Marko Despotovic, Developer in Belgrade, Serbia
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Marko Despotovic

Verified Expert  in Engineering

Bio

Marko is an experienced QA and test automation engineer who's very knowledgeable about QA duties and responsibilities and Scrum/Agile methodologies. He's the type of guy who is ever curious, is always willing to learn, and relishes working with new technologies and frameworks. Marko is exceptionally detail-oriented, especially in his everyday work and projects; he also specializes in making best-practice automation tests.

Portfolio

Cashew Payments Technology Company Ltd
Quality Assurance (QA), Automated Testing, QA Automation, Manual Testing...
Endava d.o.o. Belgrade
Java, Test Automation, Confluence, Jira, Docker Compose, REST APIs, Web API...
Sterling Capital Brokers, Ltd. (via Toptal)
Linux, Sidekiq, MailCatcher, Heroku, PostgreSQL, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Web API...

Experience

  • Quality Assurance (QA) - 11 years
  • Web Service Testing - 11 years
  • API Testing - 10 years
  • Selenium WebDriver - 10 years
  • Jenkins - 9 years
  • QA Automation - 9 years
  • Java - 9 years
  • PostgreSQL - 6 years

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Java, QA Test Plan Management, Manual Software Testing, QA Automation, Integration Testing, REST API Automation, Selenium, Agile, Scrum, PostgreSQL, Quality Assurance (QA), Web Applications, Manual Testing, Regression Testing, Testing Strategy, Manual QA, Functional Testing, E2E Testing, Test Case Execution, End-to-end Implementation (E2E), APIs

The most amazing...

...thing I've made was a web collaboration and telephony conferencing tool that had complex data transfers: voices, calls, streaming videos, web admin, and more.

Work Experience

QA Lead | Test Automation Architect

2020 - 2023
Cashew Payments Technology Company Ltd
  • Promoted to QA lead after only four months on the project. Covered more than common QA responsibilities. Served as backup for the whole tech team (SM, PO, PM, architect, and CTO).
  • Set strong foundations for two automation projects, API TA and hybrid (API + UI) TA projects, on top of all other QA lead responsibilities.
  • Provided answers to technical questions, and very often beyond technical and business inquiries, despite the high fluctuation in the company. Recognized by everyone as a cornerstone of the project.
Technologies: Quality Assurance (QA), Automated Testing, QA Automation, Manual Testing, Manual QA, QA Testing, Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, API Testing, Docker, PSQL, Scrum, Agile, Web API, REST API Automation, Selenium, Java, SQL, REST Assured, Test Automation, Consulting, IT Consulting, QA Leadership, PostgreSQL 10, QA Test Plan Management, GitHub, E2E Testing, Postman, Datadog, Slack, Jira, TestNG, Test Management, Manual Software Testing, Web Applications, CRM APIs, Regression Testing, UI Testing, Integration Testing, Testing Strategy, Database Testing, Web Service Testing, Git, Windows, HTTP API, Test Cases, Software Testing, Acceptance Testing, Testing, Functional Testing, PostgreSQL, Selenium WebDriver, Test Case Execution, End-to-end Implementation (E2E), APIs, WordPress, Test Planning, Apache JMeter, Apache Maven, Jenkins

QA Lead

2018 - 2021
Endava d.o.o. Belgrade
  • Interviewed new candidates for QA positions in the team.
  • Coached new team members in Agile technology, all necessary technologies for the project, and how to communicate with other teams.
  • Improved relations among the teams within the company and cross-geolocated teams in the US and GB.
  • Performed various forms of manual testing – from smoke/sanity checks to hardening, over-functional testing, acceptance testing, and regression testing- in both black and white-box testing modes.
  • Maintained API test automation framework (REST Assured and TestNG).
  • Established Jira and Confluence test cycles for the project.
  • Maintained established test cycles throughout the technologies used on the project.
  • Improved local building and deploying mechanisms by improving Jenkins files and Docker build scripts.
Technologies: Java, Test Automation, Confluence, Jira, Docker Compose, REST APIs, Web API, REST API Automation, Python, Quality Assurance (QA), QA Automation, Selenium, SQL, REST Assured, QA Testing, Manual QA, Linux, QA Leadership, PostgreSQL 10, QA Test Plan Management, GitHub, E2E Testing, Postman, Slack, JUnit, TestNG, Test Management, Manual Software Testing, Web Applications, Manual Testing, Regression Testing, UI Testing, Integration Testing, Testing Strategy, Database Testing, Web Service Testing, Scrum, Git, Windows, HTTP API, Test Cases, Software Testing, Acceptance Testing, Testing, Functional Testing, PostgreSQL, Selenium WebDriver, Test Case Execution, End-to-end Implementation (E2E), APIs, Test Planning, API Testing, Apache Maven, Jenkins, Bitbucket

Senior QA Engineer

2018 - 2019
Sterling Capital Brokers, Ltd. (via Toptal)
  • Manually tested feature/functional changes through sprint cycles.
  • Conducted testing of cross-browser (Chrome and Firefox) and cross-OS (Windows and Linux).
  • Managed defects, including creation and prioritization.
  • Automated tests using WebDriver for UI actions, an HTTP client for the MailCatcher API, and action automation with Heroku instances using Heroku APIs.
Technologies: Linux, Sidekiq, MailCatcher, Heroku, PostgreSQL, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Web API, REST API Automation, Quality Assurance (QA), QA Automation, Selenium, SQL, REST Assured, Test Automation, QA Testing, Manual QA, MacOS, PostgreSQL 10, QA Test Plan Management, GitHub, E2E Testing, Postman, Slack, Jira, Java, JUnit, TestNG, Test Management, Manual Software Testing, Web Applications, Manual Testing, CRM APIs, Regression Testing, UI Testing, Integration Testing, Testing Strategy, Database Testing, Web Service Testing, Scrum, Git, Windows, HTTP API, Test Cases, Software Testing, Acceptance Testing, Testing, Functional Testing, Selenium WebDriver, Test Case Execution, End-to-end Implementation (E2E), APIs, Test Planning, API Testing, Rally, Eclipse, Apache Maven, Jenkins

Senior Software Quality Assurance and TA Engineer

2014 - 2018
Endava d.o.o. (formerly PSTech)
  • Maintained several test automation projects, including a web app and API and combined; used Selenium WebDriver on Eclipse and IntelliJ and REST Assured for API for the code written in Java.
  • Performed various forms of manual testing–from smoke/sanity checks to hardening, over-functional testing, acceptance testing, and regression testing- in both black and white-box testing modes.
  • Wrote test cases and set test suits and test runs.
  • Set up Jenkins and created Jenkins jobs for the execution of automation projects in local testing environments.
  • Worked with Microsoft SQL databases–versioning, updates, and rollbacks.
  • Handled deployment (manual and automated using the Salt deployment tool); this involved versioning, updating, and rolling back.
  • Worked as an ISTQB-certified tester at the foundation level.
  • Interviewed new candidates for QA positions in the company.
  • Coached new team members in Agile technology, all necessary technologies for the project, and how to communicate with other teams.
  • Improved relations among the teams (especially with the development team inside the Belgrade department unit as well as with the development, DevOps, and management teams in the US).
Technologies: REST APIs, Selenium WebDriver, Web API, REST API Automation, Quality Assurance (QA), QA Automation, Selenium, Java, SQL, REST Assured, Test Automation, QA Testing, Manual QA, QA Leadership, QA Test Plan Management, GitHub, E2E Testing, Postman, Slack, Jira, JUnit, TestNG, Test Management, Manual Software Testing, Web Applications, Manual Testing, Regression Testing, UI Testing, Integration Testing, Testing Strategy, Database Testing, Web Service Testing, Scrum, Git, Windows, HTTP API, Test Cases, Software Testing, Acceptance Testing, Testing, Functional Testing, PostgreSQL, Test Case Execution, End-to-end Implementation (E2E), APIs, Test Planning, API Testing, Eclipse, Jenkins, SOAP

Sterling Capital Brokers, Ltd. (via Toptal)

WORK DONE
• Manually tested feature/functional changes through sprint cycles.
• Conducted cross-browser and cross-OS testing.
• Managed defects, including creation and prioritization.
• Automated tests using WebDriver for UI actions, an HTTP client for a MailCatcher API, and action automation with Heroku instances using Heroku APIs.

Adobe Connect

I worked as an external vendor on Adobe's collaboration and conference platform.

My work:

• Provided full-stack manual testing for the black-box and white-box tests.
• Created test cases, test suites, and test runs.
• Conducted smoke tests, regression tests, and hardening.
• Built and maintained test automation scripts for several projects, both the web app's UI and HTTP unit API.
• Wrote automation test scripts for new features and implementations—providing solutions for customer demands for TA scripts.
• Acted as the TA lead and customer consultant for the web app's TA.
• Set Jenkins on local servers (continuous integration).
• Improved the relationships with the customer by proposing numerous application enhancements.
• Implemented application deployment, versioning, patching, and reversion.

eCommerce

I worked as an external vendor on Adobe's web administration platform.

Work Done:
My job consisted of testing a new add-on implementation for the Adobe Connect product. Since this Adobe Connect product an entirely new platform, I provided new insights and initialized various enchantments for the project in development. I also conducted full-stack white box testing, acceptance testing, smoke testing/regression/hardening
In addition, I created test cases, setting test suits and test runs by using Agile technology in a three-week sprint.

Plantronics Hub

https://developer.plantronics.com/plantronics-software
I worked as an external vendor for Plantronics company where I tested the mobile application for both iOS and Android platforms.

WORK DONE
• Created test cases, test suites, and test runs.
• Conducted smoke and sanity testing.
• Implemented regression and hardening testing.
• Worked in an Agile manner in a 2-week sprint.
• Wrote several automation test scripts for the Android platform.

QA Lead and Test Automation Architect

https://www.cashewpayments.com/
I was promoted to QA lead after only four months on the project. Soon after, it was realized that I was covering more than common QA responsibilities. I was a backup for the whole tech team (SM, PO, PM, architect, and CTO).

I managed to set strong foundations for two automation projects, API TA and hybrid (API + UI) TA projects, on top of all other QA lead responsibilities. I was the only one who always had answers to technical questions, and very often beyond technical and business inquiries, despite the high fluctuation in the company. I was recognized by everyone as a cornerstone of the project.
2007 - 2010

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering

University of Belgrade, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Belgrade, Serbia

MAY 2017 - PRESENT

ISTQB Certified Tester No. 17-CTFL-1225-SEETB

SEETB

Libraries/APIs

Web API, Selenium WebDriver, HTTP API, REST APIs, Sidekiq

Tools

REST Assured, Confluence, Watson Bug Tracking Tool, Jira, GitHub, Postman, Slack, Docker Compose, Git, Adobe, Eclipse IDE, Apache Maven, Jenkins, Apache Ant, Rally, Bitbucket, IntelliJ IDEA, Apache JMeter

Frameworks

TestNG, Selenium, JUnit, Ruby on Rails (RoR)

Paradigms

Test Automation, Automated Testing, Manual Testing, Software Testing, Scrum, Acceptance Testing, Testing, Functional Testing, E2E Testing, Agile

Platforms

Windows, Docker, Eclipse, Unix, Heroku, WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, WordPress, Linux, MacOS

Storage

PostgreSQL 10, Database Testing, PostgreSQL, Datadog, PSQL

Languages

Java, HTML, SQL, Python

Other

Web App Testing, Web Service Testing, API Testing, Test Cases, UI Testing, Manual Software Testing, Manual QA, Website QA, Quality Assurance (QA), QA Automation, Agile Software Testing, QA Testing, REST API Automation, QA Test Plan Management, QA Leadership, Integration Testing, Test Management, Web Applications, CRM APIs, Regression Testing, Testing Strategy, Test Case Execution, End-to-end Implementation (E2E), APIs, Test Planning, Software QA, eCommerce, Fintech, IT Consulting, Consulting, MailCatcher, Security Testing, Development, Computer Architecture, Computer Science, SOAP

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