How to hire a quality assurance group leader

How to hire a quality assurance group leader, step by step

Here's a step-by-step quality assurance group leader hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a quality assurance group leader, 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

   Hiring the perfect quality assurance group leader also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of quality assurance group leaders.

   Type of Quality Assurance Group Leader	Description	Hourly rate
   Quality Assurance Group Leader		$31-53
   Quality Lead	A quality assurance (QA) lead is responsible for organizing and managing the testing of products prior to its release. Your duties will include defining testing standards and strategies, establishing formal QA processes, and overseeing all aspects of QA, such as using best practices and establishing metrics... Show more	$30-61
   Group Leader	A group leader is responsible for overseeing and distributing fair tasks to the members, ensuring clear instructions and procedures. Group leaders are mainly the ones leading the team towards their success... Show more	$27-83

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Internal Audit
   • Sops
   • Quality Issues
   • FDA
   • R
   • User Acceptance
   • GMP
   • Product Quality
   • Test Results
   • Quality System
   • Regulatory Standards
   • Test Plan
   • Qa Management
   • ISO

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Replace a paper/pencil driven reporting process with a SQL database to automate data collection and reporting for entire customer facing organization.
   • Result in first pass ISO certification.
   • Record inspection or test data, keep records up to the standards and requirements of ISO.
   • Perform and/or oversee HACCP and GMP audits of the process as well as employee training in these areas as needed.
   • Conduct regression testing, testing of new features and enhancements to existing software to ensure system compatibility, integrity and performance.
   • Conduct application demonstrations to prospective hospital and nursing home clients demonstrating the legacy system and the newly develop windows base system.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your quality assurance group leader job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A quality assurance group leader can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, quality assurance group leaders' average salary in alabama is 36% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level quality assurance group leaders 41% less than senior-level quality assurance group leaders.
   • Certifications. A quality assurance group leader with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a quality assurance group leader's salary.

   Average quality assurance group leader salary

   $85,818yearly

   $41.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level quality assurance group leader salary

   $66,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

4. Writing a quality assurance group leader job description

   A job description for a quality assurance group leader role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a quality assurance group leader job description:

   Quality assurance group leader job description example

   Cutting-edge industrial technology meets grit, integrity and passion.
   
   At Greenbrier, we do the hard work that matters. The Greenbrier Companies (NYSE: GBX) is a leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of freight rail and marine transportation equipment and services, powering the movement of products around the world. Greenbrier's heritage of hard work and industrial innovation is celebrated at every level of our organization.
   
   SUMMARY
   
   Holds Safety, Quality, Customer Service, and Respect for People in the highest regard while supporting the area team in identifying defects and guiding employees in proper repair of defects in fabrication, welding, coating, and assembly at the direction of the Operations Superintendent. Responsible for maintaining quality standards for the area by providing SOP training and auditing processes to ensure adherence to SOP. Assists in clarifying weld, coating, fabrication, and assembly requirements, and coordinates activities of employees between work groups with the support of the Operations Superintendent. This position is responsible for the proper execution of the process to ensure the quality of the product.
   
   Duties and Responsibilities
   * Ensures new employees (new to the company or rehires) are given SOP and JSA training on the first day assigned to an area and works with team members continually throughout their assignment in the area.
   * Responsible for auditing work performed in the area to ensure product moves to next area free of defects.
   * Assists in clarifying/interpreting work requirements for welding, fabricating, prepping, painting, and assembling.
   * Investigates quality issues and communicates those issues with the team and area Operations Superintendent to correct issues at the source.
   * Responsible for auditing team's regular review of SOPs and JSAs in the area in addition to conducting training on these documents once a revision is made.
   * Recommends changes to Operations Superintendent and/or Operations Manager to improve methods, procedures, and equipment to compliment production.
   * Ensures that safety and housekeeping standards are met and maintained.
   * Performs other duties as directed by the Operations Superintendent
   * Continuously holds Safety, Quality, Customer Service, and Respect for People in the highest regard while supporting fellow team members.
   
   QUALIFICATIONS
   
   Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
   * Ability to ensure Quality Assurance of work being performed meets published specifications prior to final inspection.
   * Possesses knowledge of work in the area assigned and expected to assist production when not performing other duties described below.
   * Ability to interpret schedule and relay information to production team in their daily work of welding, fabricating, assembling railcar parts, and prepping and coating railcars.
   * Ability to coordinate activities of employees between work groups with the support of Operations Superintendent.
   * Ability to successfully train team in work procedures, safety awareness, and quality standards for the area.
   
   Education and Experience
   * Prefer a high school education or equivalent
   * at least three years related experience with proven quality record, including knowledge of shop production methods and processes quality standards according to SOPs, and product and material specifications.
   * Requires pre-requisite Greenbrier welding, coatings, and/or leadership training certifications.
   
   Licenses, Certifications, etc.
   * Greenbrier welding and/or coatings certifications.
   
   PHYSICAL DEMANDS
   
   Reasonable accommodations may be made, if necessary.
   
   Key
   N (Not Applicable): Activity is not applicable to this occupation
   O (Occasionally): Occupation requires this activity up to 33% of the time (0- 2.5+ hours/day)
   F (Frequently): Occupation requires this activity from 33% - 66% of the time (2.5: 5.5+ hours/day)
   C (Constantly): Occupation requires this activity more than 66% of the time (5.5+ hours/day)
   
   Physical Abilities
   Stand: Frequently
   Reach Above Shoulder: Occasionally
   Walk: Frequently
   Climb: Occasionally
   Sit: Occasionally
   Crawl: Occasionally
   Handling/Fingering: Occasionally
   Squat/Kneel: Occasionally
   Reach Outward: Occasionally
   Bend: Occasionally
   
   Lift / Carry
   10 lbs. or less: Occasionally
   11: 20 lbs.: Occasionally
   21: 50 lbs.: Occasionally
   51: 100 lbs.: N/A
   
   Push / Pull
   12 lbs. or less: Occasionally
   13: 25 lbs.: Occasionally
   26: 40 lbs.: Occasionally
   41: 100 lbs.: N/A
   
   Safety Equipment Required
   * Hard Hat
   * Hearing Protection
   * Composite Toe Safety Shoes
   * Addition PPE per the appropriate JSA for the specific area that the Productivity Leader -- Production may be working.
   
   The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Protected Veterans/Disabled

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right quality assurance group leader 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 quality assurance group leader job on Zippia to find and recruit quality assurance group leader candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with quality assurance group leader candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a quality assurance group leader applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 quality assurance group leader

   Once you have selected a candidate for the quality assurance group leader position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new quality assurance group leader first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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