Nicholas Holt

Experienced Software Consultant Engineer | Expert in Test Automation and CI/CD | Agile Project Manager

Braco, Scotland, United Kingdom

About

As a Software Consultant Engineer with over 35 of hands-on experience, I excel in designing and implementing advanced test automation and CI/CD pipelines. My technical expertise spans a broad spectrum of technologies, including Jenkins, Python, Groovy, Git, and various operating systems such as Windows, Unix, and Ubuntu. I have a proven track record of creating robust, scalable, and efficient testing environments for leading tech companies. My professional journey has seen me spearheading projects at Samsung Cambridge Solutions Centre, Lumira Dx Ltd, Qualcomm Technologies, Intel Mobile Communications, Philips Medical Systems, and DSP Group. I bring a wealth of experience in Agile and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) methodologies, ensuring seamless team collaboration and enhanced project outcomes.

Experience

  • Lead Software Engineer at Leonardo
    Jul 2024 - Present · 2 yrs

  • Director at STARSCAN SERVICES LTD
    Sep 2015 - Present · 10 yrs 10 mos

    Oversaw and executed multiple high-impact projects across various clients, including Samsung Cambridge Solutions Centre, Lumira Dx Ltd, Team Consulting Ltd, and Qualcomm Technologies. Led the development and implementation of advanced test automation and CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, Python, Groovy, and other technologies. Standardise test environments across diverse platforms, ensuring consistency and reliability in testing processes. Manage the transition of legacy systems to modern, automated solutions, integrating them into robust software control and review procedures. Develop custom scripts and frameworks to optimize resource usage, enhance testing capabilities, and reduce data gathering times. Coordinate Agile and SAFe methodologies to improve team collaboration, productivity, and project delivery. Build and lead skilled teams, providing technical guidance and ensuring successful project completion within tight deadlines.

  • Contract Software Engineer at Samsung Cambridge Solution Centre
    Sep 2022 - Mar 2024 · 1 yr 7 mos

    Joined the CICD Team, leading automated testing for WLAN and BT changes. • Conducted on-device testing in anechoic chambers across various platforms using a custom in-house system. • Automate the test environment deployment, enhancing consistency across test chambers and standardising on Ubuntu 22.04. • Transition legacy Jenkins jobs to Jenkins DSL Pipeline scripts, integrating them into Software Control and Review Procedures. • Collaborate on deploying a standardised base environment via Puppet. • Develop System Groovy scripts to manage Jenkins job flow, reducing bottlenecks and optimising resource usage. • Generated management reports on pipeline usage, run times, and platform failure rates using System Groovy, significantly reducing data gathering time. • Created Python libraries to interface with Gerrit and Artifactory servers, applying metrics for early test process failures.

  • Contract Software Engineer at LumiraDx
    Jan 2020 - Sep 2022 · 2 yrs 9 mos

    • Adopted the Scaled Agile Framework, led team as Scrum Master, and coordinated cross-team interactions. • Migrated Jenkins CI system to AWS, scaling from 20 to over 100 test platforms. • Established various testing pipelines: Gateway Sanity, Overnight, Weekend, Software Release, Custom Developer, Hardware Development, and Taskforce Investigation. • Enhanced test hardware for extensive assay testing. • Expanded Python test framework to accommodate new hardware and tests. • Built and transitioned support to a strong, skilled in-house team, extending contract from 6 to 32 months due to increased workload during lockdown.

  • Contract Software Engineer at Team Consulting Limited
    May 2018 - Dec 2019 · 1 yr 8 mos

    • Enhanced Jenkins system for a medical Point of Care device, expanding test platforms from 2 to 20. • Automated testing processes and balanced build/test nodes, improving system reliability. • Transitioned from a Windows PC-based system to an in-house Windows server with multiple build PCs. • Created a robust automated test environment, gathering evidence for FDA submission. • Implemented a Jenkins-based black box testing system on a Raspbian platform using Python and Nose. • Developed functional UX tests with Selenium and Cucumber for client reporting. • Identified and resolved intermittent failures, preventing CI from blocking development work.