Michael Roeder

Software Quality Assurance Engineer and Sysadmin with 11 years in software QA and 8 years in software development. Excellent reputation as detail-oriented independent worker with skills in communication and project management. Shipped commercial software packages such as Crystal Ball, Isys, Director, Shockwave, Apple Backup, and iDVD. As Director of Quality Assurance at HandHeld Entertainment, developed and shipped ZVUE personal media player models 200 and 250. At CyberArts, Vidient Systems, and Linden Labs, tested and shipped distributed applications.

Seeking a QA Engineer or Systems Admin position at a firm in or near San Francisco with a clear business purpose, a strong sense of business ethics, and formal quality practices throughout its operations.

Wrote Specifications

Implemented Test Plans

Characterized Bugs

Developed Software

Described Processes

Set Up Networks and Servers

Set Up QA Practices

Managed Projects

2008.11–2009.2

Linden Lab

Senior Quality Assurance Engineer

• Tested Release Candidates of the Second Life viewer application.
• Contributed to a project (still under NDA): Clarified requirements, wrote and executed test plans.

I was hired to do white box testing on the Second Life servers. Unfortunately the company's priorities changed and my skill set was not longer needed.

2007.9-2008-11

Vidient Systems, Inc.

Senior Quality Assurance Engineer

• Shipped SmartCatch 3.1 and 3.2, a video analytics security application, and IVR2400, an embedded video analytics device.
• Documented the software development process, noted engineers' complaints and frustrations, and made recommendations for stepwise, gradual improvements.
• Contributed to the product documentation.
• Wrote test plans, test suites, and test cases.
• Set QA department standards for writing bug reports.
• Helped manage the QA lab's servers, video sources, and sub-networks.
• Updated the test database tracking system to the latest version and reorganized the test suite.
• Contributed to the feature specifications of the next release of the server software.
• Took over and rehabilitated and refactored a crufty Java test application.
• Created a system to automatically uninstall the previous build, install the new build, and run that Java test application. Integrated it into the nightly build process.

I was hired to help this start-up software development organization move from its present ad-hoc development and testing strategy to a more orderly, mature, and predictable process. The product itself is interesting in its own right: a distributed video-analysis process running on embedded Linux and Windows 2003 Server, communicating with CORBA and HTTP. My strategy was to do real QA work and learn not only the system itself but how this organization creates software. Working together with dev and QA engineers, I formulated and presented realistic goals and a livable schedule for the organization to achieve them.

I enjoyed working with this diverse group of engineers from all over the world. I helped them improve their software development process.

2006.11-2007.4

Cyberarts, Inc.

Manager of IT Systems and Quality Assurance

• Configured a cluster of 13 remote servers (12 SuSe Linux and 1 Windows 2003 Server) in preparation for migration of services from one remote location to another.
• Throughout the process, in anticipation of setting up several more clusters like it, wrote specifications and described the configuration process.
• Wrote failure-recovery procedures.
• Configured and installed a cluster of 11 remote servers (10 SuSe Linux and 1 Windows 2003 Server) in preparation for automated testing.
• Set up automated daily get-build-test system.
• Wrote test plans and test suites for back-end servers, administration system, and game clients applications.
• Managed bug reports from clients and contractors

Reason for Leaving: My desire for clear structure and formal engineering development practices did not fit with the company’s fast-and-loose extreme programming methodologies. My manager will confirm this; we parted on friendly terms.

2003.10–2006.11

HandHeld Entertainment

HandHeld entertainment is a start-up company whose original purpose was to build handheld media players. I was hired early on and thus performed a variety of tasks best grouped by formal job titles.

Director of Quality Assurance

• Defined and implemented software development and QA process to move the company from startup mode to a more repeatable, predictable development model.
• Presented information on quality assurance practices to upper management and showed how a focus on quality is important to the company's success.

Quality Assurance Manager

• Analyzed the download video transcoding process and recommended changes to improve the workflow and more specifically define the steps of the process.
• Wrote specifications, quality plan, and test plans for ZVUE personal media players.
• Wrote test plans for a series of desktop media manager applications.
• Supervised beta tests of portable media players and desktop media conversion and transfer applications.
• Interviewed job applicants and made hiring recommendations for positions at all levels from front-line employees to department heads.

Quality Assurance Engineer

• Built and maintained QA's web server. Installed, configured, and managed open-source bug tracking and test tracking database applications.
• Tested user interface, software functionality, and hardware for ZVUE personal media players, embedded systems using a custom OS on Freescale ARM and Linux on TI OMAP processors.
• Rewrote the corporate web site's Support section, resulting in a 95% decrease in the number of tech support calls.
• Reimplemented the commercial web site in a dev-qa-production model using Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP for the server software.
• Implemented a Linux/PHP/MySQL back end for a free media download web site.
• Implemented a Linux/PHP/MySQL database system for tracking returned merchandise.

IT Manager

• Set up and maintained basic office network with firewall, file and intranet servers, VPN, printers, etc.
• Set up corporate web servers for e-commerce and technology demonstration systems.

Reason for Leaving: The company changed direction after going public.

2003.8–2003.9

QA Engineer, Apple Computer

• On the Backup project, performed test suites, reported bugs, and tracked their process through the bug tracking system.

Reason for Leaving: The HandHeld Entertainment project, which hatched in my basement, needed my diverse skills.

2003.5–2003.6

Sr. QA Engineer, Niteo Partners

• QA Lead for custom web site authoring application.
• Implemented QA processes, wrote test plans, performed test suites, reported bugs, reviewed others’ bug reports, and tracked their process through the TestTrack bug tracking system.
• Tested web site authoring system on Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
• Led Bug Review Board meetings.

Reason for Leaving: The project ended.

2002.6–2003.1

QA Engineer, Apple Computer

• Contributed QA process experience to the iApps group at Apple Computer.
• Wrote test plans, performed test suites, reported bugs, and tracked their process through the bug tracking system.
• Contributed to Backup, iMovie, and iDVD.

Reason for Leaving: iDVD shipped.

2000.5–2001.7

Senior QA Engineer, A Cool C.S. Co.

• Translated a keen understanding of the customer’s expectations into clearly stated requirements that, according to the chief of software engineering, “Even an engineer could understand.”
• Contributed experience in producing shrink-wrapped software and the underlying process that insures that the process is repeatable to a project porting Linux to handheld devices.
• Wrote test plans for a handheld device running embedded Linux.

Reason for Leaving: The Dot Bomb.

1999.11–2000.5

Application Software Engineer, Veridicom

• Tested fingerprint security software on Windows 98 and NT.
• Made recommendations that led company management to decide against acquiring a seriously flawed fingerprint identification software application.

Reason for Leaving: The company could not find its purpose; I received a better offer elsewhere.

1996.1–1999.10

Software Quality Assurance Engineer, Macromedia

• Tested Director, a cross-platform (Windows and Macintosh) multimedia authoring application, and Shockwave, its playback engine.
• Streamlined daily build, distribution, and testing procedures, saving the company dozens of worker-hours each week.
• Identified serious performance issues in the Java Player for Shockwave and showed how they would be critical to the acceptance of the product.
• Of my own volition, documented necessary steps and requirements for hiring and training, and produced a manual that was used for hiring and training of QA engineers.

Reason for Leaving: I learned what I could; it was time to move on; I received a better offer.

1995.4–1995.12

Senior Software Engineer, A Cool CS Co.

• Wrote an application in Visual Basic to test and demonstrate the capabilities of a video display chip.
• Proposed that the application’s functionality should be encapsulated in a VBX. Our clients agreed and extended the project; we built and delivered the VBX.

Reason for Leaving: Clients canceled the contract.

1994.5–1995.2

Software Engineer, ISYS/Odyssey Development

• Provided development technical support and application QA for a Windows-based text indexing and retrieval application.
• Using formal language theory, implemented new techniques for writing complex text search operations, allowing programmers to code new search operators more quickly and easily.

Reason for Leaving: Company canceled its planned Macintosh version.

1992.3–1994.4

Software Engineer, Decisioneering

• Implemented the Excel API for Crystal Ball, a Macintosh and Windows risk-analysis application.
• Salvaged a canceled project, resulting in the creation of a new product that sold for $10,000 per copy.

Reason for Leaving: Layoff.

1992.1–1992.2

Software Engineer, Staodyn

• Enabled the completion of FDA safety testing of a new medical product by writing the factory process-control software.

Reason for Leaving: Contract completed.

1990.4–1991.11

Software Engineer, Professional Electronic Recruiting Exchange

• Saved countless worker-hours by showing that the old data model was obsolete and documenting the one that we were by then actually using.
• Prevented the company from embarking on a disastrous software development project by showing how their current software tools could be used more productively; resulted in an estimated $200,000 in net savings.

Reason for Leaving: Company business never took off; they folded.

1989.6–1989.10

Contract Programmer, Lear Siegler Measurement Controls Corporation

• Saved technicians dozens of hours weekly by designing and implementing a simplified software-driven test harness for a data acquisition circuit board.

Reason for Leaving: Completed contract.

1987.11–1989.5

Technical Analyst, The Arkhon Corporation

• Introduced innovative computerized data-analysis techniques for the company's construction-claims litigation projects.

Reason for Leaving: The regional office was closed; I did not want to relocate to New Jersey.

1983.10–1984.10

Programmer, Daniel Geophysical

• Created a new revenue stream for the company by creating PC versions of their mainframe-based geophysical data analysis software.

Reason for Leaving: Project completed.

1985–1986

1979–1983