PRAVEEN BANUMATHY RAMALAKSHMANAN
Test Manager / SDET QE Lead
Boston,MA
Summary
Results-driven testing professional with over 15 years of experience in functional and automation testing across UI, API, and back-end systems within the banking and mortgage sectors. Expertise in leveraging tools such as Selenium, Karate, Rest Assured, SQL, and CI/CD practices through Jenkins and Azure DevOps to optimize testing processes. Proven leadership in Agile environments, focusing on scalable test automation strategies while fostering team development through effective mentoring. Committed to delivering high-quality AI solutions that enhance operational efficiency and drive business success.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
2
2
Languages
Work History
QA Manager
Bright Horizon LLC
Boston, MA
09.2025 - Current
- Coordination between Functional Teams (SMEs – 9 BUC teams) and Ops Teams (AccelQ Automation)
- Driving ARRC (Automated Regression for Release Cycles) improvements by increasing automation coverage in regression packs
- Leading TARP (Test Automation Reliability Program) to analyze pipeline failures and improve stability
- Enabling In-sprint automation and shift-left practices and Guiding AccelQ tool usage for process and tracking
- Defining QE guidelines, auditing adherence, and improving efficiency
- Implemented Power BI Reports on QE Metrics for Efficiency and Productivity Improvement
- Driving the AI implementation in Requirement Ambiguity analyzer, Test case generation using the inhouse tool.
- Project: Backup care (U.S.A)
SDET QA Lead
PNC Financial Inc
Raleigh, NC
06.2022 - 08.2025
- Played an active role in requirement gathering and groomed epics at an early stage.
- Worked in Retail Mortgages customized under the product called “EMPOWER,” which is widely used Loan Origination system in the mortgage industry.
- Led Test Automation activities using Selenium, Java, Cucumber, and Gradle for UI Automation and Karate & Postman for API.
- Worked with SQL queries for database vs UI comparisons.
- Designed and executed comprehensive test suites, ensuring exceptional test coverage, and identifying critical defects early in the development cycle.
- Established a robust CI/CD pipeline using Jenkins, Azure DevOps, Bitbucket and JIRA contributing to a 40% reduction in release cycle times.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to integrate automated tests into the Agile methodology development process, improving release velocity and overall software quality.
- Mentored junior QA engineers, conducting training sessions on automation best practices, code reviews, and troubleshooting techniques.
- Implemented a Four-eye review process for automation development to ensure that the automation scripts are resilient against failures.
- Steered the team with a robust automation design strategy, increasing automated regression coverage from 28% to 95%.
- Performed Regression testing using automated test cases utilizing Selenium for UI applications and Karate for API Regression.
- Reduced manual test time by 40% through Karate-based automation framework.
- Project: Retail Mortgage - Home Lending (U.S.A)
Senior QA Lead
Truist Financial Inc
Raleigh, NC
06.2015 - 06.2022
- Developed web service and UI testing automation frameworks in Java using Rest Assured and Selenium frameworks, respectively.
- Led the establishment of a robust CI/CD pipeline using Jenkins, enabling seamless integration of automated tests into the development process.
- Developed comprehensive API test suites using Rest Assured, ensuring API functionality, security, and performance.
- Created and executed complex Selenium test scripts covering critical user flows, enhancing test coverage by 35%.
- Actively participated in root cause analysis and troubleshooting of production issues, implementing quick solutions to minimize downtime.
- Work involved in the mortgage project – Retail home loan, validating workflows from Origination to Closure.
- Worked on money movement modules like RTP, Wires, ACH, etc. with vendors like FIS and Bottomline products.
- Project: Digital - Commercial Portal, Treasury Services (India & U.S.A)
QA Lead
British Gas Inc
Leicester, UK
11.2010 - 05.2015
- Started my career in this project and held various roles, ultimately serving as the onsite test lead and managing an 8-member offshore team in Chennai.
- Involved in all STLC activities from project kickoff to closure and learned all entry and exit criteria in functional testing.
- Responsible for collecting information on test data preparation in SAP CRM/ISU applications for the team, becoming the SME in a few months and guiding other teams in their needs.
- Utilized SQL scripts in SQL Developer and TOAD application in the MS Online project to retrieve test data from backend systems.
- In the absence of the testing manager, I took charge of all testing deliverables, which earned recognition from UK Cognizant managers.
- Project: Slingshot- SAP Test Factory (India & UK)
Education
B.E. - Electronics & Communication
Anna University
Chennai, Tamil Nadu01-2010
Skills
- Proficient in AccelQ, Selenium, Karate DSL, Appium, Rest Assured, Playwright (with MCP), and Postman
- Skilled in Java and Python development
- Experienced with TestNG, Cucumber, and JUnit frameworks
- Continuous integration and deployment
- SQL proficiency: SQL Server and MySQL
- Power BI data visualization skills
- Financial services expertise
- Mortgage lending lifecycle management
- Proficient in ACH, wires, and information reporting
Development of automated testing frameworks
Process optimization analysis
Quality metrics analysis
Accomplishments
- Directed and scaled 40+ member QA team across US & India
- Achieved 95% automation coverage in 2 quarters
- Reduced regression cycle time by 40%
- Improved QA productivity by 30%
- Led shift-left and in-sprint automation adoption
- Implemented AI-based testing solutions
Certification
ISTQB
Timeline
QA Manager
Bright Horizon LLC
09.2025 - Current
SDET QA Lead
PNC Financial Inc
06.2022 - 08.2025
Senior QA Lead
Truist Financial Inc
06.2015 - 06.2022
ISTQB
04-2012
QA Lead
British Gas Inc
11.2010 - 05.2015
B.E. - Electronics & Communication
Anna University