Elena Yakimova
@elenayakimova
Senior QA Engineer specializing in web/API integration testing and risk-based quality for high-traffic systems.
BulgariaWhat I'm looking for
I’m a Senior QA Engineer with 10+ years of experience delivering quality in complex, integration-heavy, high-volume environments. My work centers on manual and exploratory testing, REST API validation, SQL data verification, and production issue investigation—always with a focus on risk-based strategy and release readiness.
At DraftKings, I led end-to-end QA validation across UI, API, and backend systems for distributed services and third-party integrations. I coordinated regression execution across teams of 7–8 QA engineers, managed execution progress and hotfixes via Jira/TestRail dashboards, and kept stakeholders aligned with daily regression status reporting.
I’m especially strong in high-impact validation: I executed risk-based checks for critical financial flows using API testing, backend data integrity verification with SQL, and log analysis in Kibana/Datadog. I’ve also supported automation efforts in a supporting role—editing Cucumber/Gherkin feature files and TypeScript step definitions, debugging flaky tests, and monitoring runs through Jenkins and GitHub Actions.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Led end-to-end QA validation across UI, REST APIs, and backend systems for high-traffic platforms with distributed services and third-party integrations. Coordinated regression execution across 7–8 QA engineers, managed Jira/TestRail tracking and release readiness reporting, and performed risk-based validation of high-impact financial flows to ensure transaction integrity and balance consistency.
Designed and executed exploratory and functional testing for integration-heavy platforms, validating edge cases and complex system behavior. Verified REST API transaction flows using Postman/Swagger, performed SQL and JSON-based backend data validation, investigated production defects with Kibana/Datadog/DevTools, and reviewed requirements early to identify testability gaps and risks.
Supported automation work by editing Cucumber/Gherkin feature files, step definitions, and Page Object Model files in TypeScript to support regression and release cycles. Debugged failing/flaky tests, validated API responses and integration flows via Jenkins/GitHub Actions, and resolved auth and environment issues through operator/environment configuration updates.
Executed regression and functional testing across web and mobile platforms in an Agile environment. Validated backend configurations and compliance requirements across multi-operator setups, performed cross-browser/device testing with BrowserStack, and tracked defects and release support activities in Jira.
Performed manual and exploratory testing of mobile game builds on iOS, tvOS, and macOS (via VMWare) using a structured iOS release checklist. Used Wireshark for network-level debugging and provided feedback on issues found in test cycles.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
International Business School
Bachelor of Business, Business
2015 - 2019
Bachelor's degree in Business from International Business School (2015–2019).
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Location
BulgariaAuthorized to work in
ZimbabweJob categories
Skills
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