Abul Kalam — Product Manager

10 Years Experience with driving quality in tech! Senior SQA Manager with a focus on QA management and leadership. Passionate about improving processes through automation. With over a decade of experience in Software Quality Assurance, I've honed my skills in managing QA teams and streamlining processes to ensure the highest standard of software delivery. At the heart of my work is a keen interest in test automation and defect tracking, where I leverage tools like Python, JIRA, and Jenkins with a special focus on firmware and kernel validation within the ARM ecosystem as well with x86 architecture to optimize performance and productivity. My career journey has been marked by a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement. I've successfully led numerous projects that not only met but exceeded expectations in terms of quality, timeliness, and compliance. My approach is simple: understand the challenges, strategize effectively, and execute precisely. I’m not just about finding bugs; I’m about fostering an environment where quality thrives and innovation is the norm. Whether it's refining testing protocols or mentoring up-and-coming QA professionals, I thrive in environments that challenge the status quo and push for excellence. I’m always eager to connect with fellow quality assurance enthusiasts and tech professionals who are passionate about making a difference. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to discuss QA strategies, tech innovations, or potential collaborations!

Stackforce AI infers this person is a QA Automation Expert in the ARM architecture and Firmware Validation domain.

Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Experience: 10 yrs 7 mos

Skills

Qa Management
Test Automation
Arm Architecture Testing
Firmware/kernel Validation
Hardware Security Module Testing
Cryptographic Operations Validation
Nvme Ssd Testing
Firmware Validation

Career Highlights

Over a decade of experience in Software Quality Assurance.
Expert in test automation and defect tracking.
Proven track record of leading high-performing QA teams.

Work Experience

Marvell Technology

Senior SQA Manager (2 yrs 1 mo)

Manager II (2 yrs 9 mos)

Staff Engineer (3 mos)

Senior Engineer (1 yr 1 mo)

Software Engineer (1 yr 8 mos)

Cavium Inc

Engineer ll (1 yr 3 mos)

Engineer l (1 yr 9 mos)

Engineer (6 mos)

Education

Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) at Narula Institute of Technology (NiT)

12th at West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE)

10th at West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE)

Abul Kalam

Product Manager

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India10 yrs 7 mos experience

Most Likely To SwitchHighly Stable

Key Highlights

Over a decade of experience in Software Quality Assurance.
Expert in test automation and defect tracking.
Proven track record of leading high-performing QA teams.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a QA Automation Expert in the ARM architecture and Firmware Validation domain.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Qa ManagementTest AutomationArm Architecture TestingFirmware/kernel ValidationHardware Security Module TestingCryptographic Operations ValidationNvme Ssd TestingFirmware Validation

Other Skills

Automation Strategy & Roadmap PlanningTest Framework Architecture & DevelopmentEnd-to-end TestingContinuous Test Execution & ReportingCode Quality & Coverage AnalysisTeam Management & Mentoring QA EngineersCross-functional Collaboration with Dev/DevOps/ProductRoot Cause Analysis & Defect TriagePython ScriptingCICD with JenkinsDefect tracking tools JIRABugzillaContainers and DockerGitHub CopilotCode Review tool Gerrit

About

Experience

10 yrs 7 mos

Total Experience

5 yrs 3 mos

Average Tenure

7 yrs 7 mos

Current Experience

Marvell technology

5 roles

Senior SQA Manager

Promoted

May 2024 – Present · 2 yrs 1 mo

As a seasoned QA leader with over 10 years of experience in Software Quality Assurance and Automation on Marvell Octeon Board / Simulator Platform/ SDK , I specialize in building high-performing teams, developing Python-based test automation frameworks, and embedding quality into every stage of the SDLC. I’ve led global QA teams, streamlined automation strategies, and driven end-to-end test coverage.
My focus is on scalable automation solutions, CI/CD integration, and data-driven quality metrics that support rapid, reliable releases. I’m passionate about mentoring QA engineers, optimizing processes, and championing a quality-first mindset across cross-functional teams.

Manager II

Jul 2021 – Apr 2024 · 2 yrs 9 mos

Results-driven QA Automation Manager with proven experience leading teams to build and scale automated testing frameworks that enhance software quality and delivery speed. Skilled in developing end-to-end automation strategies, integrating CI/CD pipelines, and fostering collaboration between QA, development, and operations teams. Passionate about mentoring engineers, driving innovation, and ensuring products meet the highest quality standards.

Staff Engineer

Apr 2021 – Jul 2021 · 3 mos

Detail-oriented and results-driven Python Automation QA Staff Engineer with a strong background in building scalable and maintainable automated test frameworks. Proficient in leveraging Python to automate functional, integration, and regression tests, accelerating development cycles and improving product reliability.
Experienced in tools and frameworks such as Pytest, unittest , Robot Framework with solid integration into CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, Github CI. Adept at writing reusable test scripts, managing test data across platforms.
Collaborates closely with developers, DevOps, and product teams to ensure end-to-end test coverage, fast feedback loops, and continuous quality improvement. Passionate about automation, clean code, and delivering high-quality software in Agile environments.

Senior Engineer

Mar 2020 – Apr 2021 · 1 yr 1 mo

As a Senior QA Automation Engineer I specialize in designing and implementing robust Python-based automation frameworks that improve software quality, accelerate delivery, and reduce manual testing overhead.
I have a proven track record of building scalable test solutions for complex applications—using tools like Pytest, unitest , Robot Framework, and Rest Assured. My expertise also spans CI/CD integration (Jenkins, GitHub Actions), test reporting, and implementing Shift-Left testing strategies in Agile/DevOps environments.

Software Engineer

Jul 2018 – Mar 2020 · 1 yr 8 mos

As a Software Engineer was responsible for ThunderX ARM server testing—specific to Cavium/Marvell’s ThunderX server-class ARM processors.
Platform Validation & Bring-Up
Validate the functionality and stability of ThunderX ARM server platforms during early hardware bring-up.
Test UEFI/EDK2 firmware, bootloaders (e.g., U-Boot), and system boot flow across various ThunderX boards
Kernel & OS Testing
Test upstream and vendor-custom Linux kernels on ThunderX hardware (focus on ARM64/AArch64 support).
Validate kernel patches, drivers (NIC, SATA, USB, IOMMU, etc.), and SMP/multicore performance on ThunderX CPUs.
Ensure compatibility and stability of major Linux distros (RHEL, Ubuntu, CentOS, SUSE) on ARM server hardware.
Automation & Frameworks
Develop Python/Bash-based test automation for boot, kernel, network, storage, and performance tests.
Integrate automation into CI pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI) to support nightly testing across multiple server nodes.
Networking & Performance QA
Test high-speed networking interfaces (10/25/40/100GbE) with SR-IOV, TCP/UDP workloads.
Benchmark server performance (CPU, memory bandwidth, latency) using tools like iperf, stress-ng, Phoronix Test Suite, perf etc.
Reliability, Stress & Error Handling
Run long-duration stress tests under high CPU, memory, and I/O load to verify thermal stability and power handling.
Collaborate with kernel, firmware, and hardware teams to reproduce, root cause, and validate fixes for platform-level bugs.
Documentation & Reporting
Maintain detailed test plans, checklists, logs, and release qualification reports for ThunderX platforms.
Track issues using Jira and provide clear, reproducible bug reports with hardware/software context.
Optional Add-ons:
Security Testing: Validate secure boot, TPM, and firmware signing mechanisms on ThunderX.
Virtualization: Test KVM/Hyper-V on ThunderX with Linux guests to ensure hypervisor support and guest stability.

Linux kernel & OS validationTesting and debugging custom and upstream Linux kernels on ARM64TPM2.0KVM/QEMU virtualization testing on ARM64SATANVMe+34

Cavium inc

3 roles

Engineer ll

Jan 2017 – Apr 2018 · 1 yr 3 mos · Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Responsible for QA Hardware Security Module (HSM) development, ensuring compliance with FIPS 140-2/3 and Common Criteria standards.
Designed and executed test cases for cryptographic operations, tamper resistance, and firmware validation using OpenSSL, PKCS#11, and JMeter.
Conducted system integration, regression, and security testing; reported and tracked defects via JIRA; automated test flows with Jenkins.
Authored QA documentation and contributed to certification readiness through detailed test evidence and audit support.
Collaborated with cross-functional teams to resolve complex firmware, API, and hardware-level issues.
Validated smart card-based authentication, secure key injection, digital signature operations, and PIN management workflows within the HSM.
Conducted comprehensive QA validation of DPDK libraries and drivers, focusing on core network performance, stability, and functional correctness.
Developed automation scripts to validate packet processing pipelines, memory pools, DMA mapping, and interrupt handling in DPDK-enabled environments.
Benchmarked NIC performance using Pktgen-DPDK, validating features like TSO, multi-queue scaling, and flow director in real-time.
Investigated and resolved complex issues related to packet drops, CPU affinity, NUMA node mismatches, and PMD regressions.
Maintained high-quality test logs and defect reports, contributing to continuous integration pipelines and regression frameworks for ongoing DPDK releases.
Worked closely with hardware vendors to validate NIC drivers and ensure conformance to platform-specific optimizations (Intel, Mellanox, Marvell).
Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) with Jenkins

Linux KernelPythonJenkinsGitPerformance BenchmarkingJCE+6

Engineer l

Apr 2015 – Jan 2017 · 1 yr 9 mos · Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Led QA for Hardware Security Module (HSM) development, ensuring compliance with FIPS 140-2/3 and Common Criteria standards.
Designed and executed test cases for cryptographic operations, tamper resistance, and firmware validation using OpenSSL, PKCS#11, and JMeter.
Conducted system integration, regression, and security testing; reported and tracked defects via JIRA; automated test flows with Jenkins.
Authored QA documentation and contributed to certification readiness through detailed test evidence and audit support.
Collaborated with cross-functional teams to resolve complex firmware, API, and hardware-level issues.
Performed comprehensive QA testing on NVMe SSDs, validating protocol compliance with NVM Express specification (1.3/1.4/2.0), including queue management, command set execution, and error handling.
Developed and executed test cases for I/O performance, endurance, thermal throttling, power management, and namespace management.
Conducted firmware-level testing, including validation of admin and I/O command sets (identify, flush, write/read, SMART log, etc.).
Used industry tools like nvme-cli, PCIe analyzers, FIO, Vdbench, and IOMeter to validate performance, reliability, and error recovery scenarios.
Simulated power loss, error injection, and boundary conditions to test data integrity, wear-leveling, and secure erase functions.
Analyzed logs and traces via PCIe protocol analyzers (LeCroy, Teledyne) and device internal logs to debug low-level hardware/firmware issues.
Worked with firmware, hardware, and driver teams to resolve issues, and supported compliance and interoperability testing for NVMe qualification.

Linux KernelPerformance BenchmarkingfioJCEBackup & RestoreSmart Cards+2

Engineer

Oct 2014 – Apr 2015 · 6 mos · Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

QA for Hardware Security Module (HSM) development, ensuring compliance with FIPS 140-2/3 and Common Criteria standards.
Designed and executed test cases for cryptographic operations, tamper resistance, and firmware validation using OpenSSL, PKCS#11, and JMeter.
Conducted system integration, regression, and security testing; reported and tracked defects via JIRA; automated test flows with Jenkins.
Authored QA documentation and contributed to certification readiness through detailed test evidence and audit support.
Collaborated with cross-functional teams to resolve complex firmware, API, and hardware-level issues.
Led QA validation of Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP) implementations, ensuring confidentiality, message authentication, and replay protection for real-time media streams.
Designed and executed comprehensive test cases for packet encryption/decryption, key management (SDES, DTLS-SRTP), and packet integrity checks, in compliance with RFC 3711.
Performed interoperability testing across SIP/VoIP systems and softphones, validating secure media handling in multi-vendor environments.
Used tools such as Wireshark, SIPp, and custom SRTP test harnesses to inspect media packets, verify encryption headers, and analyze jitter, latency, and packet loss.
Conducted boundary, stress, and security tests to validate protocol behavior under varying network conditions (packet delay, reordering, and drops).
Collaborated with protocol developers and security engineers to resolve encryption, handshake, and key renegotiation issues across platforms.
Documented test plans, defect reports, and security test evidence in JIRA and supported secure communication compliance requirements.