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Ivan Balukov
Workflow Driver, Problem solver, QA Automation

Hello. I'm a Quality Assurance Engineer who loves nothing more than improving processes and enhancing quality for teams. I've been testing all sorts of applications for big multinational companies since 2007, and I've had a blast doing it. But what really drives me is working with people and making complicated workflows easy to understand and follow. I'm your go-to person for identifying and fixing weak points in your processes, improving your business's automated tests, enhancing your Continuous Integration, cutting down on routine tasks, finding capacity issues, mapping out user experience, testing accessibility, and optimizing API testing. My ultimate goal is to make sure everyone involved in the product development process, from the development team to the end-users, is happy with the final result.

Ivan Balukov
Workflow Driver, Problem solver, QA Automation

Hello. I'm a Quality Assurance Engineer who loves nothing more than improving processes and enhancing quality for teams. I've been testing all sorts of applications for big multinational companies since 2007, and I've had a blast doing it. But what really drives me is working with people and making complicated workflows easy to understand and follow. I'm your go-to person for identifying and fixing weak points in your processes, improving your business's automated tests, enhancing your Continuous Integration, cutting down on routine tasks, finding capacity issues, mapping out user experience, testing accessibility, and optimizing API testing. My ultimate goal is to make sure everyone involved in the product development process, from the development team to the end-users, is happy with the final result.

Skills Overview
The list is constantly growing - I love to learn new technologies.

QA
  • Test documentation
  • Feature testing
  • Model testing
  • Team workflow tuning
  • Development lifecycle
  • Agile / Scrum / Kanban
  • Delivery management
QA automation
  • Selenium
  • WebdriverIO
  • Playwright
  • Mocha
  • Chai
  • API tests
  • Load tests
  • Mutation tests
Coding
  • Javascript & Typescript
  • HTML & CSS
  • Node.js
  • Gitlab
  • Kubernetes
  • Angular / React
  • Express.js
  • Docker

Work experience
Since 2007 I have been testing all kinds of apps in multinational companies.
I like to work in big companies, but first of all appreciate the people with whom and for whom I work.

Lead QA Engineer
2021 - present
Raleigh, USA

Achievements:

  • Created test policies, strategies and plans from scratch to ensure the highest level of quality and reliability for the company's products and services
  • Implemented E2E, API, Mutation and Load tests to identify and address any potential issues before they reach end-users
  • Created special framework with E2E tests for web-based airline operating system. Unique structure and approach make this framework easy to maintain and extend
  • Incorporated autotests into CI/CD pipelines to streamline the testing process and improve overall efficiency
  • Changed development workflow to suitable for company at early stages. Weekly releases, stable demo environment, two-layer testing, low-cost

Working closely with software development teams to ensure that quality assurance activities are integrated into the software development life cycle, and that quality standards are met at every stage of the process. Developing and executing all manual testing activities. Identifying, analyzing, and documenting software defects and bugs. Participating in cross-functional team meetings and collaborating with other departments to identify and address quality-related issues.

Lead QA Engineer
2018 - 2021
Saint Petersburg, Russia

Achievements:

  • Implemented and supervised the execution of accurate QA workflows, including issue tracking, multi-layer review, and release testing
  • Transferred the entire department to a new workflow (~ 50 employees)
  • Created structured plans, questions, and tasks for QA interviews to ensure highest quality engineering
  • Developed and implemented sophisticated automated testing frameworks to enhance the QA process efficiency
  • Implemented visual and accessibility tests

Leading and mentoring a team of manual and automation QA engineers, fostering skills development, and promoting a high-performing QA function. Providing senior-level expertise in the development of comprehensive functionality tests and optimizing QA processes for efficiency. Overseeing the development cycle, ensuring adherence to release cycles, and maintaining control over planning processes to meet project milestones. Collaborating with QA, development, and cross-functional teams to define automation strategies, integrate tests into CI/CD pipelines, and ensure high product quality. Monitoring and maintaining test environments and data, staying updated with industry trends, and recommending innovative solutions for QA process enhancement. Assisting in the evaluation and selection of automation testing tools, establishing coding standards, and continuously improving test automation processes.

QA Engineer
2012 - 2018
Saint Petersburg, Russia

Achievements:

  • Successfully tested large-scale mobile app from concept to release, serving as the sole QA engineer on the project and contributing to the app achieving a high rating of 4.5 stars in the Google Store
  • Leaded the transition of two teams from a waterfall development methodology to an Agile Scrum framework, fostering improved collaboration and faster delivery of software releases
  • Implementing checklists, early testing practices, and documentation testing, resulting in a significant reduction in regression time from 10 days to 2 days

Creating comprehensive test designs, actively contributing to the development of the user interface and ensuring the software met user requirements and expectations. Analyzing and reporting bugs, closely examining reports and comparing products with competitors to identify areas for improvement and innovation. Improving workflow processes for all team members, streamlining communication and collaboration to enhance productivity and efficiency. Implementing automated tests and providing guidance to automation testers, setting clear tasks and objectives to ensure effective test automation coverage. Collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure comprehensive test coverage and validate the integration of different software components. Conducting thorough exploratory testing, employing creative techniques to uncover hidden defects and enhance the overall quality of the software. Actively participating in continuous improvement efforts, contributing ideas and suggestions to enhance QA processes, tools, and methodologies.

QA Engineer
2009 - 2011
Saint Petersburg, Russia

Achievements:

  • Created and implemented a comprehensive workflow for the testing cycle, starting from scratch, ensuring efficient and effective testing processes
  • Introduced early-stage testing practices, enabling faster functional testing and identification of issues in the early stages of development
  • Implemented automation for regression testing, developing scripts for physical engine testing (using Lua) and interface tests (using MS Test Manager)
  • Implemented performance and load testing to evaluate the system's behavior under stress conditions

Conducting functional, interface, and stress testing of the hardware-software complex «Maritime simulator» including the development of regression tests and test cases from scratch. Coordinating IT activities, including the installation, configuration, and maintenance of network hardware to ensure the smooth operation of the Russian office within the international office network. Collaborating with cross-functional teams to gather requirements, understand system behavior, and design appropriate test strategies. Executing test cases, documenting and reporting defects, and working closely with developers to ensure timely resolution. Participating in continuous improvement initiatives, identifying areas for process optimization, tool enhancements, and test automation opportunities. Actively contributing to knowledge sharing and mentoring, providing guidance and support to QA team members.

QA Team Lead
2007 - 2009
Vologda, Russia

Achievements:

  • Created and implemented a comprehensive workflow for the testing cycle, starting from scratch, to ensure efficient and effective testing processes
  • Developed standards for interface design, establishing guidelines and best practices for user interface testing
  • Created a training program for newcomers, providing training in both testing techniques and the banking domain
  • Setting up a server for product presentations to customers, enabling smooth and impactful demonstrations of software capabilities

Conducting functional and interface testing of online banking applications, ensuring the software met requirements and provided a seamless user experience. Testing the integration of the application with various components of the bank system, such as billing, operator place, and database, ensuring seamless interoperability. Coordinating a team of five members, overseeing their tasks, providing guidance, and facilitating collaboration to achieve project objectives. Analyzing requirements and evaluating tasks, ensuring proper understanding and feasibility assessment before assigning them to team members. Collaborating with stakeholders to gather requirements, clarify expectations, and address any concerns or questions related to testing activities. Contributing to the continuous improvement of testing processes, identifying areas for optimization, implementing best practices, and leveraging new tools or techniques.

Projects
I leave a part of me in every project which I help develop.
I cannot just work for money without a spark.

The project aggregates all information about devices, calls, users in a company. It helps to find weaknesses in the system and to quickly react to arising problems. Includes charts, maps, tables, filters, alerts, subscriptions.
Analytic Project
Web application (React + Scala)
Ringcentral
Leading a team
WebdriverIO
Gitlab
Delivery master
Scrum
Application helps to keep hand on the pulse of your internet ads and quickly solve problems. Users can pay for ads campaigns and manage ads and clients. Includes charts, tables, notifications.
Yandex Direct iOS
iOS application
Yandex
Test planning
Manual testing
Agile
Application helps to keep hand on the pulse of your internet ads and quickly solve problems. Users can pay for ads campaigns and manage ads and clients. Includes charts, tables, notifications.
Yandex Direct Android
Android application
Yandex
Test planning
Manual testing
Agile
Desktop application for managing contextual ads in Yandex. It simplifies work for advertising agencies and massive clients. They can create thousands of ads without a browser. Testing was focused on app stability, preservation of user data, interface convenience for working with large amounts of data.
Direct commander
Desktop application (Electron)
Yandex
WebdriverIO
Chai
Mocha
Kanban
Scrum
Manual testing
Hardware-software simulator for training sailors to control and navigate Anchor Handling Vessels. It allowed to create scenarios with ships, oil platforms and anchors in different weather conditions. Testing was focused on complicated high-loaded scenarios, distributed system and a physics engine for wires, water and vessels.
Ship Training Simulator
Desktop distributed application (С#)
Kongsberg Maritime
Test planning
Regression
Scrum
VS Test Professional
Web application for internet-banking with protected authorization. Clients could work with accounts, loans, cards through a browser and correspond directly with the bank. Testing was focused on the complex relationship with internal banking components, the convenience of user interface and the high security of data transfer.
Online bank
Web application (Java)
R-Style Softlab
Leading a team
Manual testing
Test planning

My own projects
I like css frameworks, new technologies and lightweight design.
These projects I created myself from scratch.

Task management application which I developed myself from scratch to release. Database is Postgree SQL. Authorization. HTTPS. Not supported.
Flowcamp
Web application
Typescript
Angular
Heroku
Ruby on Rails
Protractor
My second task management applicaton. Which I currently use everyday for my work. Constantly updated.
Kosmodrom.work
Web application
Typescript
Angular
Express.js
MongoDB
Gitlab
K8s
My book about E2E tests from my point of view. Examples and advice.
Typescript
Webdriverio
Chai
Mocha
The site of a talented photographer and storyteller.
meetthekosmos.com
Personal site
Jekyll
Foundation
Javascript
Github Pages
My cv page - you are looking at it right now.
balukov.com
Personal site
Jekyll
Semantic
Gitlab pages
Digital Ocean
CSS
HTML

Education

Engineer Information Systems and Technologies
Vologda State Technical University
2002 - 2007

Languages

Russian (Native)
English (Intermediate)

Interests

Camping
Snowboarding
Bass guitar

Education

Engineer Information Systems and Technologies
Vologda Tech University
2002 - 2007

Languages

Russian (Native)
English (Intermediate)

Interests

Camping
Snowboarding
Bass guitar