Director of QA job description.

What does a director of QA do?

 

The director of QA leads the entire quality function across an organisation, shaping how products are tested, monitored, and released at scale. They define long-term testing strategy, implement quality frameworks, and report on risk, compliance, and system stability at leadership level.

 

They manage managers or team leads, align with engineering and product leadership, and ensure that quality processes support both speed and reliability. They often own test infrastructure budgets and vendor decisions.

 

In tech-first companies, they help scale automated testing across complex systems. In traditional or enterprise settings, they focus on team structure, governance, and aligning QA with broader delivery processes.

 

Key responsibilities of a director of QA.

 

The director of QA leads enterprise-wide quality assurance strategy and performance. Their responsibilities often include:

• Setting the strategic direction for QA across departments or regions

• Leading senior QA teams across engineering, DevOps, and product functions

• Establishing scalable test automation and performance testing systems

• Partnering with technology leadership on release and platform quality

• Driving operational metrics for test coverage, velocity, and reliability

• Overseeing vendor relationships and QA budget allocation

• Ensuring adherence to regulatory and compliance frameworks

• Representing quality standards at executive or board level

• Hiring, mentoring, and developing senior QA talent

• Building a culture of quality and test-first thinking across the organisation

This role blends leadership, technical insight, and operational scale in software quality.

 

Skills and requirements for a director of QA.

 

Directors of QA lead vision, strategy, and structure for product quality. Employers typically look for:

• 10+ years of experience in QA, software engineering, or test automation

• Track record building and scaling QA functions in growing organisations

• Strong leadership and operational skills

• Experience managing cross-functional or multi-site QA teams

• Ability to define and evolve QA practices, tooling, and frameworks

• Skilled in performance management, hiring, and organisational growth

• Deep understanding of test automation, CI/CD, and quality metrics

• Experience with compliance, risk, or security testing protocols

• Confidence working with C-suite, product, and engineering leadership

Most directors of QA ensure quality practices evolve with product complexity.

 

Average salary for a director of QA.

 

In the UK, the average salary for a director of QA typically ranges from £80,000 to £120,000, based on enterprise system ownership and leadership scale.

• Mid-level QA directors earn between £80,000 and £100,000

• Senior directors responsible for global QA operations may earn between £101,000 and £120,000

• Strategic oversight of engineering quality and risk management often leads to bonus incentives

These roles are highly paid in regulated industries, such as healthtech, banking, and government platforms.

 

Career progression for a director of QA.

 

A director of QA is responsible for quality assurance strategy and governance at an organisational level. This is a senior leadership role with influence over delivery, engineering, and customer experience. A common path includes:

 

QA engineer / analyst

 

Focuses on execution and delivery of manual or automated tests.

 

QA lead / automation lead

 

Manages coverage, reporting, and test strategy for features and releases.

 

QA manager

 

Leads teams and ensures QA standards are met across functions.

 

Director of QA

 

Owns the QA vision and quality culture. Reports at senior leadership level and defines enterprise-wide QA strategy.

 

VP engineering / CXO 

 

May evolve into broader roles like VP of engineering or chief experience officer, with quality as a foundational pillar.