Feb 2024 – Dec 2024 · 10 mos · Utrecht, Netherlands · Hybrid

• I was hired to set up and lead the QA department at Mercell. Mercell is the largest public tendering and bidding platform for European buyers and suppliers. As a part of my role and responsibilities:
• I led and mentored a small team of three SDETs.
• Setup a test strategy for Mercell. Strategy was based on doing Risk based testing, implementing Test Pyramid and running different test types automatically at different moments of CICD.
• Setup a Web automation framework from scratch using Playwright and Typescript.
• Setup an API automation framework from scratch using RestAssured and Java.
• Added abilities to do testing at different levels i.e. e2e, API, system, app and library level.
• Added abilities to test at functional, network, console, accessibility and visual levels.
• Made tests feature flag aware using LaunchDarkly.
• Setup different GitHub workflows and actions to achieve different test use cases.
• Integrated our tests with BrowserStack Test Observability for Test monitoring.
• Conducted daily knowledge sharing sessions via our “Lessons learned from Yesterday” meetup.
• Conducted regular workshops for all teams in the company to educate them on how to use test frameworks.
• Created knowledge documents and knowledge videos on Confluence to document important aspects around testing.
• Did pair programming sessions to troubleshoot and unblock team members when stuck.
• Did regular PR reviews to improve the codebase and educate team members in the process around clean coding and design practices.
• Gave a tech talk on “Optimizing test feedback cycles” in BrowserStack winter 2024, QA leadership summit.

May 2023 – Dec 2023 · 7 mos · Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands · Hybrid

• At ING I was hired to create test automation for some of their legacy business critical payment applications that did not had any test automation infrastructure yet. Goal was to create a test framework where team can add new tests to increase test coverage, reduce risk and increase deployment frequency.
• I first setup CI integration in Azure Devops to cover different test run scenarios (i.e. with PRs, merge to master, health checks on a schedule etc). Used Azure Vault to store secrets and TypeSafe for managing configuration. For security scanning I used CheckMarx, Jacoco for code coverage and SonarQube for static code analysis. Lombok, Slf4j, Junit5, Hikari connection Pools were some of the other tool sets that I used to get job done.
• Since the application under test was primarily processing different kind of payment messages in XML, CSV, fixed length, MT, MX Swift messages, I built a data driven test framework that would parse these messages and update them at run time to then publish them on a Kafka topic to eventually assert the results in an Oracle database. I used JDBC for connection, Hikari to maintain a database connection pool and Awaitality library to dynamically wait for records to arrive before asserting them.
• Final reports were then custom prepared for business in both html, csv and standard surefire reports. This was a little different than other projects since business also wanted to validate results for passed test scenarios which is normally not the case. I created a custom Junit5 extension for this purpose.
• For another more standard, migration project, the problem statement was to create a test framework for testing their newly built Rest APIs. I created a test framework in RestAssured, Java, Maven.
• CI integration was again done using Azure DevOps and the standard tool set mentioned above.
• In my peers words, I delivered a solid 9 month worth of work in 2 months and the framework quality is one of the best they have ever seen.

Mar 2022 – Apr 2023 · 1 yr 1 mo · Netherlands

• At ClipboardHealth, I was hired to lead the QA department (which I accepted but without the title). As head of Quality and automation I was responsible to envision, define, build and scale our QA department. Working there:
• I defined and implemented QA strategy for the whole organization which was "Testing right things in the right place at the right time". Which translated to:
• Doing risk and business requirements based testing (test the right things)
• Following Test Pyramid (to cover tests at the right level/place)
• And automatically triggering tests immediately post deployments in development and staging environments (to test at the right time).
• As an effect, we reduced our release testing time from days to hours and mins (hours for a final UAT and mins for automated regression).
• I also defined our hiring needs, strategy and interviewed and hired some of the best QAs from across the world (India, Pakistan, Ukraine, Poland and US).
• Broke silos and integrated SDET's into teams.
• Created and co-authored all three tests automation frameworks for API, Web and Mobile automation using RestAssured, Selenide, Appium, Java, Maven,Junit5 and TypeSafe.
• Reviewed PR's and provided continuous feedback on clean code and test design.
• Created reusable GitHub workflows to automatically trigger tests post deployments on Development and Staging and provide early and automated feedback to developers on Slack.
• Created custom integration between test frameworks and DataDog, to provide real time test reporting, monitoring and alerting on Slack.
• Conducted Tech Talks in the company and created knowledge base in Confluence in both written and audio/video format.
• Conducted biweekly meetings to listen to QA concerns and act on them.
• Provided autonomy and space to all team members to experiment and try out new things.
• Created teams with high morale, knowledge and team bonding.

Oct 2021 – Feb 2022 · 4 mos · Netherlands

• At felyx I was hired to setup test automation frameworks for both their mobile apps (ios/android) and for their backend Rest API microservices. Apart from this my responsibility was to mentor the current and future QAs in the area of testing and test automation.
• Working with some great QAs and Developers, in a short span of 4 months I set up automation frameworks from scratch for both backend APIs (using RestAssured) and mobile application (using Appium).
• With an open source toolset choice, the tech stack I used to build the frameworks is as below:
• > Github Actions and then migrated to GCB (google cloud build) triggers for running tests in CI.
• > Used RestAssured 4.3.x for RestAPI testing, using Java8, maven3.x, Junit5, Typesafe for config, Slf4j for logging; to build core framework for backend APIs automation.
• > Used Appium (2.0 beta) for both ios/android automation, using Java8, maven3.x, Junit5, Typesafe for config, Slf4j for logging to build core framework for mobile app automation. Browserstack was recommended cloud device farm to execute tests.
• > Git and GitHub to version control, build and collaborate on test framework (using pull requests and GitFlow).
• > Java DBConnection class for validating/asserting with PostgreSQL DB backend.
• > Jira, Confluence, Slack, Teams, IntelliJ, VSCode, PowerShell as other supporting tools.
• > Clean and decoupled design to separate tests intentions from implementation details.
• > Code, config, data were all neatly separated for higher readability and maintenance.
• P.S: Apart from this, in the same time, I was able to create the first (known) open source project with appium-Junit5 that allows users to run tests in different parallel execution modes without touching any part of code or config in localhost and just by specifying user choices in a choices.conf file. It is currently sponsored by both Browserstack and Saucelabs with their free open source licenses. Project is here: https://github.com/PramodKumarYadav/happium

Jul 2020 – Present · 5 yrs 10 mos · Netherlands

• Power Tester is my one-man company and my endeavor as a freelance entrepreneur. Ambition is to offer the best-in-class test and automation services to clients. Services offered will be in the area of:
• Test automation consulting
• To help project/teams build/test frameworks using the latest tools and technologies CI, Automation, GIT, Docker and Clean Design.
• Test audits (review/improvise).
• To help companies struggling with test automation with review and concrete improvement areas.
• Test toolings (new products)
• New test tools as product offerings.

Jul 2020 – Sep 2021 · 1 yr 2 mos · The Hague, South Holland, Netherlands

• Working for the EPO, my responsibility is to Test and Design an automation framework for their new Patent filing application. Application is designed as a set of microservices with frontend and backend built in React and Rest APIs and packaged as docker images.
• The tools and technologies I used to build the test automation framework are:
• > Docker, selenium docker grid, Docker compose and PowerShell scripts for local test env setup.
• > Jenkins pipelines to run e2e tests on cloud (triggered with PRs to find issues pre merge & scheduled test runs post merge)).
• > A clean and decoupled design to keep the tests, config, data, page objects and driver factory separate from each other.
• > Selenium3, Java10, maven3.x, Junit5, docker grid as a minimalistic tool set to build core framework for frontend automation.
• > RestAssured 4.3.x for RestAPI testing, using Java10, maven3.x, Junit5 as another minimalistic tool set to build core framework for backend APIs automation.
• > Git and Bitbucket to version control, build and collaborate test framework with other team members (using pull requests (PRs) and GitFlow).
• > DBconnection for validating with MySQL DB backend. Later migrated to MongoDB backend for backend assertions.
• > Jira, Confluence, Slack, Teams, IntelliJ, VSCode, PowerShell as other supporting tools.
• Working with a cool team of some very technical team members, I am having fun learning and building a lot of cool stuff in frontend and Rest API automation.

Mar 2020 – May 2020 · 2 mos · Netherlands

• In 2 months, I created a framework in UFT using which we could test any application build on oracle forms. I used git compatible artifacts to build the framework (rather than UFTs non-git compatible propriety artifacts). The framework design was lean and used loosely coupled test artifacts, making it easy to maintain and scale test artifacts.
• DB connection was achieved from the framework, making it possible to assert the front end with backend information from databases. A sample POC can be found on my GITHUB page named: Rusty.

Apr 2019 – Feb 2020 · 10 mos · The Randstad, Netherlands

• Working in a cutting edge technology project for PayVision(a leader in eCommerce payments processing), my responsibility was to test and automate its core transaction lifecycle management systems.
• The application was built with Microsoft tech stack and involves asynchronous message processing using RabbitMQ.
• The tools and technologies used to build the test automation framework are:
• > Docker, Kubernetes and Helm to build the run time test environment. The base image is Linux with PowerShell installed.
• > Powershell is used to build all the functions and scripts for testing. The choice was primarily due to the reason for the ease of working/testing in containers.
• > Rabtap a cmd line tool is used to automate RabbitMQ.
• > jq was used to parse and automate JSON messages/files.
• > MSSQL was used using powershell SQL modules.
• > Working with GIT is on Azure Repos using pull requests.
• > Azure pipelines for execution automation.
• > Azure storage for storing results on cloud.
• > Azure devops for end to end project management (i.e. repositories, board, user stories, branches, pipelines etc al).
• Working with some of the very competent team members, I had tons of opportunity to learn, grow, build and add value!. A sample framework with general purpose fns can be found on my GitHub page named Carrot.

Apr 2015 – Mar 2019 · 3 yrs 11 mos · The Randstad, Netherlands

Apr 2015 – Dec 2018 · 3 yrs 8 mos · The Randstad, Netherlands

• Project Goal: Test and automate end to end all formats that our reporting system provides (CAMT052, CAMT053, MT940, MT942, SWMT940, SWMT942, CSV, DDA, DRA)
• Tools & Applications: We used SoapUI for Automated Test validation, Groovy as the framework’s language, GIT for version control, Confluence for Information Management, JIRA for agile Scrum Implementation, z/OS (Aviva macro programming) for JCL Automation, Excel VBA programming for Expected Report Automation, SharePoint for artifacts management, Exhaustive VBA programming in MS Excel for stubbing different Soap XML requests. For VIZ automation I used RapidRep (using velocity), CTD (for Test design), UFT for test process and mainframe automation and Jenkins for scheduling.
• Responsibilities:
• I along with my two colleagues was responsible to envision, design and build an automated test framework to test VQI. VQI is a middleware application that handles request from all channels (RDC, RIB, BOC, POY, OMNI CASA, VK1 and SAP LENA) and creates all above mentioned reports for them using Payments, Savings and Multibank as its data sources.
• We built a robust and effective test automation framework in SoapUI to automate test execution. Found hundreds of defects (new and existing), tested all changes that came in between. Worked in a scrum mode both testing and automating requirements in sprints. Continuously improving the framework to keep it simple and maintainable.

Aug 2004 – Feb 2015 · 10 yrs 6 mos · Mysore, India

• Client: ABN AMRO Bank N.V. | Location: ABN AMRO, Amsterdam Area, Netherlands
• Project Goal(s) : I worked in different projects at multiple domains in ABNAMRO. These projects included from small scale projects to large scale migration programs and everything in between.
• Tools & Applications: Used Prisma and excel VBA solutions for Automated Incident reporting and defect reporting. Used Quality Center to define test and defect workflows for facilitating projects and programs. Worked on various domains such as Core banking, Limits, Fiat, functions, Credits and loans, Internet banking, Employee Portal, Markets and BAN.
• Responsibilities:
• Working on different roles, my responsibilities as Functional Tester, Test analyst and lead included Requirement analysis, impact analysis, creating Requirement traceability matrices, test scenarios, test cases, test data setup, test stubs, test environment set up, test execution, runbook creation, defect raising and reporting, issue resolution, providing estimates and work orders.
• As Defect, Incident and Test manager, I lead many programs to define and implement overall Test, Defect and Incident management strategies. In all these roles I came up with new automated test solutions to make tracking and reporting easy. Responsibilities included resolving incidents, reporting to stakeholders, mentoring teams of different sizes and ethnicity, doing different test phases such as ST, SIT, FAT, UAT, BAT.