What does a director of quality do?
In the manufacturing industry, a director of quality is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing the daily operations in a quality assurance department. They work to ensure that products adhere to the company's quality standards and industry regulations by conducting research and assessments, developing quality test systems, and reviewing reports. As a director of quality, they have the authority to make significant decisions, establish protocols and guidelines, set objectives and timelines, and implement rules and policies, creating new ones as necessary.
Director of quality responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of quality resumes:
- Develop and manage internal QMS audit and corrective and preventive action processes.
- Manage the transition to a campus AS9100 certification for all major Aero sites.
- Manage functional and system testing activities, API customization and RDMBS tools testing teams.
- Lead teams from design concept and team feasibility commitment through product launch and PPAP.
- Lead targeted staff training and development of CMS, AHCA, and DOEA guidelines and regulations.
- Lead a team of engineers and operations personnel to introduce 6 new alpha products into mfg.
- Re-Initiat quarterly quality management reviews and successfully complete FDA, ISO and internal regulatory compliance audits.
- Provide oversight of infection control surveillance data, national patient safety goals, and hand-hygiene surveillance monitoring.
- Direct the development and evaluation of quality improvement projects for the healthcare facilities.
- Provide centralize corporate oversight of all investigations and development of comprehensive corrective actions to insure regulatory compliance.
- Obtain 3rd-Party approval of the QMS.
- Migrate from CruiseControl to Jenkins for CI.
- Back up scrum master for agile daily meetings.
- Develop new HPLC methods for vitamin and herbal analysis.
- Create a device cloud for engineers to use devices for testing remotely.
Director of quality skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Directors Of Quality are proficient in Healthcare, Quality Improvement, and Patients. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Leadership skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of Quality that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Healthcare, 8%
Conducted ongoing Facilitator Training Workshops to prepare qualified individuals for team leadership Professional and Other Activities National Association for Healthcare Quality
- Quality Improvement, 5%
Developed and recommended project plans, resource and capability needs, accountability measures and budget in alignment with quality improvement strategies.
- Patients, 4%
Impact of canine-assisted ambulation on hospitalized chronic heart failure patients' ambulation outcomes and satisfaction: a pilot study.
- Oversight, 4%
Implemented re-engineered TP Business Review process that improved effectiveness of management review and oversight of enterprise system health.
- Patient Safety, 4%
Coordinate facility wide robust process improvement activities to maximize quality, ensure patient safety and promote operational efficiency and effectiveness.
- Continuous Improvement, 4%
Led corporate wide cost of quality initiatives including total preventative maintenance, standardization, and problem solving and continuous improvement training.
Most directors of quality use their skills in "healthcare," "quality improvement," and "patients" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential director of quality responsibilities here:
Interpersonal skills. One of the key soft skills for a director of quality to have is interpersonal skills. You can see how this relates to what directors of quality do because "industrial production managers must have excellent communication skills to work well other managers and with staff." Additionally, a director of quality resume shows how directors of quality use interpersonal skills: "have a good understanding of sdlc best practices and strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills. "
Leadership skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling director of quality duties is leadership skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "to keep the production process running smoothly, industrial production managers must motivate and direct employees." According to a director of quality resume, here's how directors of quality can utilize leadership skills in their job responsibilities: "provide leadership to quality engineering, quality assurance, documentation, product development quality, supplier quality and operational excellence functions. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of directors of quality is problem-solving skills. This skill is critical to many everyday director of quality duties, as "production managers must identify and address problems that arise." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "resolved all the deficiencies that had precipitated a fda warning letter. "
The three companies that hire the most director of qualitys are:
- Evolent Health52 directors of quality jobs
- Highmark52 directors of quality jobs
- KPMG LLP42 directors of quality jobs
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Compare different directors of quality
Director of quality vs. Quality assurance engineering manager
Quality Assurance Engineering Managers require up to five years in any related field and one to three years of supervisory experience, and a healthy and developed set of skills including math, leadership, and crucial thinking. Those who choose this career option can expect an annual salary between $80K and $141K. Their responsibilities involve the development and safeguarding of quality standards for production companies and staff management, production process oversight, data analysis, and strategy planning to ensure higher product quality.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a director of quality are more likely to require skills like "healthcare," "quality improvement," "patients," and "oversight." On the other hand, a job as a quality assurance engineering manager requires skills like "java," "test procedures," "scrum," and "dod." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Quality assurance engineering managers earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $131,506. On the other hand, directors of quality are paid more in the finance industry with an average salary of $155,704.quality assurance engineering managers tend to reach lower levels of education than directors of quality. In fact, quality assurance engineering managers are 9.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.3% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Director of quality vs. Quality improvement coordinator
In the medical industry, a quality improvement coordinator is in charge of developing programs and projects designed to improve medical services and employee performance. Their responsibilities typically include gathering and analyzing data to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current procedures, performing research and analysis to determine the ideal care practices, studying feedback from different parties, conducting inspections and assessments, and implementing solutions against problem areas. Moreover, a quality improvement coordinator must develop programs while enforcing and promoting the facility's policies and regulations.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real director of quality resumes. While director of quality responsibilities can utilize skills like "healthcare," "oversight," "continuous improvement," and "quality management system," quality improvement coordinators use skills like "clinical quality," "analyze data," "powerpoint," and "continuous quality."
Quality improvement coordinators earn a lower average salary than directors of quality. But quality improvement coordinators earn the highest pay in the insurance industry, with an average salary of $77,330. Additionally, directors of quality earn the highest salaries in the finance with average pay of $155,704 annually.In general, quality improvement coordinators achieve lower levels of education than directors of quality. They're 5.6% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of quality vs. Quality assurance administrator
A quality assurance administrator oversees the daily operations of the QA branch of a company. The QA team's main task is to ensure all products or services provided by the company meet the standards prescribed by management and customer feedback. Aside from this, the QA team makes sure that all company output meets government standards, policies, and regulations. The quality assurance administrator must handle all personnel under the department effectively and accomplish each daily task consistently.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, directors of quality are more likely to have skills like "healthcare," "quality improvement," "patients," and "oversight." But a quality assurance administrator is more likely to have skills like "management system," "data entry," "quality audits," and "quality system."
Quality assurance administrators earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $57,225. Directors of quality earn the highest pay from the finance industry, with an average salary of $155,704.When it comes to education, quality assurance administrators tend to earn lower degree levels compared to directors of quality. In fact, they're 12.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Director of quality vs. Quality assurance manager
A Quality Assurance Manager's responsibility varies on the organization or industry where one is assigned. Most of the time, the duties will revolve around quality control, such as overseeing a company's manufacturing operations, ensuring that the process followed all of the necessary protocols, and the products met all of the standards in adherence to the company's policies and regulations. Furthermore, one must be able to detect and identify mistakes, conduct constant inspections, coordinate with various staff and supervisors, develop the workforce's quality by training employees, and come up with strategies that will help the company attain financial gains.
Types of director of quality
Updated January 8, 2025
