QA Automation & Build Engineering

Shipping reliable builds fast, without sacrificing quality.

I’m Chris — a neurodivergent QA automation and build engineer, and CTO at Pen & Pencil Solutions, with 6+ years’ experience building test frameworks, CI/CD pipelines, and tooling across AAA games, healthcare, and freelance products. I mentor teams, modernise release workflows, and ensure every build is deployment-ready. Because I’m dyslexic with processing differences, I lean on visual planning, clear written structure, and well-documented automation to keep delivery predictable, pairing systematic focus, attention to detail, and pragmatic problem solving on tough build and QA challenges.

View GitHub How I partner with teams Visit Pen & Pencil Solutions

Neurodiversity in practice

I’m dyslexic with executive function differences, so I rely on diagrams, checklists, and source-controlled docs to keep releases on track, reinforcing systematic focus and attention to detail.

Expect structured runbooks, transparent status updates, and automation that keeps delivery work visible and repeatable, so complex problem solving stays grounded in evidence.

Recent Focus

  • Rebuilding release pipelines and quality gates for Flutter and Godot products.
  • Mentoring teams on automation strategy, CI observability, and test architecture.
  • Leading QA automation consulting engagements as CTO of Pen & Pencil Solutions.

6+

Years in QA

5

Platforms shipped

99.9%

CI uptime targets

Recent Experience

Career Break & Freelance Projects

2023 – 2025

Flutter · Firebase · Godot · GitHub Actions

  • Developed monetised Flutter applications with automated release workflows (Pen & Pencil Solutions).
  • Supported SilverLock Media's Godot project with QA mentoring, regression testing, and tooling enhancements.
  • Expanded technical breadth through IBM credentials covering AI, cybersecurity, and web development.

CTO — Pen & Pencil Solutions

Present

QA Automation Consulting · CI/CD Guidance

  • Deliver QA automation and CI/CD consulting through Pen & Pencil Solutions for client projects.
  • Support teams by advising on test strategy, tooling, and release workflows.
  • Coordinate Pen & Pencil Solutions engagements and maintain client relationships.

Software Test Engineer — electronRx

Nov 2022 – Jun 2023

Flutter · Dart · Medical QA · Apple App Store

  • Built end-to-end automated suites for regulated medical applications, lifting confidence in every release.
  • Designed and introduced CI pipelines that compressed manual testing cycles and improved release cadence.
  • Coached engineers on embedding quality checks within daily development workflows.

Test Automation & Build Engineer — Frontier Developments

2017 – 2022

Unreal Engine · C++ · LUA · Python · TeamCity

  • Introduced automation coverage for large-scale game franchises, surfacing regressions pre-production.
  • Built and maintained cross-platform CI/CD pipelines across PC and console targets to ensure daily build stability.
  • Delivered custom tooling for diagnostics, QA dashboards, and store automation to streamline operations.

Selected Initiatives

GitHub Repo Cleaner

Rust · Clap · Octokit

Automates stale repository audits with dry-run and bulk action support so teams can archive, delete, or retag safely.

View repository

Donations Dashboard

Astro · Tailwind

Typed ingest normalises mixed donation feeds while a static Astro build keeps the telemetry UI fast and host-anywhere friendly.

Preview project Preview Site

Flaky Test Classifier

Python · FastAPI · scikit-learn

Delivers a reproducible ML workflow—from synthetic data generation to CLI predictions—to flag flaky tests before they waste CI minutes.

Read the docs

Core Capabilities

Automation & Tooling

  • Test architecture in Python, Rust, Dart, and C# for UI, API, and engine-level automation, guided by systematic focus and attention to detail.
  • CI/CD orchestration with TeamCity, GitHub Actions, and custom observability tooling.
  • Build engineering for multi-platform releases across PC, console, and mobile devices.

Delivery Leadership

  • Mentorship for QA testers and developers adopting automation-first workflows.
  • Cross-functional collaboration with engineering, design, and production stakeholders.
  • Continuous improvement mindset and pragmatic problem solving focused on lead time, release confidence, and quality.

Technology Snapshot

Rust Python Flutter & Dart TeamCity GitHub Actions Docker & Podman Unreal Engine Godot Linux Web Development and databased PlayStation & Xbox CI

Recent Certifications

IBM Data Fundamentals

2025 · Credly

Structured approaches for data pipelines, governance, and analytics that inform test insights.

IBM Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals

2025 · Credly

Expanding automated test strategy with AI-assisted analysis and intelligent alerting.

IBM Cybersecurity Fundamentals

2025 · Credly

Integrating secure coding practices and threat modelling into pipelines and automation.

IBM Web Development Fundamentals

2025 · Credly

Modern web delivery patterns and deployment practices for client-facing QA initiatives.

Ready to accelerate your automation roadmap?

I partner with teams who want predictable releases, confident QA coverage, and tooling that grows with their ambitions. Let’s explore how I can help.

I work best with clear runbooks, written follow-ups, and async-friendly check-ins—expect structured updates and source-controlled automation so nothing is forgotten.

Email Chris Connect on LinkedIn