Quality manager Job Information | National Careers Service

The work

Quality managers are employed in most industries, from manufacturing to customer services. As a quality manager, you would make sure that companies meet recognised standards for the quality of the products or services they provide. You would be responsible for setting up quality assessment systems that make sure customer satisfaction is constantly maintained and improved.

Your job might focus on improving product quality, or streamlining working practices to improve productivity. Many companies also want to meet national and international quality standards in order to prove their competitiveness and win more business.

Your tasks might include:

• measuring performance against in-house and external standards
• reviewing existing policies and planning how to improve quality management systems (QMS)
• looking at any areas of weakness and recommending ways to improve
• inspecting and testing products and production processes
• making sure that policies and procedures meet national and international quality standards
• consulting with staff and working with training departments to put plans into effect
• reviewing and assessing the effectiveness of changes
• working closely with other managers and departments.

In the manufacturing industry, you might also manage a team of quality control technicians.

You would use various methods and software such as Total Quality Management (TQM), Lean Management or Six Sigma to analyse and improve quality or productivity.

Hours

In manufacturing you might work shifts covering seven days a week, but in most other types of company you would work standard office hours Monday to Friday.

You would be office-based, although in manufacturing you might spend some of your time checking work in a quality control lab or on a factory production line.

Income

• Salaries are usually between £22,000 and £50,000 a year, depending on the size of the organisation and level of responsibility
• Top salaries can reach £60,000 to £70,000.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

To become a quality manager, you will need proven experience in management or quality control in your industry.

You may have an advantage with a degree or postgraduate qualification in quality management or business studies. For certain industries, you might need a relevant degree such as engineering or production manufacturing.

In manufacturing, engineering or science, you could start as a quality control technician and work your way up to management as you gain experience. It may help your promotion prospects to study for a relevant BTEC HND or degree, or for professional exams from the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) or Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

Training and development

In most cases you would be expected to already have the knowledge and experience of your industry in order to manage quality to a high enough level. However, your employer may provide some training in company procedures, and some companies' graduate training schemes for new entrants may include experience of quality management work.

You may get the opportunity to gain a recognised professional qualification in quality management. These include:

• Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) Level 3 Certificate in Quality Management (for people new to quality management)
• CQI Level 5 qualifications, including the Certificate in Quality Improvement for Business, Certificate in Assuring Service and Product Quality, and the Diploma in Quality
• Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Diploma in Quality Management
• NVQ levels 2-5 in Business Improvement Techniques (available until April 2011) or the new NVQ Diplomas at levels 2 and 3 in Business Improvement Techniques.

See the CQI and CMI websites for more details about their qualifications.

You would find it useful to become familiar with the national and international quality standards that are relevant to your job, for example:

• ISO 9000 – the most widely recognised standard for Quality Management
• ISO 14001 – Environmental Management System (EMS) standards
• BS 7799 – Information Security Management System (ISMS) standards, for protecting a company's data and information.

For more information on standards and training, visit the British Standards Institution (BSI) website.

You may also find it useful to take short courses in quality management methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma.

You should keep your knowledge and skills up to date throughout your career. CQI offers a wide range of short courses in all areas of quality management to help you with this – see their website for details.

Skills and knowledge

• an analytical and logical approach
• strong spoken and written communication skills
• the ability to motivate staff
• good negotiating skills
• planning and project management skills
• IT and mathematical ability, for interpreting figures and statistics
• customer focus and good business sense
• familiarity with a range of quality standards and models
• relevant technical skills (in industries like engineering or manufacturing).

Skills and knowledge

Chartered Quality Institute
12 Grosvenor Crescent
London
SW1X 7EE
Tel: 020 7245 6722
www.thecqi.org

Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
Management House
Cottingham Road
Corby
Northants
NN17 1TT
Tel: 01536 204222
www.managers.org.uk

British Standards Institution (BSI)
389 Chiswick High Road
London
W4 4AL
www.bsigroup.co.uk

Opportunities

You could work for large companies or public sector organisations, or you might be employed by management consultancies to work with various clients. Fixed-term contract work for a particular project is common.

Jobs may be advertised in:

• local and national newspapers
• trade magazines and websites for your particular industry
• the CQI website (Knowledge Hub section)
• the CQI publication Quality World
• specialist recruitment agencies.

With experience you could move into senior management, or work as a freelance consultant.