Ian Cruickshank

About Ian Cruickshank

Software Quality Engineering Manager bridging the gap between enterprise-scale quality assurance and advanced AI/ML systems. Proven track record of scaling test automation, leading global agile teams, and ensuring zero-defect launches for high-visibility media platforms (NBCUniversal, Peacock, Olympics) that protect billions in revenue. Concurrently researching and developing sophisticated AI architectures, including Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) implementations, hierarchical reasoning models, and LLM-based agent orchestration frameworks. Passionate about establishing rigorous quality engineering standards for reliable, interpretable machine learning systems.TECHNICAL EXPERTISEAI/ML Specializations: Reinforcement Learning (MCTS, AlphaZero), Multi-Agent Systems, LLM Orchestration, RAG Pipelines, Hierarchical Reasoning, Model Fine-TuningML Engineering: PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face, LangGraph/LangChain, Weights & Biases, Neural Network ArchitecturesQuality Engineering: Enterprise Test Automation, E2E Validation, API Contract Testing, CI/CD Integration, Agile LeadershipCloud & Infrastructure: GCP (Vertex AI), AWS, NVIDIA CUDA, Multi-GPU Configuration, Distributed Training, Python, Java, Selenium

Experience

1. Manager, Software Quality Engineering

   NBCUniversal

   Sep 2023 — Present · New York, NY, US

   Lead QA across five agile squads with engineers based both domestically and internationally, setting a high quality bar while staying practical and delivery-focused.• Partner closely with product managers and stakeholders to ensure we are testing what actually matters to end users, not just checking boxes.• Regularly demo major features to leadership ahead of launch to validate real user experience and unblock go/no-go decisions.• Drive a unified automation approach across squads and verticals, standardizing E2E patterns, contract testing, and shared tooling to avoid reinventing the wheel.• Improve speed and coverage by pushing automation deeper into the fulfillment pipeline; introduced contract-based API tests that cut regression runtime by 50%(from 20 minutes to 10) while expanding the negative-path coverage.• Own QA for the CORE distribution platform, building comprehensive E2E coverage for new order management and delivery workflows; launched with a 100% pass rate in pre-release validation and zero critical production issues.• Lead QA on high-visibility launches including Peacock 4K/HDR and dynamic ad insertion (playback, performance, and ad validation), SkyShowtime international rollout (content delivery and localization), migration from legacy on‑prem MAM to Orange Logic in the cloud, and Olympics streaming enhancements with full QA sign‑off ahead of the Games.• Spearhead QA for new VOD workflows as part of the NBCU / Versant separation, overseeing E2E validation across Ingest and TLVOD services, securing full SQE sign‑off, and delivering against aggressive timelines to support a smooth operational transition

Education

• American River College

  Associate's degree, General Studies

• Vancouver Film School

  Certificate of Completion, Cinematography and Film/Video Production

• Brooks Institute

  Bachelor of Fine Arts, Film/Video and Photographic Arts

• Rio Americano High School

  High School Diploma

Skills

• Video Editing
• Reality
• Photography
• Documentaries
• Digital Media
• Post Production
• Corporate Videos
• Boom Operator
• Storage Management
• Film Production
• Sound
• Reality Tv
• Transcoding
• Feature Films
• Viral Marketing
• Sound Mixing
• Final Cut Studio
• Hd Video
• Avid
• Camera
• Music Videos
• Film
• Assistant Directing
• Encoding