John Takizawa
Santa Clara,Ca
Summary
Twenty-seven years of testing and shipping high-quality firmware on leading consumer products. I offer strong people management and leadership skills. Solid written and verbal communication, technical proficiency and knowledge of product lifecycles from development to ship. The ability to adapt and work under high stress with changing specs, timelines and to work closely with cross-functional teams, third-party companies and customers to ship high-quality products and achieve success.
products and achieve success.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
FWQA Manager
GoPro, Inc.
02.2020 - 03.2024
- Managed test development, testing and release of flagship products and sustaining camera releases.
- Achieved departmental goals by developing and executing strategic plans and performance metrics.
- Successfully managed budgets and allocated resources to maximize productivity and profitability.
- Established performance goals for employees and provided feedback on methods for reaching those milestones.
- Led cross-functional teams to achieve project goals, fostering collaboration and innovation.
- Mentored junior team members for career advancement, fostering a pipeline of future leaders within the organization.
- Developed and maintained relationships with customers and suppliers through account development.
- Managed budget allocations to prioritize spending on high-impact projects, optimizing resource utilization.
Sr FWQA Engineer
GoPro, Inc.
07.2018 - 01.2020
- Lead Engineer in testing Hero9 Black camera.
- Wrote, reviewed and edited technical document in accordance with template requirements.
- Supported junior engineers through mentorship, offering guidance on complex problem-solving and technical skills development.
- Monitored and evaluated engineering performance to recommend improvements.
- Established strong working relationships with clients through exceptional communication skills, fostering trust and collaboration.
Lead FWQA Engineer
Noon Home, Inc.
03.2017 - 05.2018
- Developed and wrote FW Test Plan from product specification for Smart Lighting Product.
- Worked with integration team to develop automation test cases
- Test plan execution and FW debugging of Wi-Fi and BT stacks.
- Built and released FW builds via Jenkins to cross-functional QA teams.
- Optimized engineering processes by implementing innovative solutions and streamlining workflow.
- Conducted rigorous quality assurance tests, identifying areas of improvement for product optimization.
FWQA Manager
GoPro, Inc.
01.2013 - 12.2016
- Led and managed a team of six FWQA engineers in testing of flagship cameras.
- Mentored junior team members for career advancement, fostering a pipeline of future leaders within the organization.
- Led cross-functional teams to achieve project goals, fostering collaboration and innovation.
- Managed budget allocations to prioritize spending on high-impact projects, optimizing resource utilization.
- Established team priorities, maintained schedules and monitored performance.
- Leveraged data and analytics to make informed decisions and drive business improvements.
Sr FWQA Engineer
GoPro, Inc.
07.2012 - 12.2012
- Lead Engineer in testing the Hero3 White camera.
- Wrote, reviewed and edited technical document in accordance with template requirements.
- Supported junior engineers through mentorship, offering guidance on complex problem-solving and technical skills development.
- Achieved successful project outcomes by maintaining accurate documentation and meeting strict deadlines.
- Developed positive working relationships with stakeholders to effectively coordinate work activities.
- Established strong working relationships with clients through exceptional communication skills, fostering trust and collaboration.
QA Engineer Media Content
Yahoo, Inc.
01.2011 - 01.2012
- Blackbox testing of functionality and content on Ipad/Android tablets.
- Authored and maintained well-organized, efficient and successful manual test cases for entire team.
- Tested functional and compatibility of new programs or updates in comparison to existing applications.
- Completed in-depth usability testing on Windows, Android and iOS mobile devices.
- Operated under Agile and Scrum frameworks to complete releases and well-organized sprints.
Sr. QA Engineer Field Test/Carrier Certification
Palm, Inc/ HP
01.2003 - 01.2011
- Lead Engineer field test and certification of Treo 650, 700, 750, 800, Pre - Analyzing and Verification of test results. - Troubleshooting and regression of device and network failures. - Training field teams on tool use and test execution procedures. - Writing test plans and test cases for all new projects.
- Wrote GPS field test plan for all Palm mobile phones and tablets. - Performed testing of mobile GPS navigation applications for all carriers. - Performed CP and NI-SUPL; Single Fix and Tracking in field. - Analysis and Reporting of GPS NMEA data, TIL/RIL and QXDM. - Support and verification of device readiness for ATT AGPS testing. - Trained Palm/HP/Third Party Engineers on GPS test execution.
- Managed Certification of Treo 680/750 in Brazil and S. America. - Established, trained and managed Field Team in Brazil and S. America. - Worked directly with Brazilian carriers troubleshooting failures/ issues.
- Executed Verizon FIT Test plan in all infrastructures. - Extensive Call Processing, Data throughput and CDG3 Feature testing.
- Performed Audio Testing for Mobile Devices in Field.
- Managed Field Team for Windows O/S Mobile Phone Group.
- Supported CDG3 Lab Certification for all CDMA Mobile Devices.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Behavioral Science
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA12.1999
Skills
- Tested and managed successful releases of GoPro Flagship line of Cameras from HERO 3 to HERO 12 writing test plans, test cases, filing bugs and working with cross functional teams to ensure top notch quality prior to release
- Developed and wrote GoPro FWQA Test Plan defining areas of test coverage and responsibilities on all camera products and accessories to help reach a cohesive test plan among all cross functional teams
- Strong bug management skills (JIRA), defining impact to both customer and product to prioritize the order in which bugs must be addressed/fixed before release
- Reduced FWQA test cycles from 12 weeks to 8 weeks via test case auditing/planning and implementation of automation to help reduce redundancy and increase efficiency
- Developed and wrote test plans, tested and successfully released Noon N160US Smart Lighting Kit
- Extensive testing of mobile devices and tablets for telephony performance, Data throughput, AGPS, LBS, applications, audio, power and UI performance
- Proficient with iOS, Android, JIRA, TestRail, QXDM, QCAT, CAIT, Snapper GPS, Muse, JSON, SQL
- Extensive knowledge and execution of CDMA Field Test and Certification of Mobile Devices for US and International Carriers
- Team Leadership
Timeline
FWQA Manager
GoPro, Inc.
02.2020 - 03.2024
Sr FWQA Engineer
GoPro, Inc.
07.2018 - 01.2020
Lead FWQA Engineer
Noon Home, Inc.
03.2017 - 05.2018
FWQA Manager
GoPro, Inc.
01.2013 - 12.2016
Sr FWQA Engineer
GoPro, Inc.
07.2012 - 12.2012
QA Engineer Media Content
Yahoo, Inc.
01.2011 - 01.2012
Sr. QA Engineer Field Test/Carrier Certification
Palm, Inc/ HP
01.2003 - 01.2011
Bachelor of Arts - Behavioral Science
San Jose State University
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