How to hire a director of quality & engineering

How to hire a director of quality & engineering, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of quality & engineering hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a director of quality & engineering job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of quality & engineering
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a director of quality & engineering do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a director of quality & engineering, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A director of quality & engineering's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, directors of quality & engineering from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of director of quality & engineering salaries for various roles:

   Type of Director Of Quality & Engineering	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Quality & Engineering	Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in architectural and engineering companies.	$47-96
   Quality Assurance Director	The job of a quality assurance (QA) director is to oversee all QA functions across the company. Your duties typically include working closely with other department heads to deliver high-quality products on time, hiring managers and analysts, and establishing and maintaining a quality system to make sure that company guidelines and regulatory standards are met... Show more	$46-97
   Research And Development Manager	A research and development manager is responsible for supervising project development procedures to support business operations and identify business opportunities that would pave the way for more revenue resources and profits. Research and development managers monitor the production plans from the conceptualization to the final outputs, inspecting inconsistencies and flaws in every phase and revising strategies as needed to achieve the required specifications and requirements... Show more	$37-83

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Quality Engineering
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Product Quality
   • QA
   • Java
   • Medical Devices
   • FDA
   • Management System
   • Quality System
   • ISO
   • Sigma
   • Test Automation
   • Qa Testing
   • GMP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Define, develop and implement a manage cloud services architecture approach that is based on modular processes and continual integration/deployment interactions.
   • Perform 3rd party audits for GMP and ISO on vendors and other companies doing business with Kodak.
   • Serve as team leader for the ISO implementation group that drive all the preparations for qualification.
   • Work as a billable resource for a number of high-name clients providing QA, automation, and software development consultative services.
   • Coordinate QA efforts that result in consistent on-time delivery of new products and regularly schedule maintenance releases.
   • Define technology architecture and integrate it into the manufacturing infrastructure to improve production processes across all product lines.

   More director of quality & engineering duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your director of quality & engineering job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A director of quality & engineering salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, directors of quality & engineering' average salary in missouri is 52% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of quality & engineering earn 51% less than senior-level directors of quality & engineering.
   • Certifications. A director of quality & engineering with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a director of quality & engineering's salary.

   Average director of quality & engineering salary

   $140,891yearly

   $67.74 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of quality & engineering salary

   $98,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

   Average director of quality & engineering salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$199,718	$96
   2	Nevada	$181,259	$87
   3	Texas	$142,056	$68
   4	Pennsylvania	$126,159	$61
   5	Virginia	$120,314	$58
   6	Utah	$119,275	$57
   7	Colorado	$115,078	$55
   8	North Carolina	$112,901	$54
   9	Florida	$112,198	$54
   10	Maryland	$109,325	$53
   11	Georgia	$108,837	$52
   12	Massachusetts	$107,614	$52
   13	New York	$107,585	$52
   14	Minnesota	$102,641	$49
   15	Illinois	$93,450	$45
   16	Missouri	$88,122	$42

   Average director of quality & engineering salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$210,965	$101.43	273
   2	Marin Software	$188,141	$90.45
   3	Exelixis	$180,258	$86.66	10
   4	Cohesity	$173,163	$83.25
   5	Rackspace	$159,975	$76.91
   6	RingCentral	$159,885	$76.87
   7	Dell	$155,083	$74.56
   8	Allergan plc	$154,856	$74.45
   9	Edwards Lifesciences	$154,694	$74.37	13
   10	NBCUniversal	$154,440	$74.25	17
   11	AbbVie	$153,357	$73.73	58
   12	American Life Insurance Company	$150,906	$72.55
   13	Salesforce	$150,800	$72.50	19
   14	Nirvana	$144,703	$69.57	1
   15	Estée Lauder	$144,548	$69.49	2
   16	Oportun	$143,257	$68.87
   17	SeaSpine	$138,305	$66.49
   18	NantHealth	$134,750	$64.78
   19	Paramount	$126,160	$60.65	6
   20	Maven Machines	$126,121	$60.64	3

4. Writing a director of quality & engineering job description

   A good director of quality & engineering job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a director of quality & engineering job description:

   Director of quality & engineering job description example

   PROCEPT BioRobotics is a surgical robotics company enabling better patient care by developing transformative solutions in urology. With an initial focus on BPH, the company’s AQUABEAM® Robotic System delivering Aquablation therapy, is the first FDA-cleared, automated surgical robot for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Aquablation therapy combines real-time, multi-dimensional imaging, automated robotics and heat-free waterjet ablation for targeted, controlled, and immediate removal of prostate tissue. Aquablation therapy offers predictable and reproducible outcomes, independent of prostate anatomy, prostate size or surgeon experience.
   
   As PROCEPT continues to grow and widen its global footprint, this leadership role will be responsible for production quality control and quality engineering support for sustaining development and maintenance of our disposables and accessories production.
   
   This role will provide quality engineering management oversight for specific elements supporting the sustenance, and maintenance of various aspects of quality systems and support any compliance related activities as required by the PROCEPT Quality Management System (QMS), which includes corrective and preventive action, training, document controls, and post market product improvements.
   
   This role is responsible for growing, developing, and manage a high performing team to interface with various cross-functional teams across PROCEPT and support all the requisite product related quality engineering requirements.
   CORE RESPONSIBILITIES (Other duties may be required as assigned) Overall leadership of quality engineering teams that support the Disposables & Accessories operations functions. Hire, retain and lead a high-performance team that supports the relevant manufacturing operations, some of which include in-process and final quality control, sustaining quality engineering, supplier quality, design transfer of new products into manufacturing Establish and build relationships with internal and external partners to support strategic business initiatives Lead quality personnel in the completion of required departmental activities including objectives/ goal Be able to lead, execute, and implement various improvement projects Manage quality budgeting, including planning and managing to establish targets and plans Support Lean/Six Sigma initiatives on our manufacturing line Support DFX initiatives on the manufacturing line to ensure high product quality Drive R&D/Advanced Manufacturing Engineering to provide Manufacturing designs with high process capability Maintain job descriptions of subordinates. Orients new employees to the department and company Assure that the department maintains an awareness and practice of employee safety Manage and execute the overall quality engineering strategy for a particular product line or platform Drive comprehensive and detailed Program plans to successful completion Identify program risks and develop risk mitigation strategies to maintain program expectations Identify program problems and drive solutions such as allocation of resources or changing specifications Participate in formulating plans and objectives for the program area and generally review and approve projects and their implementation within the various functional areas Assure the successful transition to manufacturing and satisfactory field service support to customer as required. Travel to suppliers or contract manufacturers as needed Maintain trained status for, and comply with, all relevant aspects of the PROCEPT BioRobotics Quality Management System to ensure product and support regulatory compliance Understand and adhere to the PROCEPT BioRobotics EHS policy QUALIFICATIONS (Education, Experience, Certifications)
   To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. College Degree required, B.S. in Science, Engineering or equivalent combination of education and experience. M.S. preferred Experience working in a structured design process such as ISO13485 or FDA QSR, knowledge of regulatory approval process and requirements 10+ years of relevant experience in medical devices industry with 7 years in leadership roles Experience in managing the following standards/requirements: ISO 13485 Medical Devices – Quality Management System US FDA CFR 21 Part 820 (QSR) ISO 14971 Medical Devices – Application of Risk Management to Medical Devices Medical Device Directive (93/42/EEC - MDD) EU Medical Device Regulation (EU 2017/745) SOR/98-282 Canadian Medical Device Regulations Experience working in a fast-paced, high growth environment Proficient in project management tools like Smartsheet Strong organizational skills, detail oriented. Exceptional oral and written communication skills Experience with Microsoft Office including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint Knowledge of computer software for the analysis of data, specifically Microsoft Excel and statistical packages (Minitab preferred), is a plus. Ability to balance hands-on tasks and team management/budget planning functions Experience with electronic QMS helpful Experience working with electronic, software, and/or imaging devices is desirable Experience in understanding complex data and analyzing that data to drive the right decisions Ability to lead and collaborate within an organization across all functional departments (e.g. Legal, Regulatory, Operations, Clinical Affairs, Marketing, Quality, etc.) Excellent interpersonal and influence management skills including evidence of managing multi-disciplinary teams. Ability to work to a deadline and to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write and review reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, individual contributors, and customers. Ability to apply mathematical concepts such as multiplication, exponents, logarithms, and unit of measure conversions. Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
   Directly supervises employees in the Quality Department. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance, rewarding, and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems. PHYSICAL DEMANDS
   The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   To perform this duty the employee must have the ability to sit or stand at and operate a computer terminal and walk or travel safely within the facility. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. WORK ENVIRONMENT While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in an office environment. COVID-I9 Vaccine Requirement: As of August 19, 2021, all PROCEPT BioRobotics employees must be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. The company will follow an accommodation process for medical or religious exemptions.
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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right director of quality & engineering for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of quality & engineering job on Zippia to find and recruit director of quality & engineering candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting directors of quality & engineering requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new director of quality & engineering

   Once you've decided on a perfect director of quality & engineering candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new director of quality & engineering. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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