Michael Roeder

Quality Assurance Engineer
Cover Letter - Resume

Summary and Professional Objectives

Software Quality Assurance Engineer and Sysadmin with 14 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 and developed and shipped desktop media manager applications. Recently employed as Manager of IT Systems and Quality Assurance at CyberArts, a developer of online gaming software.

Seeking position at a firm with a clear business purpose, a strong sense of business ethics, and formal quality practices throughout its operations only in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Employment History

Summary

In Colorado I worked for a series of small startup companies, where in addition to software engineering I also did quality assurance, documentation, tech support, sales support, and network implementation and maintenance. The diversity of those jobs prepared me for my position at Macromedia, where I expanded my skills in software engineering and quality assurance, as well as for my jobs at Veridicom, A Cool California Software Company, and Apple Computer. At HandHeld Entertainment and CyberArts I played many roles including sysadmin, IT Manager, QA Engineer, QA Manager, and Director of QA.

• 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.

(SuSe Linux server administration, Windows Server 2003 administration, Windows XP, BugZilla, networking, Juniper firewalls, TCP/IP, cluster management)

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

(Embedded Software; Video; Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP, openvpn, samba, vsftpd, named; Windows 98, 2000, Server 2003, XP; Mac OS X)

• Configured testing environments
• Performed test suites.
• Wrote bug reports and tracked bugs through the system.

(Macintosh OS X, Bug tracking systems, iDVD, Backup)

• Created and implemented test plans.
• Performed test cases; wrote bug reports and tracked bugs through the system.
• Screened bugs in the CMS tools entered by the content migration team.
• Reviewed web pages and entered bugs against templates and components.
• Led Bug Review Boards.

(Windows 2000, XmetaL, Documentum , TestTrack)

• Configured testing environments
• Performed test suites.
• Wrote bug reports and tracked bugs through the system.
• Contributed to the QA effort on Backup, iMovie, and iDVD.

(Macintosh OS X, Interface Builder, Project Builder, Bug tracking systems, DVD authoring, Video)

My job responsibilities fell into several categories.

Company Direction

• Define the Company's Guiding Principles of Software Quality.
• Advise Engineering Manager on quality engineering processes.
• Specify development support databases.
• Design and implement systems for generating and executing test plans.
• Review available quality-support software such as code-coverage, profiling, and error logging libraries.
• Maintain the public side of the corporate web site.

Project Management

• Work with company President and Clients to define the scope of the project.
• Interview engineers to determine task duration estimates.
• Create project schedules.
• Track and report the current state of projects.
• Approve or reject project milestone and final ship candidates.
• Maintain the project web site.

Quality Assurance

• Report appropriate bug-tracking statistics and estimated finish dates.
• Review project specifications; generate test plans, test cases, testing libraries.
• Develop feature specifications, develop and run test plans, discover bugs, characterize them, offer appropriate solutions, regress bugs.
• Use white-box testing techniques within an automated testing environments to verify device drivers for an embedded Linux system.

Research

• Build a Beowulf cluster. Learn tips, tricks, and gotchas. Advise on techniques and hardware for future Beowulf projects.

(Linux, Unix tools, CVS, Lyx, Mpich)

As part of the Advanced Development Group, I had these responsibilities...

• Using XML and related web technologies, develop generalized web-based data-presentation systems for online personal identity verification.
• Develop sample software and documentation for the Trusted Sensor application tool kit
• Provide leadership in the area of technical information presentation for production and development software.
• Evangelize the use of mature software development processes.

As a member of the Director Software Quality Assurance team, I contributed to Shockwave and Diretcor versions 5, 6, 7, and 8.

• Generated test cases and performed acceptance and certification tests on Shockwave for Director 5 and 6.
• Found, characterized, described, and regressed bugs, tracking their progress with the department's bug-tracking database.
• Automated the build process for Shockwave 6.0.1 and for the Java Export Xtra for Director.
• Created and ran performance test suite for the Java Export Xtra for Director.
• As QA Team Lead, I supervised other QA Engineers.
• As a member of the Hiring Committee, I interviewed QA Engineer candidates and made hire/no-hire recommendations.
• Designed the user interface, wrote the specification, and implemented test plans for some Director 7 features: sprite rotation/skew/quad-distortion and alpha-channel effects.
• Developed and ran new test Xtras for the Director 7 Xtra API.
• Tested and documented the Director 7 Xtra Development Kit. Interacted with developers, created sample applications, and wrote a "How-To" cookbook for new Xtra developers. Produced the Beta version of the Director 7 XDK for distribution at the Macromedia User Conference.
• Participated in feature-planning meetings and influenced the design of the Property Inspector and new Cast window.
• Tested and documented the Director Multiuser Server and Xtra. Wrote a sample Xtra for the Multiuser Server XDK.
• Set up the code-coverage testing lab and test procedures for Director 8. Analyzed code-code-coverage logs and advised other QA engineers where and how to increase the effectiveness of their test suites.

(Windows 3.1, 95, 98, NT; MS Visual C, C++; Bullseye C-Cover; Macintosh System 7.x, OS 8, OS 9, OS X; Metrowerks Codewarrior; MPW; Director & Lingo)

As a member of the software development team, I …

• Implemented C and Visual Basic applications that demonstrate the abilities of the company's video graphics driver software.
• Determined specifications for and implemented a VBX that displays live video in Visual Basic applications.
• Contributed to the existing programmer's guide and wrote Volume 4 which describes the VBX.

(C, Visual Basic, VBX internals, Windows 3.1)

As a member of the software development team, I …

• Developed new features in Pascal and Visual Basic.
• Wrote modules that read other applications' native file formats,
• Rewrote the programmer's guide and provided technical support for the ISYS API.

(Visual Basic, Pascal, Windows 3.1)

As a member of Decisioneering's software development team, I made significant contributions to the development of Crystal Ball 3.0.

• Wrote the C and Pascal interface between Crystal Ball and Microsoft Excel for Windows and Macintosh.
• Designed the internationalization/localization scheme.
• Implemented, documented, and supported the API.
• Developed code to use Macintosh Toolbox and Windows SDK.
• Designed parts of the Crystal Ball 3.0 user interface.
• Contributed to the Crystal Ball User Manual and wrote the Advanced Macro Interface programmer's guide.

(Pascal, C, Macintosh, Windows 3.1)

My work was critical to the success of Staodyn's new line of electrically active sterile dressings. As a software engineer, I worked with electrical and mechanical engineers to build the factory.

• Interviewed project engineers and wrote the Software Specification Document and Software Design Document.
• Designed, implemented, and debugged the control software for the asynchronous manufacturing process.
• In consultation with the project's mechanical engineer, designed the user interface for the manufacturing software.

I worked there full-time for two months, then on occasional weekends after I started working for Decisioneering. (Pascal, MS-DOS)

• Implemented a networked multi-user database application.
• Provided technical support.
• Wrote user manuals and documentation.

(FoxBase, Clipper, MS-DOS, Macintosh)

• Built the hardware interface and wrote the software to test and diagnose circuit boards at the point of manufacture and in the field.
• Designed and implemented database applications to track and report instrument certifications.

(dBaseIII+, Pascal, MS-DOS)

• Wrote database and custom Pascal applications to analyze and present information about construction claims.

(dBaseIII+, FoxBase, Generic CADD, DOS)

• Ported VAX FORTRAN synthetic seismic analysis programs to DEC PDP-11 and MS-DOS microcomputers.
• Debugged and optimized VAX FORTRAN synthetic seismic convolution filter generation programs and exploration well log digitizing programs.

(FORTRAN, VAX/VMS, MS-DOS)

Additional Information

Skills and Experience

• Software Quality Assurance
• Applications Programming
• API Design & Implementation
• Cross-Platform Development
• User Interface Design
• Internationalization/Localization
• Real-time Process Control
• Database Design & Implementation
• Documentation: specifications, programming guides, user manuals, on-line help
• World Wide Web publishing
• Test plan development and implementation

Completed Software Projects

• CyberArts: set up two remote online gaming server clusters
• HandHeld Entertainment ZVUE embedded firmware: User Interface, MPEG-4 video player, MP3 audio player, JPEG player, WMA audio player, WMV video player (QA Director, Manager, Engineer)
• HandHeld Entertainment desktop software: Zflix, Zorg, Zapp (QA Director, Manager, Engineer)
• HandHeld Entertainment web site software: online video delivery prototype demonstrated at CES 2005 (developer)
• Cool CS Co embedded Linux projects (Senior Quality Assurance Engineer, Project Lead)
• Macromedia Director 7.0 (Senior Quality Assurance Engineer)
• Macromedia Director Export Xtra for Director 6.5 (Buildmeister, Quality Assurance Engineer)
• Macromedia Shockwave for Director 6.0.1 (Buildmeister, Quality Assurance Engineer)
• Macromedia Shockwave for Director 5.0 (Quality Assurance Engineer)
• Cool CS Co video device driver demonstration application
• Odyssey Development Isys 3.0 (Software Engineer)
• Decisioneering Crystal Ball 3.0 (Software Engineer)
• Staodyn "Wound Healing Electrode" manufacturing process software (Software Engineer)
• PERX electronic employment referral service (Software Engineer)

Published Documents

• IBM ViP 905 Guide to Programming Vol. 4: The Visual Basic Extension (Author), A Cool C. S. Company, 1995.
• ISYS Applications Programming Interface (Author), Odyssey Development, 1995.
• Crystal Ball User Manual (contributor) and Advanced Macro Interface (Author), Decisioneering, 1993.
• Software Specification Document (Author) and Software Design Document (Author), Active Electrode Machine, Staodyn, 1992.
• PERXLink 3.0 User Manual (Author), PERX, 1991.
• "A Search for 1612MHz OH- Emission at 5 Degrees Galactic Latitude" (Author), Abbreviated Reports by Research Participants in Student-Oriented Programs, Summer, 1977: Astronomy, Beverly Lesch and Edward L. Pizzini, eds., The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

Education

• Completed 132 semester hours in pursuit of a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and at the University of Colorado, Denver.
• Received the Goethe Institute Certificate of German as a Foreign Language.

Hobbies and Sports

• Ice Hockey: I am a goalie in a local adult amateur ice hockey leage; I have coached teams and individual skaters and played in several international tournaments.

References

• References are available upon request.