Open to opportunities

Lerato Shakoane

@leratoshakoane

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Experienced QA leader and Test Automation Architect with 8+ years.

South Africa

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What I'm looking for

I am looking for opportunities that foster innovation, collaboration, and growth in QA and automation.

I am a highly skilled QA leader, Automation Architect, and Senior Test Engineer with over 8 years of experience in test automation, software quality assurance, and DevOps integration. My career has been marked by a proven track record in designing scalable automation frameworks and leading cross-functional teams to implement effective test strategies that ensure software reliability, performance, and security.

Throughout my professional journey, I have developed expertise in API testing, backend testing, performance testing, and security testing, as well as CI/CD pipeline integration. I am passionate about SDET methodologies and Agile/SAFe leadership, and I have successfully architected enterprise-wide test automation frameworks that have significantly increased test efficiency and reduced defect leakage. My commitment to quality assurance and continuous improvement drives me to mentor teams and establish best practices in automation.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Senior Automation Test Engineer

Current

Absa Bank

Oct 2022 - Present (2 years 8 months)

Architected and implemented enterprise-wide test automation frameworks, increasing test efficiency by 75%. Led API, backend, and performance testing initiatives, ensuring robust system integrations.

Test Automation API Testing Backend Testing Performance Testing Security Testing Test Governance

Test Lead & Consultant

Confidential

Jul 2023 - Dec 2023 (5 months)

Developed a comprehensive test strategy for API, security, and performance testing, achieving 50% test coverage within 3 weeks. Led teams across backend, frontend, and DevOps testing, optimizing test execution pipelines.

Test Strategy API Testing Security Testing Performance Testing DevOps Team Leadership

Lead Automation Engineer

Old Mutual

Jan 2022 - Oct 2022 (9 months)

Designed a hybrid test automation framework covering UI, API, and mobile testing. Integrated AWS CloudWatch logging into automation scripts, reducing defect resolution time by 50%.

Test Automation Framework UI Testing API Testing Mobile Testing AWS Cloudwatch Performance Testing

Automation Technical Tester

First National Bank

Jan 2021 - Dec 2021 (11 months)

Automated over 5000 test cases, achieving 80% efficiency in test execution and building an automated regression suite. Developed CI/CD test pipelines, ensuring 100% automated regression runs in non-prod environments.

Test Automation Regression Testing CI CD Pipelines Test Execution Software Development

Project Engineer

Air Liquide

Nov 2016 - Feb 2018 (1 year 3 months)

Managed multimillion-rand projects worth over R45M, ensuring on-time delivery. Led cross-functional teams in gas plant optimization and infrastructure projects, increasing operational efficiency.

Project Management Gas Plant Optimization Infrastructure Process Optimization

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Wits Business School

Master of Business Administration, Business Administration

Completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Focused on advanced business principles, strategic management, and leadership.

University of the Witwatersrand

Bachelor of Science (Honours), Chemistry

Completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Chemistry. Developed a strong foundation in chemical principles, laboratory techniques, and scientific research.

University of Oxford

Program Completion, Artificial Intelligence

Participated in the Oxford AI Program. Focused on key concepts and advanced applications of artificial intelligence.

University of the Witwatersrand

Master of Science, Chemical Engineering

Earned a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. Focused on advanced concepts and research methodologies within the chemical engineering discipline.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Program Completion, Data Science & Machine Learning

Completed a program in Data Science & Machine Learning. Gained expertise in data analysis, machine learning algorithms, and their practical applications.