Mike Thomas

Principal Test Engineer

Bachelor of Applied Computing (Lincoln University)
Certificated Test Engineer, International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB)

The role of Principal Engineer at Allied Telesis involves acting as the technical leader of a team of engineers working in an area of specialisation. Mike is responsible for verifying that the products developed work the way they are designed to. Testers take the product and start exploring it, discovering its limits and any faults to be resolved before it goes to market.

Mike says...

"There are many good things about working here. It's great to be able to work in a lifestyle location like Christchurch for a company that is competing on a global scale.

"There is great potential for career development. If you do a top job, it is possible to progress quickly through the company's well-defined career path. I started as a Graduate Engineer, and within 4 years I progressed to a position as a Principal Engineer.

"Day to day you're working with top-notch people and on challenging work using cutting-edge technology. The network industry is going places fast and Allied Telesis is the only place in Christchurch where you can work on the development of products using next generation internet technologies. Testing is particularly rewarding, enhancing customer experience of our products by finding and resolving issues before a product goes to market is a very satisfying part of the job.

"You can work on flexi-time at Allied Telesis and there's a great pool and gym facilities, which all helps with work-life balance. It's easy to get to and from work - you don't have to wait in big city traffic - and just close by there are the Port Hills, where I go for mountain biking and running after work. At weekends, I can go hunting, fishing or tramping in beautiful national parks less than two hours from the city. I am a keen golfer and there are heaps of golf courses to choose from, the beach is handy too for relaxing after work on those hot summers days.

"The travel opportunities are also very attractive; I have been lucky enough to travel to Japan and Korea on work assignments and this year I will be taking up a 12 month posting in the USA which will be very challenging and exciting."