A quality assurance director (QA Dir) is in charge of making sure that the company’s overall standards are met or exceeded in all areas of the workplace. The quality assurance director will frequently draft a set of guidelines to enforce the company’s values. Hiring skilled laborers, managing various developmental teams within the organization, and meeting with clients to design and modify products to fit their overall business needs are all common responsibilities of this position. Another important aspect of this job is analyzing the performance histories of both employees and machinery in order to find more efficient operating methods.
Because it is nearly impossible for one person to directly oversee every aspect of this position in large, complex businesses, the main responsibility of a quality assurance manager is the ability to lead. Not only from a profit standpoint, but also from a safety standpoint, training department managers to identify and correct potential problems before they occur is an important aspect of quality assurance. In some industries, quality assurance directors collaborate with employees to develop new products or improve existing ones, necessitating a high level of organization and flexibility in their daily operations.
In essence, every company, from a small mom-and-pop shop to a massive Fortune 500 corporation, has a quality assurance director, even if the title isn’t stated. These responsibilities may fall on the owner or the store manager in smaller businesses, while the human relations director in mid-sized businesses may be in charge of quality-control tasks. Large corporations typically employ a full staff of employees who report directly to the quality assurance director and are responsible for ensuring compliance in all aspects of the business. Regardless of the title, without this performance-driven leadership role, none of those companies would last long.
Applicants for the position of quality assurance director should have at least a bachelor’s degree in the field of interest as well as previous managerial experience. Aside from the physical aspects of the job, this position is often in charge of the workplace’s overall morale, so strong leadership and communication skills are also required. Receiving a formal interview for the position requires a thorough understanding of the various pieces of machinery used in that industry.