QA manager job description.

What does a QA manager do?

 

A QA manager oversees the quality assurance process across a product, team, or organisation. They define standards, manage testing tools and environments, and lead teams of testers or engineers to ensure smooth, consistent releases.

 

Responsibilities include creating QA roadmaps, reviewing metrics like bug rates or coverage, managing test automation strategies, and collaborating with cross-functional leads. They also handle hiring and team development.

 

In startups or scale-ups, they often build the QA function from scratch. In established organisations, they’re expected to improve QA maturity and align testing with business goals and delivery pipelines.

 

Key responsibilities of a QA manager.

 

QA managers oversee the broader quality assurance function, ensuring process efficiency and product reliability. Their responsibilities typically include:

• Defining QA vision, strategy, and process improvements

• Managing QA teams across automation and manual functions

• Establishing test frameworks and quality standards for product releases

• Collaborating with engineering, product, and DevOps leaders

• Monitoring test execution, coverage, and bug trends

• Overseeing test tool selection, implementation, and maintenance

• Reporting on QA KPIs, including defect density and release quality

• Driving automation initiatives across teams and platforms

• Supporting compliance, security testing, and audit readiness

• Aligning QA workflows with Agile and DevOps methodologies

This role combines people leadership, process ownership, and quality governance.

 

Skills and requirements for a QA manager.

 

QA managers oversee team performance, quality processes, and tools. Employers typically look for:

• 6–10 years of experience in software testing or QA leadership

• Experience managing QA teams and mentoring engineers

• Strong background in manual and automated testing

• Confidence owning test strategy, tooling decisions, and processes

• Ability to report on QA KPIs and product readiness

• Skilled in resource planning, budgeting, and stakeholder communication

• Understanding of release cycles, DevOps, and CI/CD workflows

• Experience managing test coverage across multiple teams or products

• Familiarity with compliance or regulatory testing if applicable

Most QA managers report to engineering or product leadership, scaling quality efforts.

 

Average salary for a QA manager.

 

In the UK, the average salary for a QA manager typically ranges from £50,000 to £70,000, depending on engineering collaboration, test coverage leadership, and business impact.

• Mid-level QA managers typically earn between £50,000 and £60,000

• Senior QA managers running cross-functional or global testing teams may earn between £61,000 and £70,000

• Some roles offer performance bonuses tied to uptime, defect resolution, or platform health

London-based roles in SaaS, medtech, and finance platforms offer the highest packages.

 

Career progression for a QA manager.

 

A QA manager leads testing operations, ensuring high-quality releases across the business. The role blends people leadership, process governance, and cross-functional alignment. A typical career path includes:

 

QA analyst / engineer

 

Executes and automates tests. Works with developers to improve quality output.

 

QA lead

 

Manages individual projects and QA delivery. Owns reporting and team coordination.

 

QA manager

 

Leads a team of QA professionals. Defines process, resource planning, and defect management KPIs.

 

Director of QA / head of test

 

Owns quality across products or business units. Aligns with engineering and leadership to drive excellence.

 

VP engineering / CTO

 

Expands into broader engineering oversight, often bringing a quality-first approach to delivery.