Mastering Test Automation: A QA Engineer’s FinTech Journey at EPAM Spain

Mastering Test Automation: A QA Engineer’s FinTech Journey at EPAM Spain

At EPAM, growth is a collaborative effort — driven by hard work, dedication and commitment to continuous learning and supported by the Company’s investment in tools, resources and opportunities to help employees stay ahead in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.

The career journey of Tatiana Domnitskaia is a great example, as a manual test engineer who mastered her Test Automation skills while working on a complex FinTech project. Her story is one of growth, dedication and success, unfolding within the dynamic environment of a complex project in the picturesque Málaga, Spain.

Pursuing a Passion for Coding

Tatiana’s interest in automated testing dates back before her relocation to Spain. It wasn’t just about recognizing the career advantages automation offered, but a genuine curiosity and passion for coding. She initially started experimenting with writing automated tests on her own, but soon realized that transitioning to a new role would require a strong theoretical foundation and guidance from an experienced mentor.

“I saw a lot of examples of how automated test scenarios could streamline the work of test engineers like me and boost our productivity. By reducing the time spent on regression testing, I was able to shift my focus to more creative test cases, refining project documentation and advancing my professional growth,” shares Tatiana.

EPAM came up with a wonderful solution: a mentoring program in automated testing that could be completed alongside existing project responsibilities. Tatiana was assigned a mentor who guided her through the program, recommending educational materials, tracking her progress and answering questions. The journey wasn’t a short one — it took Tatiana about two years to complete the program due to a heavy project workload — but her efforts paid off. She successfully passed the assessment and achieved her goal of becoming a Senior Test Automation Engineer. 

Reflecting on her journey, Tatiana is grateful to EPAM for the opportunity to pursue her professional interests and a chance to live and work in Spain. The Company’s commitment to supporting employees in continuously developing their skills is evident in its dedication to fields like AI. For Tatiana, the AI initiatives launched at EPAM represent an exciting new path and a new direction for her future professional development.

Seven Years on a FinTech Project

Another key factor in shaping Tatiana’s automation testing skills has been her project work, which allowed her to put theoretical knowledge into practice. Tatiana is part of a flagship FinTech project at EPAM Spain, focused on developing a multi-asset class order management and execution management system for a large hedge fund. With nearly seven years on the project, what Tatiana values most is its complexity, which provides her with daily challenges and fuels her continuous learning journey.

“One thing about my project that inspires and motivates me in my daily work is its sophisticated business logic. It challenges my analytical and problem-solving abilities while providing valuable opportunities to enhance my technical automation skills,” says Tatiana.

As a Senior Software Test Automation Engineer, Tatiana’s daily responsibilities include analyzing the requirements of user stories, working on test plans and coming up with test coverage based on the testing pyramid. She also creates automated tests to cover new functionality, thinking about which ones will serve as a regression scope. On top of that, Tatiana participates in all the Scrum-related activities and helps newcomers understand the business logic and existing processes.

Conducting code reviews is another aspect of her work that Tatiana enjoys. Reviewing her teammates’ test plans and offering recommendations brings to mind her extensive project experience and reinforces her sense of contribution. When tasked with integration and regression testing, she contributes to test plans, analyzes automated test results, handles triage and prepares detailed reports.

Finding a “Work Family” in Spain

With teams spread across 55+ countries, EPAMers are used to thriving in a multicultural environment, and the Spanish location stands as a perfect example of team diversity. The employees who came to Spain from Eastern Europe, Latin America, South Africa and other parts of the world have more in common than one might think. From sharing comparable relocation experience to navigating the same challenges of adapting to a new country, their journeys often reflect a common resilience and determination.

“Although our team members speak different native languages, we share the same values and positive attitude. We are committed to delivering high-quality work and approaching our tasks with professionalism, and we deeply value each individual. These qualities are key to project success and healthy team dynamics!” comments Tatiana.

For Tatiana, collaborating with people from diverse backgrounds has significantly enriched her personal development and sharpened her communication skills. After years of working together, she affectionately refers to her team members as her “work family.” Beyond their professional interactions, they occasionally go out for dinner or enjoy fun activities such as playing volleyball, hiking in the mountains or going to the beach.

While one part of Tatiana's team resides in Spain like her, another part is in the United States. Although there is a time difference between them, it helps the team to maximize productivity. When the workday in Spain is over, developers from the US will keep working on a user story, so Tatiana and her Spanish colleagues are likely to have an update when they arrive at work the next morning.

Growing the QA Team in Spain

EPAM offers its employees a wide range of opportunities, from educational programs and language courses to all-hands meetings and team-building events. As an EPAMer, Tatiana makes it a priority to switch from her project work occasionally to engage in activities like town halls, local office events and ESG initiatives. This makes her feel connected to the broader EPAM community while staying informed about local and global developments.

Tatiana was one of the first EPAMers to have a role in establishing the Company’s Málaga office back in 2018. Over the years, she has witnessed the rapid growth of the location while making valuable contributions to the development of the local QA team. After seven years in Málaga, she considers it one of the most comfortable places to live and to work.

"It felt like a true startup! There were so few of us that we could fit into one room. The local office processes seemed a bit bumpy due to many unknowns, but as the number of projects and employees has grown, the local team has become more mature,” Tatiana reflects. “The simple fact that we now have more than a thousand people in Málaga is one of the best indicators of our success. I hope that one day we’ll have offices in all the major Spanish cities!”

In the early days, most employees at EPAM Spain were Quality Assurance engineers. Tatiana and her teammates on the FinTech project worked tirelessly to earn the client's trust, laying the foundations for expanding project roles into fully integrated Scrum teams. This required Tatiana to get deeply involved in every key project initiative, from onboarding new team members to building career development plans for QAs and mentoring them in Test Automation.

It's only fair to acknowledge that the success of Tatiana’s project opened the doors to new business opportunities in Spain.

Start Your EPAM Journey

If Tatiana’s journey has inspired you, why not start your own journey with EPAM? Explore our career opportunities across FinTech and other industries. Discover all available roles here. 

Join the team in Málaga and tackle exciting challenges in a vibrant, multicultural environment, all while enjoying the warm climate and breathtaking scenery of this unique destination.