Ali Waqas
Karachi
Summary
A highly accomplished IT Professional with over 12 years of experience delivering successful IT projects across diverse industries, including Banking and Financial Services. I specialize in digital customer onboarding, retail banking, and enterprise transformation initiatives, with a proven track record of leading cross-functional teams using Scrum and Agile methodologies. Backed by a strong educational background in Computer Science and Project Management, I bring deep expertise in Quality Assurance (QA) practices, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, customer-centric digital solutions.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
5
5
Certification
Work History
Project Manager
HBL
01.2024 - Current
- Company Overview: Currently serving as Project Manager for HBL Bank, leading a large-scale digital transformation initiative aimed at enhancing customer experience and improving operational efficiency.
- Responsible for managing the end-to-end project lifecycle, including planning, execution, and delivery of advanced banking solutions.
- Spearheading cross-functional teams to ensure timely achievement of key milestones while aligning deliverables with the bank's strategic objectives.
- Successfully fostered a collaborative work environment, drove innovation, and delivered measurable improvements in both customer satisfaction and operational performance through effective project governance and stakeholder engagement.
- Currently serving as Project Manager for HBL Bank, leading a large-scale digital transformation initiative aimed at enhancing customer experience and improving operational efficiency.
Quality Assurance Lead
UBL
01.2022 - 12.2023
- Company Overview: Led the Quality Assurance efforts for UBL's Digital Front End initiative based on Temenos Infinity, aimed at transforming the bank's digital engagement capabilities.
- The platform delivered an omni-channel banking experience for both retail and corporate customers, streamlining origination and loan processes through automation and centralized customer journeys.
- Led the Quality Assurance efforts for UBL's Digital Front End initiative based on Temenos Infinity, aimed at transforming the bank's digital engagement capabilities.
Senior Managing Consultant
SYSTEMS LIMITED
Karachi
03.2023 - Current
- Spearheading the agile transformation for an ongoing digital initiative, managing five cross-functional teams to ensure seamless project execution and delivery.
- Managing full project lifecycles, from initiation to closure, across various complex initiatives in the banking sector.
- Collaborating with internal stakeholders, external vendors, and cross-functional teams to ensure successful project delivery.
- Leading risk assessment, issue resolution, and change management processes, ensuring minimal impact on delivery timelines.
- Applying Agile, Scrum, and hybrid methodologies to enhance team productivity and deliver consistent results.
- Leading the Software Quality Assurance (QA) department and ensuring adherence to the highest quality standards across all projects.
- Heading and delivering numerous mission-critical banking and financial projects in both domestic and international markets.
- Manage and mentor a diverse team of QA specialists who are proficient in both manual and automated testing methodologies.
- Planning, resource allocation, and ensuring optimal utilization of team capacity to meet project timelines and objectives.
- Overseeing and coordinating multiple concurrent projects with competing deadlines and priorities.
Manager SQA
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
Karachi
09.2021 - 02.2023
- Supervise diverse teams of QA specialists, including both manual and automation testers.
- Ensure all projects adhere to the highest quality standards through rigorous testing and validation processes.
- Develop project plans, allocate resources effectively, and ensure smooth execution from start to finish.
- Successfully managed several projects simultaneously, maintaining quality and timelines.
- Interpret complex business requirements to design comprehensive test plans and strategies.
- Oversee testing activities, ensuring compliance with organizational policies and industry standards.
- Drive timely and quality-focused test deliverables, adapting to project schedules and needs.
- Keep stakeholders informed about project timelines, statuses, issues, and performance metrics.
- Track and report defects, facilitating prompt resolution and continuous enhancements.
- Mentor QA team of 15 members of both manual and automation testing, promoting professional growth and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
QA Lead
SYSTEMS LIMITED
Karachi
02.2020 - 04.2021
- Worked with stakeholders to define the flow of new implementations on current applications and their impact analysis.
- Worked with the business owner(s) to develop and implement test plans/cases.
- Define the Sprint plan, assign and take updates about tasks from team members.
- Ensure to follow Quality Assurance processes in the team.
- Participated in Daily Standups, Grooming and planning sessions.
- Reviewed and understood Project requirements and specifications.
- Adhere to the current QA processes and standards.
- Worked closely with the design and development team.
- Reporting of Bugs and Issues in Jira.
- Participated in QA meetings and discussion sessions.
Senior Automation Engineer
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
Karachi
11.2017 - 10.2019
- Develop test plans, Test scenarios and test cases for the capabilities of our products.
- Execute test scenarios/test cases during formal test periods for every release.
- Diagnose problems and report bugs and enhancements to Development.
- Actively participate in grooming, planning and daily standups.
- Perform API level, functional and End-to-end tests.
- Automated scenarios using JAVA, Rest Assured, Cucumber and TestNG automation frameworks.
- Perform peer reviews for the test automation code in your team.
- Improve our existing processes & identify new opportunities and practices for ensuring high quality can be consistent.
Senior SQA Engineer
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
Karachi
03.2017 - 11.2017
- Created and executed test cases based on the test plan and Functional requirement document and analysed the test results.
- Compare the Executed Results to the Expected Results after execution.
- Executing software testing to include functional testing, system testing, regression testing, and performance testing.
- Work closely with other testers and developers to improve quality.
Senior SQA Engineer
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
Karachi
09.2016 - 05.2017
- Lead the planning, design, and execution of comprehensive test strategies (manual and automated) to ensure software quality and adherence to business requirements.
- Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including developers, business analysts, and product owners, to clarify requirements and define acceptance criteria.
- Design, develop, and maintain automated test scripts using tools such as Selenium, JUnit, TestNG, Postman, or similar frameworks.
- Conduct functional, regression, integration, performance, and UAT testing to validate software functionality, reliability, and usability.
- Identify, document, and track bugs using issue tracking systems such as JIRA, Azure DevOps, or Mentis, ensuring timely resolution.
- Perform risk analysis and contribute to continuous improvement of QA processes, tools, and best practices.
SQA Engineer
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
Karachi
06.2014 - 09.2016
- Led and executed end-to-end testing processes, including functional, integration, regression, and system testing across multiple projects.
- Designed, developed, and maintained detailed test plans, test cases, and test scripts based on business and technical requirements.
- Collaborated closely with developers, business analysts, and project managers in Agile/Scrum environments to ensure quality at every stage of development.
- Performed manual and automated testing using tools such as Selenium, JIRA, Postman, TestNG, and JMeter.
- Logged, tracked, and managed defects using bug tracking tools like JIRA or Azure DevOps, ensuring timely resolution.
- Conducted performance, usability, and cross-browser compatibility testing for web and mobile applications.
- Participated in sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives to align QA efforts with the development lifecycle.
Software Test Engineer
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
Karachi
07.2013 - 06.2014
- Collaborated with project stakeholders to understand software requirements and define test objectives, strategies, and plans.
- Developed comprehensive test cases, test scenarios, and test data sets to ensure thorough testing coverage.
- Executed manual and automated test scripts to validate software functionality, identify defects, and ensure software quality.
- Reported software defects, tracked their status, and worked closely with developers to ensure timely resolution.
- Set up and configured test environments, including hardware, software, and data, to create accurate testing conditions.
- Managed and maintained test documentation, including test plans, test cases, and test results, ensuring organization and accessibility.
- Generated test reports summarizing test execution progress, defects found, and overall software quality for project stakeholders.
- Collaborated with developers, business analysts, and other stakeholders to understand requirements, provide feedback, and ensure effective communication throughout the testing process.
ERP Consultant
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
Karachi
07.2012 - 03.2013
- Troubleshooting issues and testing new business requirements in the TEST Instance and validating the same in Production.
- Prepared Documentation including Roles & Responsibility matrix, As-Is & To-Be, and Business Test Scenarios.
- Helped in testing business processes and validating system functionality under consultant's supervision.
- Supported data migration, report generation, and user access setup during ERP implementation phases.
- Collaborated with consultants to provide end-user support, training documentation, and post-implementation assistance.
Intern
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
Karachi
03.2012 - 06.2012
- Assisted in the configuration and testing of Oracle E-Business Suite modules such as Order Management and Procurement.
- Supported data entry, validation, and migration activities during ERP implementation or upgrades.
- Participated in gathering business requirements and documenting functional specifications.
- Collaborated with senior team members to troubleshoot issues and perform basic system maintenance.
- Helped prepare training materials and user manuals for end-users.
Education
BACHELOR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - undefined
NED University of Engineering and Technology
12.2011
HIGHER SECONDARY CERTIFICATE - undefined
Board of Intermediate Education
09.2007
SECONDARY SCHOOL CERTIFICATE - undefined
Board of Secondary Education
04.2005
PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL (PMP) - undefined
Project Management Institute (PMI)
09.2026
CERTIFIED SCRUM PRODUCT OWNER (CSPO) - undefined
Scrum Alliance
05.2027
CERTIFIED SCRUMMASTER (CSM) - undefined
Scrum Alliance
05.2027
CERTIFIED SAFE 6 AGILIST - undefined
Scaled Agile
ISTQB CERTIFIED TESTER FOUNDATION LEVEL - undefined
International Software Testing Qualification Board
05.2023
Skills
- Agile (Scrum) Development Methodologies
- Scrum
- Kanban
- Team Management
- Team Work
- Leadership
- Decision making
- Critical thinking
- Relationship building
- IT Project Manager (PMP)
- Software Quality Assurance (SQA)
- Test Plan
- Test Requirements
- Test Management
- Integration Testing
- Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)
- API TESTING
Certification
- PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL (PMP), Project Management Institute (PMI), Pakistan, 2023-09-23, 2026-09-23, https://www.pmi.org/
- CERTIFIED SCRUM PRODUCT OWNER (CSPO), Scrum Alliance, Pakistan, 2025-05-12, 2027-05-11, https://www.scrumalliance.org/
- CERTIFIED SCRUMMASTER (CSM), Scrum Alliance, Pakistan, 2024-05-07, 2027-05-11, https://www.scrumalliance.org/
- CERTIFIED SAFE 6 AGILIST, Scaled Agile, https://scaledagile.com/
- ISTQB CERTIFIED TESTER FOUNDATION LEVEL, International Software Testing Qualification Board, 2023-05-01, https://pstb.pk/
Timeline
Project Manager
HBL
01.2024 - Current
Senior Managing Consultant
SYSTEMS LIMITED
03.2023 - Current
Quality Assurance Lead
UBL
01.2022 - 12.2023
Manager SQA
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
09.2021 - 02.2023
QA Lead
SYSTEMS LIMITED
02.2020 - 04.2021
Senior Automation Engineer
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
11.2017 - 10.2019
Senior SQA Engineer
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
03.2017 - 11.2017
Senior SQA Engineer
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
09.2016 - 05.2017
SQA Engineer
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
06.2014 - 09.2016
Software Test Engineer
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
07.2013 - 06.2014
ERP Consultant
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
07.2012 - 03.2013
Intern
NATIONAL DATA CONSULTANT PVT LTD.
03.2012 - 06.2012
BACHELOR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - undefined
NED University of Engineering and Technology
HIGHER SECONDARY CERTIFICATE - undefined
Board of Intermediate Education
SECONDARY SCHOOL CERTIFICATE - undefined
Board of Secondary Education
PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL (PMP) - undefined
Project Management Institute (PMI)
CERTIFIED SCRUM PRODUCT OWNER (CSPO) - undefined
Scrum Alliance
CERTIFIED SCRUMMASTER (CSM) - undefined
Scrum Alliance
CERTIFIED SAFE 6 AGILIST - undefined
Scaled Agile
ISTQB CERTIFIED TESTER FOUNDATION LEVEL - undefined
International Software Testing Qualification Board
Similar Profiles
Noman AkbarNoman Akbar
Relationship Manager at HBLRelationship Manager at HBL
Riaz RasheedRiaz Rasheed
Relationship Manager at HBLRelationship Manager at HBL
Syed Shan SubzwariSyed Shan Subzwari
Business Analyst at HBLBusiness Analyst at HBL
Muhammad TahaMuhammad Taha
Product Manager Debit Cards at HBLProduct Manager Debit Cards at HBL
Ahmad WaleedAhmad Waleed
Clinical Associate at Sengkang General HospitalClinical Associate at Sengkang General Hospital