# Zach Howard
**DevOps Engineer | Build Systems, Containers & Automation**

Oshawa, Ontario, Canada · zachdhoward@proton.me · github.com/zdhoward · tools.zachtech.ca

## Summary
Engineer with experience spanning software quality, automation, developer tooling, IT infrastructure, and backend systems, plus a self-directed Linux, container and networking background.
More than a decade of hands-on work across IT, custom development, QA and DevOps for multiple companies and studios (freelance since 2013).

## Skills
- Infrastructure: Linux, Docker, Docker Compose, reverse proxies, networking, DNS, VPNs, monitoring with Grafana and Prometheus, Cloudflare, Tailscale, Authentik
- Scripting: Bash and PowerShell scripting
- Languages & Tools: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, REST APIs, Git, GitHub
- Automation: Playwright browser automation, API testing, test framework development, workflow automation
- Testing & Quality: Test automation, end-to-end, regression and integration testing, test planning and strategy, release validation, defect investigation

## Experience

### Owner / IT Services, ZachTech | March 2026 – present
Oshawa, ON area
- Founded ZachTech, a local IT services business, and am building its client base.

### QC Lead, Eterio Realities | March 2025 – March 2026
Victoria, BC
- Built an automated Playwright test suite for the company's web application: 153 tests in 22 files (118 UI, 28 API, 7 visual) with 10 page objects, as of March 2026.
- Created repeatable testing workflows to improve consistency across releases.
- Worked directly with developers to integrate testing and quality practices throughout development.
- Developed internal tooling using Claude Code to improve product knowledge access and debugging workflows.

### Associate Quality Designer, DevOps (Engineering Workflows), Electronic Arts | March 2024 – June 2024
Vancouver, BC
- Created and maintained QA test passes for Frostbite engine changes and validated new features and workflow changes.
- Triaged defects, investigated issues with software engineers, and communicated technical findings across teams, including coordinating QA requests with Central QA.

### QA Specialist, Frostbite Build Tools, Keywords Studios | April 2020 – March 2024
Vancouver, BC
- Validated changes to internal build systems and developer workflows and created testing strategies for complex engineering systems.
- Embedded QA on the Frostbite Build Tools team, working directly with software engineers on internal developer tools and workflows used across AAA game projects.
- Directly supported the Engineering Workflows team (about 7 engineers) and worked with Central QA (about 20 people).
- Wrote documentation, pioneered remote (work-from-home) technical support for the team, and helped onboard others while Central QA established official procedures.

### IT Coordinator, Mountain West Studios | September 2018 – April 2020
Vancouver, BC
- Developed backend systems for automated video rendering and delivery, and automation for business workflows.
- Managed network planning, maintenance and recovery processes and supported internal technical operations.

### Systems Administrator & IT Specialist, Saved By Technology (now Long & McQuade Pro) | January 2016 – August 2018
Toronto, ON
- Automated product listing and order-processing workflows and managed online sales systems and integrations.
- Developed internal software tools and utilities for sales and operational workflows.

### Earlier roles
- Technical Analyst / Server Specialist at Aireus POS (2015): 24/7 emergency database contact for 400+ restaurants, QA testing and deployments.
- Freelance since 2013: server deployment, database migrations, and custom Max/MSP audio tools for musicians.

## Projects
- Designed and run a self-hosted homelab on two Unraid servers: about 40 Docker Compose-managed services, including Authentik SSO (with Postgres and Redis), Nginx Proxy Manager, Cloudflare tunnel and dynamic DNS, and Grafana and Prometheus monitoring.
- Built and deployed tools.zachtech.ca: a Next.js and React portfolio with an MDX blog, a 13-theme engine and unit-tested client-side crypto and networking tools, on Cloudflare Pages with automatic deploys from GitHub. (https://tools.zachtech.ca)
- Home network on UniFi gear connecting two Unraid servers, a Raspberry Pi OS host, and other single-board computers and IoT devices.
- Design and run multi-agent AI development workflows with Claude Code and Codex, assigning models to tasks by strength and managing context to keep output reliable.

## Education
- Seneca College — Computer Programming & Analysis, 2011 – 2014