Meet the Aries Team: Kylene O’Neill, Senior Quality Engineer

Tell us a little about yourself – how long have you been working for Aries? What did you do before joining Aries?

Prior to joining Aries in 2017, I worked as a Computer Science tutor and Math Fellow. I am currently a Senior Quality Engineer within the Aries Quality department.

What have your roles at Aries been?

I have had several roles throughout my time at Aries, all which involve manual, automated and embedded testing. Currently, I am a member of a squad and I am responsible for managing a few other Quality Engineers. My position on the squad includes manually testing bug fixes and automating tests for new features for our cloud-based workflow solutions.

How have your previous roles helped you in your current position?

Combining everything I have learned from my previous roles at Aries has provided me with key insights on how different areas of our Quality and Engineering departments operate, contributing the success experienced in my role today.

How do you stay up-to-date with industry trends?

I try to stay up to date in the field by seeing what other big tech companies are doing and what new technologies the industry are leaning towards. I am always looking for new technologies to learn and expand on.

How do you collaborate with other departments within Aries?

I work very closely with Aries’ Engineering and Product Management teams. I communicate with both of those departments daily to verify any changes to Editorial Manager®, to ensure quality, and to receive feedback on the tests that I write. I collaborate with the Client Services team to better understand customer needs and how they typically use our software, allowing me to focus on those areas to ensure we are incorporating that in our testing.

Tell me about your department and the people you work most closely with.

The Aries Quality department has grown rapidly in the past year. It is exciting to see our team grow in size and skill! I work closely with my squad, which consists of one additional Quality Engineer, three Software Engineers, and two Product Managers. Everyone I work with is very friendly and we all collaborate well and really support each other!

Describe your typical workday.

I typically start work earlier in the morning. I use that time to really focus and automate and write test cases. The rest of my day  typically consists of various meetings, helping other Quality Engineers and verifying bug fixes.  

What do you most enjoy about your job? What do you enjoy most about working for Aries?

I love learning new things and my position here gives me the opportunity to constantly grow and learn. Whether it’s new technologies or new features in Editorial Manager/ProduXion Manager, I am always learning something new. This is important to me because I enjoy staying up to date on new technologies for my professional development and this way I am never bored doing redundant tasks.

What are you currently reading, listening to, or watching?

I have been watching The Handmaids Tale and Cruel Summer, along with any new movies that have recently released. I listen to many different genres of music: rock, pop, country, etc.

Tell me about some of your hobbies/interests outside of work.

I really love traveling, being outside, and spending time with my family. Most of my hobbies revolve around what season it is here in New England. I enjoy skiing, hiking, going to the beach and to the lake.