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Summary
Overview
Work history
Education
Skills
Certification
Hobbies and interests
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Afzal Mussa

Afzal Mussa

Newton-Le-Willows,Merseyside

Work preference

Desired job title

Senior Test AnalystUAT Test AnalystFunctional Test AnalystAutomation Tester

Work Type

Full timeContract work

Location preference

RemoteHybrid
Location: Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside
Open to relocation: No

Important to me

Career advancementWork-life balanceWorking remotely optionCompany culture

Summary

Senior/Principal QA Automation Engineer with 12+ years delivering enterprise testing across mobile integrations, cloud SaaS, and AAA gaming. Architects scalable automation frameworks from scratch using Playwright, Python, Maestro, and TestCafe, including full-stack API validation. Leads QA governance, team mentorship, and release lifecycle redesign to improve software stability and delivery speed.

Overview

1
1
Certification
13
13
years of professional experience

Work history

QA Automation Analyst (QA Tester)

Love Business
Bolton
2024.09 - 2026.10
  • Automation Framework Architecture: Designed and deployed a robust, scalable Playwright-Python automation framework from the ground up; targeted high-value user journeys to slash manual regression testing and maximise deployment velocity.
  • Domain & Lifecycle Ownership: Directed risk-based end-to-end testing for core customer and agent portals; developed data validation strategies for complex utility datasets (meter readings, MPAN/MPRNs, tariff algorithms) across energy, water, and telecom sectors.
  • Full-Stack Data Integrity: Spearheaded backend-to-frontend integration testing, validating automated data flows, transactional email triggers, and dynamic document generation for onboarding compliance.
  • Principal Quality Authority: Functioned as the sole QA lead architecting the end-to-end strategy for the company’s enterprise web ecosystem; defined and executed cross-browser compatibility standards across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
  • QA Governance & Agile Strategy: Established QA protocols and centralised engineering documentation; contributed as a strategic voice in Agile ceremonies for data-driven sprint scoping and technical debt mitigation.
  • Operational Excellence: Identified critical gaps in the SDLC and integrated modern methodologies (Shift-Left/BDD), significantly improving team velocity and defect detection rates within the utility-service ecosystem.

Senior QA Engineer

Airtime Rewards
Manchester
2023.03 - 2024.09
  • Automation Framework Architecture & Cloud Scaling: Architected and implemented comprehensive automated testing frameworks from the ground up using TestCafe (Web) and Maestro (Mobile), integrating BrowserStack and Sauce Labs to execute scalable, cross-browser, and cross-device cloud testing that significantly increased coverage and reduced manual overhead.
  • Led quality assurance for Airtime Rewards mobile application and myO2 app integration, overseeing end-to-end delivery of new features and cross-platform functionality to enhance user experience.
  • API and Backend Validation: Executed rigorous API testing and schema validation using Postman, ensuring seamless data communication between microservices, and third-party integrations.
  • Tooling & Reporting Innovation: Developed and deployed a custom internal testing tool to standardise QA workflows across the department; designed automated reporting dashboards to provide executive management with real-time visibility into software quality, and release readiness.
  • Release Management Excellence: Overhauled the release lifecycle by streamlining regression suites and optimising Beta testing protocols, resulting in faster deployment cycles and higher production stability.
  • Coordinated software releases as primary liaison with product, engineering, and stakeholders, ensuring comprehensive documentation and alignment on upcoming features across the company.
  • Directed hiring process for Senior QA Engineers, including technical screening and interview design, to establish a high-performing quality engineering team.

Senior QA Analyst

Cloud Technology Solutions
Manchester
2018.02 - 2023.03
  • Flagship Product Leadership: Directed all QA activities for the CloudM Manage suite, acting as the sole and lead tester for the launch of CloudM Manage 365, and overseeing the high-stakes rebranding of the CloudM portal and integrated payment systems.
  • Cloud Infrastructure & Security: Leveraged deep technical expertise in GCP and Azure AD to manage bucket storage and KMS (Key Management Service) configurations, ensuring secure and scalable environments for cloud migrations.
  • Advanced API Integration Testing: Conducted complex backend validation using Postman and Google's People API, ensuring seamless data synchronisation and directory management across G Suite and Office 365 environments.
  • Automation Framework Engineering: Designed and maintained a custom automation framework using Python and Selenium, focused on accelerating regression cycles, and improving deployment reliability.
  • Team Development & Mentorship: Trained three QA Analysts, managed weekly sprint allocations, and prioritised ticket triaging and workload to enhance team capabilities.
  • Operational Innovation: Selected and implemented a new Test Management Tool, modernising defect tracking and reporting, recognised with 'Excellence in Testing' award.
  • SaaS Administration Expertise: Delivered subject matter expertise in GSuite Administration and Azure AD, aligning product functionality with enterprise-level cloud configurations.

Mobile Test Consultant

Qualitest
Preston
2017.04 - 2017.12
  • Delivered comprehensive web and mobile quality assurance for high-profile clients in insurance and identity management sectors, ensuring high standards of reliability and performance.
  • Conducted extensive compatibility testing across desktop browsers and mobile devices, verifying cross-platform responsiveness and user experience.
  • Utilised SQL for in-depth database analysis and back-office data validation, enhancing accuracy of complex financial quote engines.

Test Analyst

CDL - Cheshire Datasystems Ltd
Stockport
2015.02 - 2017.03
  • Led QA for 6+ concurrent projects, ensuring comprehensive full-stack validation in Agile and Waterfall environments.PDF
  • Improved software quality with meticulous regression testing.
  • Developed and maintained test scripts for long-term use.
  • Used SQL (DBeaver, Squirrel) for database analysis and conducted developer code reviews to resolve HTML/CSS bugs.
  • Evaluated risks to enhance project success and mitigate future challenges. to mitigate potential issues.

Functional Tester

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
Liverpool
2013.05 - 2015.03
  • Managed end-to-end testing process to ensure software quality.
  • Executed test suites and provided embedded studio support for AAA titles Killzone: Shadow Fall and LittleBigPlanet 3 on PlayStation hardware and Android, ensuring quality and performance standards were met.
  • Coordinated with development team, ensuring seamless workflow integration.
  • Streamlined communication with stakeholders to maintain transparency at all stages of testing.

Education

Bachelor of Science - Interactive Systems and Video Games Design

University of Bradford
Bradford

Btec National Diploma - IT And Computing

Hopwood Hall College
Middleton

Skills

    Testing & Automation Languages & Core Tech Cloud, Infrastructure & DevOps Observability & Hardware

  • Frameworks: Playwright, Python-Pytest, Maestro, TestCafe, Browserstack, Saucelabs
  • API Testing: Postman, REST API validation, Google People API
  • Management & CI/CD: Azure DevOps, JIRA, TestRail, PractiTest
  • Languages: Python, JavaScript
  • Web Tech: HTML5, CSS3, DOM manipulation, XPath, CSS Selectors
  • Databases: SQL (DBeaver, Squirrel)
  • Platforms: Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), Firebase
  • Infrastructure: Linux, Docker, Bucket Storage, KMS (Key Management Service)
  • SaaS Administration: G Suite Admin, Microsoft 365 / Office 365
  • Monitoring: Datadog
  • Specialised Hardware: Neighbourhood (PS4/Vita), Console Debugging

Certification

ISTQB Certified Tester - Foundation QA

G Suite Administrator - Online

Python Programming Training - Online

Hobbies and interests

  • Reading
  • Completing puzzles and going on outings with my wife
  • Gaming (Board, card, video) with friends
  • Professional taste tester for my wife
Technical Projects
  • Home Infrastructure & Security: Deployed a multi-node local server environment (Optiplex & Raspberry Pi 5) featuring automated resource telemetry monitoring and a network-wide AdGuard Home DNS server for privacy and traffic filtering.
  • IoT & API Integration: Built a centralized Home Assistant hub orchestrating real-time multimedia feeds, smart climate telemetry, and custom API/web-scraping streams for live transit and local service data.

Timeline

QA Automation Analyst (QA Tester)

Love Business
2024.09 - 2026.10

Senior QA Engineer

Airtime Rewards
2023.03 - 2024.09

Senior QA Analyst

Cloud Technology Solutions
2018.02 - 2023.03

Mobile Test Consultant

Qualitest
2017.04 - 2017.12

Test Analyst

CDL - Cheshire Datasystems Ltd
2015.02 - 2017.03

Functional Tester

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
2013.05 - 2015.03

Bachelor of Science - Interactive Systems and Video Games Design

University of Bradford

Btec National Diploma - IT And Computing

Hopwood Hall College

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Afzal Mussa