Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae

Nina McKenzie

Location: Buckinghamshire, UK
Email: nina.mckenzie@gmail.com

PERSONAL STATEMENT

During the last 3 and a half years, since becoming a QA Engineer, I have gained a solid understanding of the discipline, have been exposed to a wide range of technologies, and gained considerable commercial experience. My main focus and area of interest is Test Automation, and how to integrate best practices and proven patterns within agile teams to deliver the highest standards of automated testing.

I have excellent interpersonal, communication and management skills gained largely from my years working as a Speech and Language Therapist within both private practice and the public sector. I always pay meticulous attention to detail, and ensure the highest quality of work. At the same time as enjoying the dynamics of teamwork, I am able to work independently, structuring and organising my time efficiently in order to deliver to project deadlines.

I am an enthusiastic and self driven individual, with a great interest in technology, and a desire to increase my knowledge and progress my career within a forward thinking organisation. I hold ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level certification, obtained in 2022.

EXPERIENCE

January 2023 – Present : One-Beyond Limited

Activities included:

  • Front end automation testing during the development of a web application, using Cypress, for the development of smoke tests for different environments, and a regression test pack.
  • Test planning, linking test suites to product backlog items, test scripting, manual test execution, and raising bugs, using Azure DevOps Test Plan.
  • Close liaison and collaborative working with members of the agile team, including developers, solutions architects, technical architects, and clients.
  • Active participation in Agile ceremonies, including refinement, sprint planning and retrospective meetings.

December 2019 – January 2023 : Software Testing at Inixi Ltd

Activities included:

  • Front end automation testing during the development of a web application, using Cypress, including functionality testing, database querying, API interception, use of Typescript and Javascript, Visual Studio Code, Jetbrain Rider, Azure DevOps, and Azure Data Studio.
  • Test planning, creating requirement linked test suites, test scripting, manual test execution, raising bugs, and test summary reporting, using Azure DevOps Test Plan, testing requirements for new releases and regression testing in a pre-production environment, of a COTS product used by a government client.
  • Training in CodeceptJS.
  • Setting up and leading fortnightly brown bag sessions.
  • Support in defining requirements and manual testing a web application, in producing an online Speech and Language Therapy practice management system.
  • Front end automation testing in the development of a web application for a management consultant company, using WebdriverIO, Cucumber, Page Object Model (POM).
  • API testing of a web application using Postman and Swagger.

TECHNICAL SKILLS / KNOWLEDGE

During my involvement in these projects, I acquired a range of knowledge and skills relevant to software testing, including:

  • Defining and refining project requirements and acceptance criteria
  • Use of Agile methodologies (Including Kanban)
  • Workload management software (Azure DevOps, Jira)
  • Use and development of CI/CD pipelines
  • Use of GIT for version control (in Github and Azure DevOps)
  • Use of Visual Studio Code, and Jetbrain Rider editors
  • Contributing to Test Strategy, Test Plan and Test Summary documentation
  • Manual test scripting and execution using Azure DevOps Test Plan
  • Creating requirement-linked test suites to demonstrate requirement coverage
  • Front end automation testing, using Cypress, Typescript, WebdriverIO, Javascript, Cucumber, Page Object Model (POM).
  • Mocking API responses
  • Database queries, using SQL in Azure data studio
  • Debugging Issues
  • API testing using Swagger and Postman
  • Raising bugs/defects as work items in the backlog, including steps to reproduce, expected results and actual results, and retesting once fixed.
  • Collaborative work with team members consisting of a Lead QA, test teams from other organisations, front end and back end Developers, DevOps, Business Analysts, UI/UX designers, Client Representatives, Project Managers, and Delivery Managers.
  • Participation in Agile ceremonies, e.g. sprint planning, requirement refinement sessions, retrospectives, sprint reviews.
  • Setting up and leading fortnightly QA Brown Bag sessions

OTHER EXPERIENCE

  • November 2011 – Present : Chiltern Speech Therapy: Practice Owner and Manager Independent Speech & Language Therapist (part time)
  • February 2005 – November 2015 : Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust: Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist in Early Years Complex Needs, Special Schools & Community Clinic
  • January 2004 – December 2006 : National Department of Health, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa & De Kock & Louw Speech Therapy: Newly qualified Speech and Language Therapist

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

  • 2002 BSc Speech Language Pathology, University of Cape Town
  • 2019 PGDip Cleft Palate and Speech Disorders, University of Sheffield

Certificates:

  • 2022 ISTQB Foundation Level Certified Tester