QA Lead

ALFRED LOWENSTEIN

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

*** *******-******** ****, *******, NY 11791

H: 516-***-****, C: 202-***-****

QA LEAD

SUMMARY

• Hands-on expertise and experience in Automatic Test of hardware and software.

• Architect of test harness for trading systems, video processing, and Digital Asset Management system.

• Primary architect of New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) program to build testware infrastructure and tools to automate software testing. Involved in all phases of the SDLC.

• Over ten years of test automation of trading systems and four years of testing FIX systems.

• Over 15 years of shell scripting in both Unix and Windows.

• Introduced superior techniques and processes, well known and proven in the hardware community.

• Principal author of documents that shaped Concurrent Engineering process improvement initiatives. Published extensively.

• Languages: Java, Bash, Ksh, Visual Basic, VBScript, TCL, TSL, C++, ATLAS, VHDL

• Databases: SQL, Oracle, MySql

• O/S: Linux, HPUX, Windows, Unix

• Software/Tools: Rational Functional Tester, Mercury QuickTest (QTP), Microsoft Office, Jira, Clearcase, XRunner, WinRunner, Bugzilla

• BS, Physics, Clarkson University

SELECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Developed automated GUI testware for Aegisoft, improving developer efficiencies 65%. Company software development was plagued by development errors. Determined lack of timely functional GUI testing led to excessive post-release software issues. Developed tools to automate functional GUI testing during nightly builds. Improved software quality and substantially decreased deployment time.

• Reengineered build scripts, saving problem data and decreasing build repair time 71%. Aegisoft software builds experienced high rate of failure. Hourly build data was overwritten before it could be analyzed. Created new approach to retain a day worth of log data for analysis. Immediately notified developers of problem via trigger email with web link to defective data. Developers addressed and repaired builds in near real-time.

• Architected SIAC automated testing of NYSE software, enabling trading of $11T in securities. Stock exchange test process at system level was done manually. Determined need for and developed software testing, running on tandem, UNIX and Windows platforms. Managed schedules and strategies for phased implementation. Deployed system-wide, multi-platform automated test scripts and tools.

• Created stable testware infrastructure, improving Venaca development quality. Company software was unreliable. Developer test bed was constantly changing, leading to unstable environment. Developed automated test cases for each build, running “If-Then” logic to analyze failures. Resolves issued through Little Bite vs. Big Bite testing. Significantly improved release quality, enabling company to manage release dates more realistically.

• Modified extensive CMS scripts to auto-test NYSE mainframe system, reducing SIAC testing costs 97%. Standard protocol for communications with NYSE was extended to include FIX as well as CMS protocols. Determined need existed to retarget existing scripts for testing FIX. Developed tools to modify existing CMS scripts to test both protocols. Re-used 20 staff years of test scripts with 2 work months and increased reliability 67%.

CAREER HISTORY

Aegisoft, New York, NY, QA Manager 2007 to 2008

• Managed automated test for real time trading systems.

• Implemented automated test scripts using Rational Functional Tester, Java, and Eclipse. Scripts tested all aspects of algorithmic order processing, including communication with exchanges via FIX protocols.

• Developed test harness using Linux and Window shell scripts to automate test script launch, and to log and report test results.

• Developed Test APIs (TAPIs) and test cases for test of FX, equities, and future trading. Developed TAPIs for entering, canceling, algorithmic waving, and allocation of orders.

• Revised nightly build shell scripts to improve logging and failure diagnosis.

• Stabilized test bed and developed dashboard to show status and diagnose problems.

Venaca, New York, NY, QA Manager 2005 to 2007

• Managed QA department for video Digital Asset Management system under tight deadlines.

• Wrote and automated tests for complex video processing and Digital Asset Management, based on Oracle and MySql. Architected and implemented a suite of software tools to supplement and facilitate use of QTP, and to test other Linux-based, non-GUI software. Leveraged 10 years of WinRunner, the predecessor of Mercury's QTP, to quickly implement a mature, stable test harness.

• Developed smoke tests and configuration strategies to stabilize and baseline test environment.

• Developed data base integrity tool for MySql and Oracle databases to detect and repair data corruption caused by development efforts. Wrote automated SQL queries, analyzed query results, and provided suggested SQL code to resolve the database problems.

• Evaluated and bought automated test tool, and implementing first automated regression tests.

• Managed and developed streamlined procedures for defect tracking system.

Securities Industry Automation Company (SIAC), Brooklyn, NY, Lead Design Analyst 1996 to 2005

SIAC develops, operates, and maintains software and hardware for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

• Performed study of NYSE software design processes. Based on this analysis, conceived of, and led, effort to automate testing of NYSE Trading Software running on Tandem Mainframe, HP Unix, and Windows platforms. The software systems traded $11 trillion in securities last year.

• Retargeted existing CMS scripts to use FIX protocols. Developed tools to automate the modification of existing CMS scripts to test both CMS and FIX protocols. With the tools, was able to re-used 20 man years of test scripts with just 2 man months of effort.

• Led project teams of 5 to 10 people to develop architecture, test tools, and infrastructure to automate testing.

• Developed plans, budgets, schedules, and strategies for phased implementation of subprojects. Developed presentations to sell infrastructure and projects to SIAC and NYSE Managers.

• Developed Test Application Programming Interfaces (TAPIs) and Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) Maps, using WinRunner and XRunner, for testing Web-based Java application, Power Builder Hand Held Device, and Unix MOTIF trading application.

• With the infrastructure and tools, and for the first time, automated and maintained Design Verification and Regression Test Scripts which eliminate bugs prior to deployment on the NYSE floor.

• Initiated efforts to modify SIAC applications and design processes to address design for test. Wrote Testability Design Guide for software developers. Justified modification by quantifying net savings of project schedule and budget.

• Developed Test Script Style Guide for technical and managerial personnel which emphasized structured business-level testing in accordance with CMM level 3.

• Developed several Visual Basic utilities for launching applications, batching test scripts and creating reports based on test logs, and creating metrics from Remedy trouble report data.

• Reverse engineered undocumented business processes, and wrote Use Cases and Test Cases.

• Developed corporate-wide plan for Release Management. Developed consensus to establish Corporate Depot to store and distribute materials needed to develop, maintain, and operate SIAC systems.

• Wrote SQL queries to Oracle to report quality metrics.

• Performed code coverage analyses on Java client code, and the EJB Websphere middle tier.

Prospective Computer Analysts, Inc. (PCA), Garden City, NY, Director 1978 to 1996

Development Projects

• Was Program Manager for PCA's Tester Independent Support Software System (TISSS) efforts. Formed team that successfully bid and won contract. Developed standards, tools, and software environments to test VHSIC ICs.

• Wrote Test Program Sets (TPSs) for F-15 Accelerometer, Inertial Rate Sensor, and Air Inlet Controller and NAVSEA Shop Replaceable Assemblies (SRAs) that were hosted on AN/USM-645, a VXI Tester, and GR2225. Used LASAR 6 to write digital TPSs.

• Helped design, test, integrate, and sell-off hardware and software driver for PCA’s Commercial Off-the-shelf (COTS) 192 digital pin VXI instrument with programmable level converters. Wrote VXI software drivers for other instruments.

• Developed maintainability concept, SRA support approach, and testability management procedures for navigation interface buffer (NIB) and navigation control console (NCC) WRAs of Trident II. Reviewed initial hardware design, and assisted implementation of extensive changes to improve Built-in-Test (BIT).

• Designed and wrote BNF definition of a DATPG-to-DATPG translator and a Digital Automatic Test Program Generation (DATPG) post-processor.

• Managed, wrote, and participated in generation of numerous proposals.

Industry Leadership

• Chaired IEEE Subcommittees which developed and approved VHDL and the Waveform and Vector Exchange Standard (WAVES). Worked with VHDL Program Manger to remove International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITARs) from VHDL language and tools. Coordinated with German, French, English, and Swedish Ministries of Defense; their Washington embassies; and DoD.

• Conceived of, organized, and chaired first joint meetings of groups developing design automation standards. Arranged for sponsorship by EIA, EDIF, and IEEE and participation by Europe and Asia.

Acquisition Support

• Provided consulting services to the Computer-aided Acquisition and Logistics Support (CALS) program office. Helped organize CALS Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) Summer Study, and was principal investigator and prime author of final report. Report was used by Assistant Secretary of Defense to launch DoD's Concurrent Engineering initiatives and encourage the use of best commercial practices.

• Managed high priority effort to analyze alternate support scenarios for F/A-18's AN/APG-65 radar. Generated reports and briefings for report for the F/A-18 Program Manager. The alternate approach led to savings of over one-half billion dollars.

• Managed effort to write specifications and selection criteria for Hybrid Test System (HTS). Scoped, wrote, and implemented life cycle cost (LCC) analysis for possible ATE acquisition approaches to identify optimum support posture. Effort led to a billion dollar acquisition of support equipment.

• For SA-ALC, wrote Computer Resources Life Cycle Management Plan (CRLCMP), General Acceptance Test Procedure, and TPS QA Program Plan for AN/USM-639 TPSs.

• For CECOM, wrote Test and Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP) for Electro-Optics Program (EOP). Also, wrote System/Segment Specification (SSS), Cooperative Opportunities Document (COD), International Armaments Cooperative Plan (IACOP), Vulnerability Assessment for Non-Combat Threats (VANT), Decision Risk Analysis Assessment (DRAA), Survivability Data Package, and acquisition documents for IFTE Base Shop Test Facility EO Bench (BSTF-EOB) and for Contact Test Set EO Augmentation (CTS-EOA).

• For NAVAIR, reviewed and accepted numerous A-6 and AN-ASW-27C Test Requirement Documents (TRDs) and TPSs hosted on RADCOM.

• Participated in support of AV-8B avionics. Wrote ATE Specification and Statement of Work (SOW) for portable tester and TPSs. Helped generate Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL), Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs), and TPS General Acceptance Test Procedure (GATP).

• Managed effort to rewrite MATE A-10 Inertial Navigation System (INS) specifications, tester replaceable units (TRUs), and system software.

Contact this candidate