Marco is available for hire

Marco Andrade

Verified Expert in Engineering

Quality Assurance Developer

Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Toptal member since March 3, 2021

Expertise

Algorithms Quality Assurance Engineering Code Review Agile Development Test Automation Git Selenium Automation Ruby Cucumber GitHub Jira

Bio

Marco has been a QA engineer since 2013 and has been passionate about quality assurance since the start of his career. He is also well-versed in Ruby, Agile methodologies, and behavior-driven development. With eight years of experience as a Toptal core team member, he is excited to join the talent network as a developer. Marco leverages his excellent communication skills to introduce the necessary process changes to produce deliverables of the utmost quality.

Portfolio

Sardine

Agile QA, TypeScript, Cypress, QA Leadership, Agile Leadership, Fraud Detection...

Circle

Test Automation, QA Leadership, Quality Assurance (QA), Ruby, RSpec, Watir...

CircleCo Inc

Test Automation, Quality Assurance (QA), Ruby, RSpec, Test Planning, Appium...

Experience

Test Automation - 12 years
Agile - 12 years
E2E Testing - 12 years
Ruby - 10 years
RSpec - 10 years
Cucumber - 10 years
Watir WebDriver - 8 years
Playwright - 3 years

Preferred Environment

Ruby, Cucumber, Watir WebDriver, Agile, Behavior-driven Development (BDD), Git, Scrum Master, GitHub Actions, Playwright, TypeScript, Programming, ServiceNow

The most amazing...

...project I'm proud of was being part of Toptal's sign-up revamp from multiple forms into an easy-to-apply form featured in HubSpot.

Work Experience

QA Lead

2025 - PRESENT

Sardine

Led a QA team of five, focused on ensuring high-quality standards across Sardine’s fraud prevention, compliance, and crypto infrastructure products.
Partnered with engineering, product, and security teams to drive test strategy and coverage for mission-critical features such as device fingerprinting, behavior biometrics, transaction monitoring, and identity verification (KYC/KYB).
Contributed actively to the hiring process, onboarding, and mentoring to build a high-performing, collaborative QA team.
Conducted exploratory and manual testing across web and mobile platforms using tools like Burp Suite, Charles Proxy, ADB, and Xcode Instruments.
Ensured quality across a complex tech stack, including TypeScript (React, Node.js), Go, Ruby, Python, Java, Bigtable, PostgreSQL, GCP Dataflow (Apache Beam), and BigQuery.
Advocated for a security-first and data-driven testing approach that supports fraud detection, AML compliance, chargeback protection, and risk scoring systems powered by machine learning.
Reduced test flakiness through advanced locator strategies, network interception, and controlled test data management.
Designed reusable test utilities and page abstractions to reduce duplication, improve readability, and enable faster onboarding of new contributors.
Established best practices for shift-left testing by collaborating with engineers to define acceptance criteria and embed automation early in the development lifecycle.
Designed and automated Cursor rule workflows to validate AI-assisted code generation against predefined quality and architectural standards.

Technologies: Agile QA, TypeScript, Cypress, QA Leadership, Agile Leadership, Fraud Detection, AML, Anti-money Laundering (AML), Compliance, Test Automation, Mobile App Testing, CI/CD Pipelines, AI Trust, Risk and Security Management (AI TRiSM), Team Leadership, QA Process, Quality Management, Quality Assurance Management, Team Mentoring, Code Review, Source Code Review, Task Analysis, Technical Hiring, Interviewing, Team Management, APIs, Claude Code, Manual Software Testing, Acceptance Testing, Accessibility Testing, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), API Testing, User Experience (UX), Figma, HIPAA Compliance, HIPAA, Quality Management Systems (QMS)

QA Lead

2023 - 2025

Circle

Led knowledge transfer sessions and provided technical mentorship to the QA team, resulting in over 40% improved team productivity.
Developed and implemented a mobile testing framework using Appium and WebdriverIO, which reduced client complaint tickets by 80%.
Architected and implemented a scalable end-to-end automation framework using Playwright and TypeScript, designed for reliability and maintainability at scale.
Implemented a Slack bot for p0/p1/p2, improving the visibility of bugs.
Created a bot to assess Unity test speed and report on the PR level, resulting in RSpec being 30% faster.
Reduced production issues by 75% through enhanced test coverage.
Integrated Playwright suites into CI/CD pipelines, enabling parallel execution, deterministic test runs, and fast feedback for pull requests.
Leveraged Claude Code to accelerate test automation development, generating structured Playwright test cases and refactoring legacy suites while enforcing deterministic patterns and maintainable abstractions.
Established best practices for AI-augmented engineering, documenting prompt patterns and verification strategies to ensure generated automation code met enterprise-grade standards.
Established a structured AI-assisted flakiness triage process, improving test stability and reducing false positives in CI pipelines.

Technologies: Test Automation, QA Leadership, Quality Assurance (QA), Ruby, RSpec, Watir, Appium, iOS, Functional Testing, Regression Testing, Mobile App Testing, Test Planning, Team Leadership, Agile QA, API Testing, BrowserStack, QA Automation, CI/CD Pipelines, TypeScript, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Scrum, Manual QA, GitHub Actions, Cypress, Test Management, GitHub, Artificial Intelligence (AI), User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Unit Testing, Cross-browser Testing, Programming, React, Web Applications, Test Cases, Testing Strategy, Automation, Mobile Device QA Automation, Sanity Testing, Smoke Testing, Test Documentation, Quality Assurance Management, Code Review, Source Code Review, Task Analysis, Technical Hiring, Interviewing, Team Management, APIs, Claude Code, Apple, iPhone, Manual Software Testing, Acceptance Testing, Accessibility Testing, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), User Experience (UX), Mobile

Senior QA Automation Engineer

2021 - 2023

CircleCo Inc

Built a test automation framework from the ground up for a web application using Cucumber, Watir, and Ruby.
Coached other QA engineers to transfer knowledge and experience and organized transfer knowledge sessions. Suggested new solutions and tools for the team and implemented some of them.
Tested feature/functional changes manually and conducted cross-browser and cross-OS testing.
Tested end-to-end applications and websites on iOS and Android mobile devices.
Performed ad hoc and exploratory testing on native iOS and Android apps.

Technologies: Test Automation, Quality Assurance (QA), Ruby, RSpec, Test Planning, Appium, iOS, Mobile App Testing, Regression Testing, Functional Testing, Agile QA, API Testing, BrowserStack, QA Automation, CI/CD Pipelines, TypeScript, Front-end, Node.js, Playwright, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Scrum, Manual QA, GitHub Actions, JavaScript, Test Management, GitHub, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Unit Testing, Cross-browser Testing, Programming, React, Web Applications, Test Cases, Testing Strategy, Automation, Mobile Device QA Automation, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Sanity Testing, Smoke Testing, Test Documentation, Code Review, Source Code Review, Task Analysis, Technical Hiring, Interviewing, APIs, Claude Code, Apple, iPhone, Manual Software Testing, Acceptance Testing, Accessibility Testing, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), User Experience (UX), Mobile, A11Y, Accessibility, WCAG 2, Web Accessibility

Senior QA Engineer

2020 - 2021

Luma Health

Built a test automation framework from the ground up for a healthcare web application using Cucumber, Watir, and Ruby.
Introduced QA processes and test management tools to the team. Established and organized the structure, processes, and work in the QA function. Guided and coached the team members about QA best practices and raised team quality.
Coached other QA engineers in order to transfer knowledge and experience, organized transfer knowledge sessions, suggested new solutions and tools for the team, and implemented some of them.
Tested API requests and responses for different applications using Postman, created Postman collections, and added automated tests using Newman.
Built a deployment pipeline on GitHub Actions to integrate the test into the new CI/CD pipeline and started moving away from CircleCI.
Performed different kinds of tests, including feature/functional, smoke, regression, integration, compatibility, exploratory, and usability. Conducted cross-browser and cross-OS testing.
Organized screening for QA candidates and conducted multiple screenings for the client.

Technologies: Cucumber, Watir, Ruby, Postman, Newman, RSpec, Ruby Page Object, Algorithms, Git, Selenium WebDriver, Agile, Test Automation, MongoDB, E2E Testing, Quality Assurance (QA), Behavior-driven Development (BDD), Page Object Model (POM), Testing, UX Testing, Automated UI Testing, Manual QA, Scrum, Selenium, Continuous Integration (CI), UI Testing, QA Testing, QA Automation, Manual Testing, Automated Testing, Test Planning, Mobile App Testing, Regression Testing, Functional Testing, Agile QA, API Testing, BrowserStack, CI/CD Pipelines, Playwright, TypeScript, Ruby on Rails (RoR), GitHub Actions, JavaScript, Test Management, GitHub, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Unit Testing, Cross-browser Testing, Programming, Web Applications, Test Cases, Testing Strategy, Automation, Sanity Testing, Smoke Testing, Test Documentation, Puppeteer, Jest, Code Review, Source Code Review, Task Analysis, Technical Hiring, Interviewing, APIs, Performance Testing, Apple, iPhone, Manual Software Testing, Acceptance Testing, User Experience (UX), Figma, Healthcare Services, HIPAA Compliance, Healthcare, HIPAA, Healthtech, A11Y, Accessibility, Healthcare Software, Medical Software, WCAG 2, Web Accessibility

Scrum Master

2018 - 2020

Toptal

Facilitated the team’s self-organization and helped everyone understand, use, and value Scrum principles and practices.
Ensured that meetings happened at the right cadence with the right people and delivered the right outcomes.
Removed non-technical impediments to progress and applied techniques for effective backlog grooming.
Monitored the team's daily progress toward sprint goals and overall progress toward initiative delivery dates and facilitated discussions when things get off track.

Technologies: Scrum Master, Scrum Coaching, Scrum, Performance Testing, Apple, iPhone

QA Automation Engineer

2016 - 2020

Toptal

Developed and maintained automated tests for the company's web application, using Watir and Ruby.
Collaborated with the team leader to help them overcome obstacles they faced regarding quality and team issues. Created a team model to be used for other teams in the company.
Manually tested feature/functional changes and conducted cross-browser and cross-OS testing.
Managed defects, including creation and prioritization. Reported bugs and followed the bug lifecycle using Jira.
Built automated test cases for API contract testing, using Pact.
Organized screening for QA candidates and conducted multiple screenings for Toptal.
Delivered QA presentations, led training sessions, and led QA initiatives involving the entire company.

Technologies: Ruby, Cucumber, Watir WebDriver, Watir, Ruby on Rails (RoR), RSpec, Pact, Ruby Page Object, Page Object Model (POM), Testing, E2E Testing, A/B Testing, UX Testing, Automated UI Testing, UI Testing, Continuous Integration (CI), Jenkins, Jira, Selenium, Postman, Algorithms, Git, Selenium WebDriver, Agile, Test Automation, MySQL, Quality Assurance (QA), Behavior-driven Development (BDD), Manual QA, Scrum, QA Testing, QA Automation, Manual Testing, Automated Testing, Test Planning, Regression Testing, Functional Testing, Agile QA, CI/CD Pipelines, Team Leadership, Test Management, GitHub, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Unit Testing, Cross-browser Testing, Programming, React, Web Applications, Test Cases, Testing Strategy, Automation, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Sanity Testing, Smoke Testing, Test Documentation, Code Review, Source Code Review, Task Analysis, Technical Hiring, Interviewing, APIs, Apple, iPhone, Manual Software Testing, Acceptance Testing, User Experience (UX), Storybook, TestRail

QA Engineer

2015 - 2016

Ubertesters

Tested end-to-end applications and websites on iOS and Android mobile devices.
Manually tested feature/functional changes and conducted cross-browser and cross-OS testing.
Performed ad hoc and exploratory testing on native iOS and Android apps.

Technologies: UX Testing, Testing, Manual QA, Quality Assurance (QA), E2E Testing, UI Testing, QA Testing, Manual Testing, iOS, Mobile App Testing, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Web Applications, Testing Strategy, Automation, Apple, iPhone, Manual Software Testing, Acceptance Testing, User Experience (UX), Mobile

QA Engineer

2015 - 2016

Avenue Code

Tested feature/functional changes manually and conducted cross-browser and cross-OS testing. Managed defects, including creation and prioritization. Reported bugs and followed the bug lifecycle, using Jira.
Built a test automation framework from the ground up for an eCommerce web application using Cucumber, Selenium, and Ruby.
Traveled to NYC for four weeks to coach the tech lead and other QAs in order to transfer knowledge and experience, to motivate the US team to learn automation scripts, and to improve their code.
Coached other QA engineers at Avenue Code, gave QA presentations, and led training sessions.

Technologies: Agile, Automated UI Testing, Cucumber, E2E Testing, Git, Ruby, Selenium, Jira, Behavior-driven Development (BDD), RSpec, Ruby Page Object, Algorithms, Selenium WebDriver, Test Automation, MySQL, Quality Assurance (QA), Page Object Model (POM), Testing, UX Testing, Manual QA, Jenkins, UI Testing, QA Testing, QA Automation, Manual Testing, Automated Testing, Test Planning, Mobile App Testing, Regression Testing, Functional Testing, Agile QA, eCommerce, GitHub, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Cross-browser Testing, Programming, Web Applications, Test Cases, Testing Strategy, Automation, Sanity Testing, Smoke Testing, Test Documentation, Puppeteer, Jest, Apple, iPhone, Manual Software Testing, Acceptance Testing, User Experience (UX)

QA Test Analyst

2013 - 2014

VipCommerce

Manually tested feature/functional changes and conducted cross-browser and cross-OS testing.
Built a test automation framework from the ground up for a web application, using Java and Selenium.
Managed defects, including creation and prioritization. Reported bugs and followed the bug lifecycle using Jira.
Created and managed test plans and documentation.

Technologies: Selenium WebDriver, Cucumber, Algorithms, Git, Agile, Test Automation, MySQL, E2E Testing, Quality Assurance (QA), Behavior-driven Development (BDD), Page Object Model (POM), Testing, UX Testing, Automated UI Testing, Manual QA, Selenium, Jira, Jenkins, UI Testing, QA Testing, QA Automation, Manual Testing, Automated Testing, Test Planning, Regression Testing, Functional Testing, Agile QA, eCommerce, GitHub, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Web Applications, Test Cases, Testing Strategy, Automation, iPhone, Manual Software Testing, Acceptance Testing, User Experience (UX), Figma

Web Developer

2012 - 2013

Telecom Associates

Developed web applications for XDR tools such as web pages, BE alarms, routines, beans, and screen management. Worked with Jenkins, Sonar, GWT, Sencha, Maven, and Hibernate.
Increased performance to handle the large volume of data for big data initiatives.
Built a test automation framework from the ground up for web applications, using Java and Selenium. Implemented unit tests using Mockito.

Technologies: Selenium WebDriver, Algorithms, Git, Agile, Test Automation, MySQL, E2E Testing, Quality Assurance (QA), Testing, UX Testing, Automated UI Testing, Manual QA, Selenium, Jira, Jenkins, UI Testing, QA Testing, QA Automation, Manual Testing, GitHub, Web Applications, Testing Strategy, Automation, Manual Software Testing, Acceptance Testing

Research Intership

2011 - 2012

Infosys

Researched and proposed a technological innovation in the area of test automation in order to reduce the time spent.
Proposed changes in the depth-first search algorithm in order to generate a test case for all flows at the same time. This opened an opportunity to generate test data with no repetition.
Filed a patent request for this discovery that became intellectual property.

Technologies: Algorithms, E2E Testing, Testing, Manual Testing, Web Applications

Experience

Client Sign-up

https://www.toptal.com/hire

Moved away from the legacy code and introduced a new, easier way for clients to sign up. To guarantee the quality of the new product, I built automation tests as a safety net for the code change to be smooth and bug-free. At the same time, we A/B tested it to determine the best flow for the client to share their needs.

Organizer of a Local Meetup

Speaker and organizer of "Café, teste e pão de queijo", a local meetup around Quality Assurance and overall quality. Monthly meetups that bring different subjects and high trends in the tech industry.

E2E Rebuilt

I moved from Capibara tests tied with the unit tests to a separate Watir test. Additionally, I integrated with CI, resulting in a 40% speed increase in E2E tests and a 10% speed increase in the Unit tests due to code cleanup. Now the code is DRY, fast, maintainable, and reliable with a 100% success rate.

Education

2010 - 2014

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science

Federal University of Minas Gerais - Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Certifications

SEPTEMBER 2015 - PRESENT

ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL)

International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB)

Skills

Libraries/APIs

Watir WebDriver, Ruby Page Object, Selenium WebDriver, Playwright, Newman, Node.js, React, Puppeteer

Tools

Cucumber, Git, Watir, Jira, BrowserStack, GitHub, RSpec, Postman, Jenkins, Claude Code, Figma, TestRail

Languages

Ruby, TypeScript, JavaScript, SQL

Frameworks

Ruby on Rails (RoR), Selenium, Cypress, Appium, Jest

Paradigms

Agile, Test Automation, E2E Testing, Behavior-driven Development (BDD), Page Object Model (POM), Testing, Scrum, Manual Testing, Automated Testing, Functional Testing, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Automation, Sanity Testing, Acceptance Testing, Continuous Integration (CI), Unit Testing, HIPAA Compliance

Platforms

iOS, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Apple, Mobile

Storage

MySQL, MongoDB

Industry Expertise

Healthcare

Other

Algorithms, Scrum Master, Quality Assurance (QA), UX Testing, Automated UI Testing, UI Testing, Manual QA, QA Testing, QA Automation, Test Planning, Video Conferencing, Mobile App Testing, Regression Testing, Agile QA, CI/CD Pipelines, Cross-browser Testing, Programming, Web Applications, Test Cases, Testing Strategy, Smoke Testing, Test Documentation, Quality Assurance Management, Code Review, Source Code Review, Task Analysis, Technical Hiring, Interviewing, Manual Software Testing, User Experience (UX), A/B Testing, Scrum Coaching, GitHub Actions, QA Leadership, Team Leadership, eCommerce, API Testing, Test Management, Spanish, ServiceNow, Mobile Device QA Automation, Team Management, APIs, Pact, Front-end, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Agile Leadership, Fraud Detection, AML, Anti-money Laundering (AML), Compliance, AI Trust, Risk and Security Management (AI TRiSM), QA Process, Quality Management, Team Mentoring, Performance Testing, iPhone, Accessibility Testing, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Healthcare Services, HIPAA, Storybook, Healthtech, A11Y, Accessibility, Healthcare Software, Medical Software, WCAG 2, Web Accessibility, Quality Management Systems (QMS)

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