Ben Neilson

QA Engineer Musician Digital Artist

Crafting quality software by day, creating beats and capturing moments by night. Where technology meets creativity.

Ben Neilson
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About Me

The person behind the code

My Story

I work as a software testing professional by day, and indulge in front-end coding in my spare time. Outside of work, I'm passionate about music production, photography, and digital art.

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is important to me. When I'm not in the office, you can find me hiking and camping, attending music & photography meet-ups, or working on DIY projects. I believe every day is an opportunity to learn something new, and I strive to expand my knowledge continuously.

Hometown Pemberton, BC, Canada
Current Location Vancouver, BC, Canada
Fun Fact I escape the city by spending time on a little piece of land I bought on the Gulf Islands.
Hobbies Photography, Music creation, Camping, Coding, Exploring new areas
10+
Years Experience

Experience

My professional journey

Software Quality Engineer

Experience Overview

I’m a QA engineer with over 10 years of experience testing web and mobile apps. I like breaking things (in a good way), figuring out why they’re broken, and working with teams to make them better. I’ve done a bit of everything — from functional, automated, and performance testing to building out test strategies and frameworks. I enjoy turning requirements into clear test plans and finding the issues that really matter before users ever see them. At the end of the day, I care about quality and I enjoy learning new tools and approaches to keep improving how I work.

What I enjoy about SQA

  • Each day brings new challenges and excitement.
  • I thrive on identifying and breaking flaws in systems.
  • I relish the challenge and problem-solving aspects of the role.
  • Offers the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world, whether onsite or remote.
  • Enhances my organizational skills while demanding both technical expertise and business domain knowledge.

Skills

Cypress Playwright Selenium JUnit Maven Google Cloud AWS Kubernetes Docker Jenkins GitHub Actions JavaScript TypeScript Java Node.js React HTML/CSS

Quality Engineer

Pixieset • Vancouver, BC

Apr 2025 - Present
  • Promoting shift-left principles to integrate QA early in development lifecycle
  • Developing automation strategies to enhance test coverage and release efficiency
  • Leading comprehensive functional, exploratory, and regression testing
  • Collaborating across teams for seamless, high-quality user experience

QA Consulting

CraftQA.com • Remote

2023 - Present
  • Independent QA consulting services for startups and enterprises
  • Test strategy development and automation implementation
  • Quality process optimization and team training

Senior Quality Engineer

Telus Digital • Vancouver, BC

2019 - 2025
Led end-to-end testing for Opus (Optik TV 4.0)
Spearheaded testing for Telus Moves application
  • Developed comprehensive test strategies and automation frameworks
  • Enhanced customer experience through cross-team collaboration

QA Engineer

Adacado DCO • Vancouver, BC

2016 - 2018
  • Optimized targeted display ads through rigorous testing
  • Improved CI/CD processes and implemented GUI automation

QA Analyst

DF - Trans Media • Vancouver, BC

2013 - 2016
  • Conducted comprehensive testing for educational games
  • Developed detailed test plans and delivered insightful QA reports

QA Analyst

Electronic Arts • Vancouver, BC

2011 - 2013
Led QA for Battlefield 4 E3 release
  • Advanced from junior tester to lead QA for Battlefield.com
  • Created test plans across multiple platforms and managed deployments

Projects

Groove Slider Slideshow PWA
Rec FX Audio effects app
Indigenous Business Directory Search Indigenous business listings in Canada
Audioblaster Custom player
QA Portfolio Testing frameworks
CraftQA QA consulting

Music & Audio

Where code meets creativity

I first picked up my dad’s guitar when I was 10, and that moment sparked a lifelong connection to music. Since then, it’s been at the core of everything I do. I studied recording and sound design at Columbia Academy, gaining a strong foundation in audio post-production.

Latest Tracks

Music Videos

Video 1

Counter Strike

Ben Hayes

Video 2

Beatific

Ben Hayes

Video 3

Syncro

Ben Hayes

Audio Applications

I build fun audio apps, including sound effects, loopers, and music tools, combining creativity with coding.


Groove Slider

Developed a slideshow app that syncs music with images and video content, published on Google Play.

Launch App

Rec FX

Built a React app to record audio, apply real-time effects, and download or share recordings.

Launch App

Beatloops

Interactive audio loop app built with HTML5, CSS & Web Audio API

Launch App

Audioblaster

Custom audio player with advanced controls and visualization

Launch Player

Photography

Capturing moments, creating memories

Photography has always been a big inspiration in my life. About 5 years ago, I bought my first DSLR and dove into the world of photography. I've spent countless hours perfecting techniques and learning the art of visual storytelling.

Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach

Pacific North West

Pacific North West

Night Sky

Night Sky @ Squamish River

Harrison Lake

Harrison Lake

White Rock

White Rock

Gastown

Gastown

Let's Connect

Ready to create something amazing together?

Whether you're looking for quality assurance expertise, want to collaborate on a music project, or just want to chat about technology and creativity, I'd love to hear from you.