The Leadership Skills of an Effective Quality Engineer

In organizations with highly complex systems, quality engineers have become essential to meeting the design and engineering specifications required to deliver high-quality products, experiences and systems to the end user.

Obviously, a great deal of technical skills are necessary to succeed as a quality engineer: testing for issues, analyzing information, automating parts of the testing workflow, process improvement, reporting research results, establishing methods and procedures — and the list goes on.

The people who excel as quality engineers are obsessed with details, as they understand that a small issue can lead to a significant problem if left unaddressed. Recognizing those tiny issues before they lead to a larger problem makes a quality engineer the first line of defense to ensuring a product or system functions as designed.

Beyond a strong set of technical skills, leadership skills distinguish a good quality engineer from an exceptional one.

Being a team player and working with everyone involved in the process ensures design and engineering specifications are understood and met. Interpreting regulations into effective, manageable processes, and training teams on those processes ensures the processes are executed flawlessly during audits. Additionally, coordinating a wide range of stakeholders and contributors ensures delivery of high quality products on time and within budget.

The ability to lead teams capable of understanding and resolving identified issues is a well-honed skill in any good quality engineer’s toolbox. A quality engineer can create a sense of purpose and pride in the maintenance of a quality program throughout an organization.

If you are a quality engineer with the right combination of technical and leadership skills and are interested in finding your next position, please create a free account with us and review current openings for quality engineers.