What does a senior quality manager do?
A senior quality manager is in charge of designing and developing quality control measures to ensure that a company's products are according to standards. They typically coordinate with analysts and other experts to identify the market and clients' needs, evaluate existing quality control methods, and create strategies to improve production procedures. Aside from optimizing quality control, a senior quality manager must also monitor the workflow and the workforce's performance to ensure efficiency and their adherence to the company's standards and regulations.
Senior quality manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real senior quality manager resumes:
- Manage material review board (MRB) reviews to address issues.
- Manage the daily activities consisting of a team of 3 QC inspectors and 1 Jr.
- Manage all aspects of change control for business operational, overseeing all CAPA programs and management.
- Assist Sr. Director QRC in producing QC metrics and managing corrective and preventive action (CAPA) system.
- Manage FRB, MRB, FMEA, product alert/recall of the approved vendor list and resultant underperformance management.
- Manage personnel to complete all quality assurance, regulatory, and validation activities for QC and production relate activities.
- Improve efficiency by teaching hourly inspectors to read blue prints.
- Participate in customer audits, QMS, answer technical queries from customers, sales and marketing.
- Maintain ISO certification and manage customer quality audits.
- Prepare for and support internal QMS surveillance and certification audits
- Collaborate with team on annual audits conduct on processes and configuration management to meet ISO requirements.
- Redefine SDLC and other internal processes to optimize productivity and communications between development and quality assurance teams.
- Develop and implement internal audit tool to simulate ERO and Medicaid audit structure regarding clinical files and program organization.
- Review, authore and execute the remediation plans, update validation and qualification documentation for the up coming FDA remediation visit.
- Direct PPAP and APAQP activities throughout the company.
Senior quality manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Senior Quality Managers are proficient in Continuous Improvement, Oversight, and Project Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Leadership skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Senior Quality Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Continuous Improvement, 8%
Process: Lead project teams for support of new product/process development and continuous improvements for existing manufacturing processes including aseptic processing.
- Oversight, 5%
Provided oversight QA technical support for suppliers and external manufacturers supplying clinical material.
- Project Management, 4%
Project Management - ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/ Organizational Excellence - Coaching - Management of Metrics
- FDA, 4%
Supported production in validating production processes, achieving FDA facility certification, and resolving process issues.
- Quality Standards, 4%
Supervised and guided vendor quality managers to establish quality standards as per industry and market requirement.
- Corrective Action, 4%
Oversee quality investigations in manufacturing and quality control to ensure identification of a root cause and implementation of appropriate corrective action.
Most senior quality managers use their skills in "continuous improvement," "oversight," and "project management" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential senior quality manager responsibilities here:
Interpersonal skills. The most essential soft skill for a senior quality manager to carry out their responsibilities is interpersonal skills. This skill is important for the role because "industrial production managers must have excellent communication skills to work well other managers and with staff." Additionally, a senior quality manager resume shows how their duties depend on interpersonal skills: "demonstrate proven leadership ability and excellent interpersonal skills while mentoring and teaching the team effective problem solving. "
Leadership skills. Many senior quality manager duties rely on leadership skills. "to keep the production process running smoothly, industrial production managers must motivate and direct employees.," so a senior quality manager will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways senior quality manager responsibilities rely on leadership skills: "subject matter expert (sme) for wirelines service assurance supporting 350 cs&o; universal service executives and their leadership. "
Problem-solving skills. This is an important skill for senior quality managers to perform their duties. For an example of how senior quality manager responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "production managers must identify and address problems that arise." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a senior quality manager: "performed 2nd level reliability calculations and failure analysis of ceramic flip-chip package solutions. ".
The three companies that hire the most senior quality managers are:
- Bristol-Myers Squibb24 senior quality managers jobs
- Pwc16 senior quality managers jobs
- Toro14 senior quality managers jobs
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Compare different senior quality managers
Senior quality manager vs. Quality assurance specialist
A quality assurance specialist is an individual who is responsible for monitoring, inspecting, and proposing measures to correct and improve a company's product. Quality assurance specialists need to outline quality assurance policies and procedures, making sure that quality standards are assured. It is important that a quality assurance specialist should have strong attention to detail and is excellent in data collection. This work may require a minimum of bachelor's degree and certification to get certified.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between senior quality managers and quality assurance specialist. For instance, senior quality manager responsibilities require skills such as "oversight," "project management," "quality management system," and "lean six sigma." Whereas a quality assurance specialist is skilled in "patients," "management system," "qc," and "powerpoint." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Quality assurance specialists tend to make the most money working in the pharmaceutical industry, where they earn an average salary of $76,157. In contrast, senior quality managers make the biggest average salary, $147,378, in the professional industry.On average, quality assurance specialists reach lower levels of education than senior quality managers. Quality assurance specialists are 10.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Senior quality manager vs. Quality specialist
Quality control senior scientists ensure that testing, materials, and laboratory equipment are up to standard. In the course of their career, they can expect to perform tests for the quality of manufacturing processes in order to ensure compliance with predetermined criteria, as well as ensuring that final products are safe for sale or distribution. This is a career that requires the skills of teamwork, communication, writing, and prioritization. Also, good attention to detail and some technical skills will be needed.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real senior quality manager resumes. While senior quality manager responsibilities can utilize skills like "oversight," "project management," "quality management system," and "quality engineering," quality specialists use skills like "customer service," "data analysis," "management system," and "center management."
On average, quality specialists earn a lower salary than senior quality managers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, quality specialists earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $64,103. Whereas senior quality managers have higher pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $147,378.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Quality specialists tend to reach lower levels of education than senior quality managers. In fact, they're 10.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Senior quality manager vs. Quality control supervisor
A quality control supervisor specializes in carrying out and implementing systems and procedures that ensure product quality within an organization. They are primarily responsible for devising priorities and standards, managing schedules to abide by the production timeline, monitoring activities, coordinating with production and quality control personnel, assessing employee performance, and thoroughly discussing new systems for all staff. There are also instances when a quality control supervisor must perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports and assessments, responding to calls and correspondence, even disseminating notices.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, senior quality managers are more likely to have skills like "oversight," "project management," "quality management system," and "lean six sigma." But a quality control supervisor is more likely to have skills like "safety procedures," "lab equipment," "hplc," and "process control."
Quality control supervisors earn the highest salary when working in the pharmaceutical industry, where they receive an average salary of $74,165. Comparatively, senior quality managers have the highest earning potential in the professional industry, with an average salary of $147,378.quality control supervisors typically earn lower educational levels compared to senior quality managers. Specifically, they're 14.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Senior quality manager vs. Quality assurance supervisor
A quality assurance supervisor oversees and leads the quality control operations within a manufacturing plant or similar establishment. They are primarily responsible for crafting and implementing policies that prioritize the efficiency of products or services, supervising and evaluating the performances of the workforce, and setting standards and procedures that align not just with the goals of the company, but the national and international level of production standards. Furthermore, as a supervisor in the field, it is crucial to encourage and shape quality assurance workers into valuable members of the company.
Types of senior quality manager
Updated January 8, 2025
