Kokila Amara

804-***-**** adgbr0@r.postjobfree.com www.linkedin.com/in/kokila-amara-ms-cmst/

Scrum Master Professional & IT Quality Assurance Manager

Certified Scrum Master (CSM). Proven Quality Assurance and Testing Expert with 16 years of demonstrated experience working with applications and various platforms. Certified Manager of Software Testing (CMST).

Technical Skills / Core Competencies

Agile methodology, scrum master

Sprint, Retrospective meeting

SAFe

Spotify

Application Testing: Automated & Manual

Assessment & Measurement

Client Service

Certifications: CMST & CSM

Databases: Oracle, SQL, MS-Access, SQL Server Management Studio

Documentation Tools: Biliner, SnagIt8, SharePoint

Effective Communication

Front End Tools: VB 6.0, PB, JD Edwards, SAP, ETL

Interface Testing: HL7

Incident & Issue Resolution

Languages: C, C++, Java, UNIX Shell Script, TSL, PERL, PL/SQL, UML, SQL Server

M.S. Information Technology

Mini MBA

Networking: LAN, WAN, Switches, Routers, Novell

Operating Systems: Win 10, UNIX

Process Improvement

Project Management

Security Clearance: Public Trust

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Stakeholder Engagement

Strategic: Test - Strategy, Planning, Cases, Scenarios & Reports

Standards: ISO, SEI, CMM

Testing Experience: Functional, Integration, Regression, User Acceptance & System. Types - GUI, Functionality, System, Stress, Unit, White Box, Black Box

Testing Tools: Win Runner 7.x, Quality Center 9.2, HP ALM, QTP 6.5, TFS, Rational, Clear Quest, MTM, Visual Studio 2010/2012, Atlassian-JIRA

Web Development: HTML 4.0, Java, .NET

Relevant Professional Experience

Federal Reserve Bank Richmond, VA 10/2019 –Present

Scrum Master for 5 AI Ops & 1 FEDNOW Priority 6, Agile coach for Special Ops teams in Richmond Fed Transformation program.

Plan to transform 40% of Richmond Fed teams to Agile from Waterfall methodology by year ending 2020.

Worked with teams which showed resistance for change

Used JIRA as tracking tool

Facilitated sprint ceremonies for all the AI Ops, FEDNOW Priority 6 teams

Planned BRP (PI) every 90 days

Created tangible value dashboards to present to stakeholders and executives

Adopted SAFe Essential and moved to SAFe Portfolio, with change agents, SAFe principles,Value stream

Planned with Release Train Engineer (RTE) and Coach for physical and remote BRP (PI) planning and execution

Capital One

Scrum Master Senior Richmond, VA 03/2019 – 09/13/19

Practiced SAFe for data migration from prem to cloud DCE project

Migrated Card, COAF, No Card, Retail and HR data

CMOD, P8 and IS data is migrated as well by extraction, migrate and ingestion to data center exit on hubble

Was scrum master 2-3 teams at same time

Facilitated all the ceremonies sprint planning, daily stand ups, sprint reviews and spring retrospectives

Used JIRA tool to track sprints, managed sprints and for reporting

Participated in PI (BRP) planning and demo claus events

Create a culture of continuous improvement within the team.

Maximize delivery flow—help the team remove barriers that slow them down.

Continuous coaching of the team (and stakeholders around the team) to realize their highest potential.

Facilitate or help other team members facilitate Scrum ceremonies.

Support the Product Manager and Product Owner in maintaining data in the appropriate Agile toolset to provide transparency to the roadmap and related priorities.

Represent the team at the Scrum of Scrums (S2) meeting to report progress.

Proactively help the team identify and resolve impediments. Ability to facilitate impediment resolution in a timely, effective manner.

Facilitate retrospective meetings at the end of each sprint/project – ensure highest priority retrospective points are followed up on and closed out.

Assisted Release Train Engineer (RTE) for BRP (PI) planning and execution

Strong drive to complete work when faced with ambiguity and competing priorities

VENCOR/PERSPECTA, Subcontractor to NG/SAIC

Scrum Master /Quality Assurance Richmond, VA 10/2016 – 02/2019

Working on the Unit Level Logistics System – Aviation Enhanced (ULLS-A (E)), the system of choice for the U.S. Army used to manage all facets of aviation logistics.

As a Scrum Master ability to coach agile methodologies to the team.

Facilitation of the team ceremonies - daily scrum, sprint planning, sprint review and sprint retrospective.

Created and updated storyboards, created user stories from epics.

Assist the product manager/BSA with product refinement of scope and prioritization

Monitor team velocity and capacity per iteration worked on burn down and burn up charts.

Assist in the estimation and planning work for the team based on the team’s past performance.

Testing responsibilities. Used JIRA tool for sprint and defect management.

Key Accomplishments:

Implemented a comprehensive Agile testing methodology to ensure completeness and reliability of software products in accordance with Army and CMMI SOPs. Result: A reliable system providing accurate information necessary for decision makers to determine U.S. Army aviation mission readiness

Contributed to creation of menu-driven, multifaceted software program designed to provide complete, accurate, and up-to-date information for managing all aspects of aircraft maintenance, including mission readiness, electronic records retention, and supply management logistics. Result: Efforts provided more than 53,400 system users access to relevant and timely information on more than 5,000 aircraft records

ALTRIA formerly Philip Morris Companies, Inc. Richmond, VA 08/2014 – 11/2015

Quality Assurance Coordinator

Provided expertise for the SAP Treasury Implementation with Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) project. Served as the single point of contact between Development and Testers. Documented, implemented, and monitored, all testing processes as per organization standard in Waterfall methodology

Coordinated hardware and software setup for testing.

Escalated unresolved issues leadership

Monitor and report testing metrics to stakeholders.

Conduct kickoff meeting

Key Accomplishment:

Prepared testing report: Testing results, test case coverage, required resources, defects discovered and status of efforts. Provided on-time, quality information so leadership could make an informed decision on project execution. Result: A system with streamlined processes, reduction in errors and cost savings for the client

AIBIO TECH Midlothian, VA 11/2013 – 07/2014

Kanban/Project Manager

Served as Scrum Master/Project Manager for all applications for AIBio Tech, a diagnostic pharmacogenetics laboratory and comprehensive research organization specializing in personalized medicine.

Visualize the flow of work: Kanban board, JIRA

Limit WIP (Work in Progress), Estimate cycle time

Testing responsibilities

Key Accomplishment:

Served as Scrum Master, SME to IT team on all applications. Result: Processes were streamlined saving the organization money to use on additional research

BOSTWICK LABORATORIES Richmond, VA 11/2007 – 11/2013

Scrum Master/Test Lead

Served as Scrum Master/Test Lead for IT in-house projects: Renaissance/II, Bostwick Contacts, WebLnyx, LabTech, Tech26, WebDox, CaseLynx, and applications with HL7 interfaces. Trained new pathologists on applications. Ensured compliance: HIPAA, CFR21, SOX. Served as an Administrator for SharePoint and Quality Center: setup projects, users, groups and granted privileges to users.

Scrum Master coached agile methodologies. Familiar with TDD, Xtreme, Pair programming, SAFe,

Facilitation of 4 time boxed ceremonies. Sometimes sprint review and retro meetings are combined.

Created projects, epics, user stories/ subtasks and bugs using Jira.

As servant leader assisted product manager with product risk, prioritization, estimation and backlogs.

Estimated and monitored team velocity per sprint. Traced sprint progress in burn down charts.

Helped in testing responsibilities as I have testing background.

Key Accomplishments:

Served as Scrum Master for fast and smooth delivery of software with several types of feedbacks.

Served as Scrum Master on all applications. Result: Application processes were streamlined saving the organization money to use on additional research.

Additional Employment

DHRM – Quality Assurance Analyst Richmond, VA 06/2016 - 06/2016

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK – Quality Assurance Analyst Richmond, VA 09/2007 – 11/2007

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY – Quality Assurance Lead Richmond, VA 10/2005 – 08/2007

VDH – Quality Assurance Analyst Richmond, VA 03/2004 – 10/2005

CITY OF RICHMOND – Quality Assurance Analyst Richmond, VA 06/2002 – 12/2003

Education and Certifications

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Richmond, VA 2008

Mini MBA (Intensive 14 week program)

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY Richmond, VA 2003

Master of Science in Information Technology; Post Baccalaureate in Information Technology (2001)

ANDHRA UNIVERSITY India 1979

Master of Science in Human Genetics and Physical Anthropology

CERTIFICATIONS & MEMBERSHIP

SCRUM ALLIANCE – Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Recertified Glen Allen, VA 10/2018

QAI – Certified Manager of Software Testing (CMST), Recertified Glen Allen, VA 08/2018MERCURY USA – Quality Center 8.2 Using Test Director Project Specialist USA 07/2006

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