers and

databases was performed and that test results were properly communicated to appropriate developers and

managers.

Internet Dynamics, Westlake Village, CA 1998 to 1999

(Internet Dynamics was an internet security company which produced Conclave, a firewall/VPN product for

NT servers.)

QA ENGINEER

Developed extensive SilkTest scripts involving the use of numerous third-party applications to test the

security of the product. Re-factored numerous existing scripts for maintainability and performance.

Utilized strong TCP/IP networking skills during the performance of job. Attended Microsoft’s TCP/IP

certification course.

Performed functional and regression testing of the products’ networking and VPN security features.

Johnson Controls (formerly Cardkey Systems), Simi Valley, CA 1994 to 1998

(Cardkey produced access control systems on UNIX and Windows NT platforms along with embedded

firmware in subordinate controllers.)

SYSTEM TEST ENGINEER

Established first generation of automated testing of client and server applications using Microsoft Test

and VB.

Created Visual Basic applications to simulate embedded firmware sub-controllers for capacity testing.

Created Visual Basic application for load generation and reporting in support of load testing of NT server

and embedded sub-controller security systems.

Developed Microsoft Visual Test Scripts for functional GUI testing of access control system.

Responsible for software configuration management.

Responsible for configuration management of server products.

Created test cases, test plans, test reports based on IEEE standards for Unix X-Windows product and

embedded software products.

Performed manual testing of functional, network protocol and regression tests.

Lockheed, Burbank, CA 1984 to 1994

PROJECT MANAGER

Performed and documented safety and risk analysis for man-rated flight test procedures

Performed project scheduling including resource allocation and PERT analysis..

Initiator and primary author for the Lockheed Flight Test Engineers Book of Knowledge. (similar to

PMBOK but domain specific.)

Created test cases, test plans, test reports for mission and life critical systems in an IV&V environment

based on DoD standards and guidelines.

Education:

University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

M.S. Systems Management

University of Illinois, Urbana, IL

B.S. Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering

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