Quality Assurance Manager

Also known as - Quality manager, quality control manager, quality inspector.

The job of a quality assurance manager is to ensure that all of a company’s services and activities meet and maintain set standards. As a quality assurance manager, you’ll carry out inspections and keep detailed records as evidence that work is of the highest possible quality.

Office
Supervisory-Managerial
Higher qualifications
Numerical-analytical

What does a quality assurance manager do?

As a quality assurance manager, you’ll develop company-wide processes and controls to ensure that high quality work is completed.

As a quality assurance management your duties may include:

Meeting with clients to understand their business needs
Developing company quality procedures, standards, and specifications
Matching processes with standards
Coordinating activity required to meet quality standards
Conducting internal audits and inspections
Presenting project proposals to clients
Discussing materials with suppliers
Writing management and technical reports
Overseeing budgets
Collecting and sharing statistics
Dealing with any issues that arise with customers or projects
Staying on top of customer expectations
Following legal regulations
Working on-site and in an office.

How to become a quality assurance manager

There are several routes to becoming a quality assurance manager. You could complete a university or college course, an apprenticeship or apply directly to an employer for work.

You should explore these routes to becoming a quality assurance manager, to find out which is the right one for you. Although some of these options have certain qualification requirements, many employers are more interested in people who are enthusiastic, willing to learn and can follow instructions.

You may need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card to work on a construction site.

University

You could complete an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a relevant subject, such as business studies, administration or production management.

After your studies, you could apply to become a trainee quality assurance manager through a construction company’s graduate training scheme.

College

You could undertake a college course in business or construction management or engineering, to help you on your journey to becoming a quality assurance manager.

Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship with a construction company is a good way into the industry.

You could complete a construction, engineering or administrative apprenticeship to help start you on your career path to becoming a quality assurance manager.

Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16. As an apprentice, you will be fully employed by your company and expected to work a minimum of 30 hours a week. Your time will be split between on-the-job experience and a college or training provider.

Guide to apprenticeships

Work

If you have some basic experience, you could apply directly to a construction company to gain experience as a quality assurance manager. You might start out as an assistant to a more experienced quality assurance manager and progress as your abilities improve.

Work experience

Work experience is essential to gaining employment within the construction industry. You could gain this at school, or by working weekends and holidays with a company or relative who works as a quality assurance manager. Potential employers will always be pleased to see work experience listed on your CV.

Find out more about work experience

Skills

Additional skills which may benefit anyone considering a job as a quality assurance manager include:

Awareness of business management
Strong communication skills
Analytical thinking abilities
Project management/leadership skills
Good mathematical knowledge.

Qualifications

England

To become a Quality Assurance Manager, you could complete a:

Level 4 Quality Practitioner Apprenticeship
Degree or postgraduate qualification in:
- Production Management
- Business Studies
- Human Resources Management
- Business Administration
- Construction

You'll need:

2 - 3 A levels or equivalent to do a degree or postgraduate.
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 - 4 and A levels or equivalent for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Scotland

To become a Quality Assurance Manager, you could complete a:

Level 7 Quality Practitioner Apprenticeship
Degree or postgraduate qualification in:
- Production Management
- Business Studies
- Human Resources Management
- Business Administration
- Construction

You'll need:

2 - 3 A levels or equivalent to do a degree or postgraduate.
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades A* - C and A levels or equivalent for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Wales

To become a Quality Assurance Manager, you could complete a:

Level 4 Quality Practitioner Apprenticeship
Degree or postgraduate qualification in:
- Production Management
- Business Studies
- Human Resources Management
- Business Administration
- Construction

You'll need:

2 - 3 A levels or equivalent to do a degree or postgraduate.
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 - 4 and A levels or equivalent for a higher or degree apprenticeship

How much could you earn as a quality assurance manager?

The expected salary for a quality assurance manger varies as you become more experienced.

Newly trained quality assurance mangers can start at £30000
Trained with experience quality assurance mangers can earn up to £70000*

Salaries depend on location, employer, level of responsibility, any overtime you may do, and whether you have completed an industry recognised training route.

* Salaries have been collected from multiple industry sources