From the internship stage, a beginner quality assurance expert aspires to become a manager someday. This isn’t a straightforward path but becomes simpler as experience is gathered on the job and by gaining relevant certifications. If you’re wondering what the role of a quality assurance manager entails, it’s the right stop because that’s what this article is about.
Sit back to read the meaning, required skills, and roles performed by the experts. Enjoy!
Who is a quality manager?
A quality assurance manager is an expert at the top of the quality assurance career and performs the role of a leader in ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of a product before it is launched. The quality assurance process involves checking software through testing after the development to check for bugs and other hitches that can affect its operation during use. It also checks if the software meets the requirements of the client, company, and standards. In essence, a quality assurance manager carries out these processes with their teams.
To become a quality assurance manager, you need organizational, verbal, written, customer service, problem-solving, leadership, and analytical skills. Likewise, an experience of about three to five years is needed after the right quality assurance courses are taken.
What are the roles of a quality assurance manager?
- Team Lead
One of the most important and prominent roles of a quality assurance manager is acting as a team lead. You would have to take up the responsibility of monitoring a team of other experts (some junior or contemporaries) in checking the products for safety and other assessment. The testing process may come in stages, which helps a lot for the documentation process, while others prefer to take it up as a whole.
As a quality assurance manager as well, you may have to carry out some basic training for other team members when the need arises to keep them updated about the requirements of the job. In addition, managers have the role of selecting the automation tools to be used for testing and software for the production process. As a leader, it is expected you monitor and halt the process of production when there is any fault.
- Stay up-to-date about new regulations
A quality assurance manager always stays up-to-date with regulations in the industry. As stated earlier, there are rules about the production process both internally, externally, and internationally. These cover areas like manufacturing to distribution of goods and any default in these regulations makes the goods stand the risk of not getting launched. So as the quality assurance manager, you need to be aware of the necessary rules a product must satisfy before launching to avoid penalties.
These rules are learned from the foundation of your training during the quality assurance classes. With further certifications, you get to build on them and get the newest ones out there.
- Data Analysis
Another role of a quality assurance manager is data analysis. In fact, it’s a necessary skill for anyone in a quality assurance class as a beginner. The data analytic skill of a quality assurance manager helps them interpret and analyze data from the beginning of the production process till the testing stage. It helps in monitoring the problem detection and solution recommendation aspect. Likewise, the experts are trained to study a series of records over time about the company’s production for any recurring problem. With the results, the company can easily reduce costs and develop more effective ways to avoid similar problems in the future.
- Hiring Process
Sometimes, the quality assurance manager acts as the Human resource manager and handles the hiring process for the company. This is because they are trained to identify the best hands for relevant roles in various establishments during the quality assurance course. Understanding and handling this process effectively will help them get the best team to work with and save the company some costs of working with a hiring expert (especially if it’s a startup).
- Internal Audit
As a quality assurance manager, you will have to perform some internal audits on documents and budgets submitted to clients. It all begins with being involved in the client selection process to ensure the right conditions are stated in the documents before the agreement. In addition, the quality assurance manager has the right to perform periodic checks on suppliers’ performances and suggest improvement processes too.
Conclusion
The role of a good quality assurance manager is non-negotiable in a company handling the development of software and other products. In this article, we have discussed all that pertains to the role of a quality assurance manager, including the necessary skills and educational requirements to attain the position.
