Project Management Quality Assurance

Gail Richards

*****************@*****.*** • 602-***-****

• Phoenix, AZ

Qualifications Summary

Empowering businesses to thrive in competitive markets by leveraging comprehensive technical expertise and dynamic leadership to deliver cutting-edge solutions and drive significant revenue growth.

A seasoned technology leader with over a decade of experience in project management, product development, and strategic planning across multiple industries. Proficient in leading cross-functional teams and managing complex software development projects from conception to delivery. Demonstrates a strong ability to collaborate with stakeholders, develop effective product strategies, and drive business growth through innovative solutions and agile methodologies. Skilled in negotiating and managing relationships with key strategic partners, and adept at conducting detailed market analysis to identify and capitalize on new product opportunities. Committed to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional development within teams. Known for having name on two US patents from the travel projects, as well as assisting a third-party vendor to automate electronic ticketing processes in business travel that resulted in ~$4 million in savings.

Areas of Expertise

•Agile Project Management

•Strategic Planning

•Product Development

•Market Analysis

•Stakeholder Engagement

•Business Development

•Cross-functional Team Leadership

•Contract Negotiation & Management

•Quality Assurance & Control

•Enterprise Software Implementation

•Data Analysis & Metrics Reporting

•Risk Assessment & Mitigation

Career Experience

Web Development Consultant – Independent Contract, DIZPOT Packaging & Manufacturing, Phoenix, AZ 2023 – 2024

Provided consultancy for the development of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, focusing on web development support. Conducted comprehensive data analysis across multiple systems, executing data cleanup and enhancement in collaboration with internal teams. Performed quality assurance testing to ensure the integrity and quality of new releases, contributing to the system’s reliability and user satisfaction.

●Designed mockups for web pages tailored to the "Create New" process, enhancing user interface design and functionality.

●Conducted comprehensive reviews and normalization of over 5,000 SKUs, updating and adding essential attributes like active status and product type categorization to streamline inventory management.

●Authored over 120 user stories to enhance e-commerce functionalities, focusing on order creation, fulfillment processes, and the manufacturing requirements for diverse product offerings.

●Performed rigorous testing of initial ERP system releases, focusing on the creation of new items, vendors, and customers to ensure system reliability and functionality.

●Developed user stories specifically for automated SKU generation, significantly improving efficiency in inventory management.

●Established standardized procedures for cloning processes and duplicate checks, enhancing data integrity and operational consistency across the e-commerce platform.

●Enriched data sets by adding attributes essential for developing key metrics and business performance measurements.

Infosys – Tech Manager/Consultant, American Express, Phoenix, AZ 2021 – 2023

Led a team of 31 co-located engineers across 12 projects, coordinating integration efforts with six to eight interfacing or impacted development teams to ensure seamless project execution. Facilitated all Agile ceremonies, including daily stand-ups, sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives, fostering a collaborative and efficient work environment. Collaborated with engineers, designers, and representatives from multiple countries to support region-specific compliance and functionality requirements, ensuring consistent and efficient implementation. Utilized Rally and JIRA for comprehensive project support, including planning, reporting, resource capacity management, and budget tracking.

●Fostered strong relationships with internal product owners, leadership stakeholders, and application teams, enhancing project collaboration and support.

●Successfully navigated challenges associated with onboarding and offboarding resources, maintaining precise alignment of availability with development commitments to uphold project continuity and team performance.

●Managed project risks, issues, and dependencies proactively to maintain project timelines and quality standards.

●Adhered to AGILE and SDLC best practices to guide project execution and ensure high-quality outcomes.

●Ensured accurate technical architecture and process flows for critical Point of Arrival tools, overseeing their scheduling and execution.

ATOS Syntel – Tech Manager/Consultant Quality Assurance Test Manager, American Express, Phoenix, AZ 2017 – 2021

Executed comprehensive test plans aligned with the Agile Charter and Test Strategy to meet key business objectives. Proactively identified and mitigated risks and issues to ensure project integrity and success. Managed the collection, approval, and proper documentation of Agile-related materials for audit compliance and organizational transparency.

●Defined clear expectations regarding strategy implementation and project timelines to stakeholders.

●Ensured all test environments, data, and resources remained actively managed, accounted for, and integrated into the overall plan.

●Spearheaded data mapping and ensured the accuracy of over 500 attributes essential for creating and measuring the effectiveness of credit card marketing campaigns, significantly enhancing target marketing strategies and campaign ROI.

ATOS Syntel – Tech Manager/Consultant Project Manager, American Express, Phoenix, AZ 2017 – 2021

Led end-to-end project management from conceptualization to delivery, ensuring seamless execution and compliance with timelines and budget. Fostered team collaboration and empowered team members to achieve high-quality results through effective leadership and motivational strategies. Managed project risks, anticipated potential delays, and implemented contingency plans to mitigate impact. Oversaw financial aspects of projects, including budget planning and cost optimization. Designed and documented system architectures, use cases, and test scenarios to guide development and ensure compliance with technical specifications.

●Developed project scopes, coordinated with cross-functional teams, and maintained ongoing communications with clients and stakeholders to report project status and resolve issues.

●Spearheaded initiatives across Global Consumer Marketing and Marketing Analytics, leading a technical team of sixteen engineers and collaborating with global teams on infrastructure, disaster recovery, and new product launches.

●Established and maintained robust relationships with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment on project goals, responsibilities, and expectations.

TATA Consultancy – Tech Manager/Consultant Project Manager/Scrum Master, American Express, Phoenix, AZ 2013 – 2071

Managed multiple projects utilizing both Waterfall and Agile methodologies to drive successful outcomes across diverse business verticals including Card Services, Marketing, Finance, and Technology. Collaborated with engineering teams to integrate Salesforce and Marketingforce technologies, leading to the development and deployment of a unified Marketing Campaign Tool that consolidated legacy systems and enabled real-time data capture. Utilized Salesforce analytics to provide insightful reporting on application performance to both team members and leadership, enhancing strategic decision-making.

●Aligned project goals with product owners, prioritizing and scheduling backlog items to optimize resource allocation.

●Implemented strategies for efficient product backlog management, ensuring clarity and focus on high-priority tasks.

●Coached team members on best practices in self-organization and cross-functional collaboration, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth.

●Led the adoption and evolution of Agile practices throughout the organization, and shared key metrics and testimonials to demonstrate improvements in communication, quality, and alignment with business objectives.

Career Note

Quality Assurance Manager/Project Manager, American Express/Remote, Phoenix, AZ

Education

High School Degree

Licenses & Certifications

Scrum Master, Scrum Product Owner, SAFe American Express Quality Leadership (AEQL) American Express Project Management (AEPM)

PMBOK Project Management Six Sigma Executive

Technical Skills

Technologies: Salesforce-Marketingforce, Jira, Slack, Confluence, Rally, Clarity, VersionOne, Quality Center, ServiceNow ITSM, People Soft, Tableau, Enterprise Solutions, Selenium, Junit, e-Commerce and Mobile.

Methodology/Framework: Agile, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Feature Driven Development (FDD), Test Driven Development (TDD), Behavior Driven Development (BDD), Lean Development (LD) Scrum, Kanban, Iterative, Waterfall

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