Head of Quality
The Head of Quality is responsible for development a quality strategy that addresses all phases of product development, as well as governance frameworks for managing quality and test automation. He/She reviews quality management policies and standards to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and international standards. He defines the approaches and procedures in the identification, selection and assessment of quality standards for adoption, documentation for test reporting, and review of quality standards. He provides technical inputs on approaches and conduct of quality testing, and recommend solutions to resolve significant quality lapses. He also reviews quality test reports and outcomes to approve product. He works in a team setting and is proficient in programming languages required by the organisation. He is familiar with international quality standards and processes, as well as applicable test automation tools. The Head of Quality manages the quality of infocomm technology products from end to end, he is able to readily integrate and apply knowledge from multiple disciplines. He is able to develop innovative and effective solutions to issues encountered, communicate his plans and advice in a clear and compelling manner that inspires action.
What Does a Head of Quality Do?
Key Responsibilities & Tasks
Manage the organisation’s quality strategy
- Formulate quality strategies to address all phases of product development
- Develop governance frameworks for managing quality and test automation
- Review quality management policies and standards to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and international standards
- Drive the application of new technologies, compliance and security standards
- Act as the organisation’s advocate for quality and excellence
- Anticipate new quality tests required based on organisational strategy and product development trends
- Develop roadmaps for the implementation of Agile methodologies and practices in a quality testing function
Develop quality standards
- Define the approach and procedures in the identification, selection and assessment of quality standards for implementation
- Advise on the selection of quality standards to ensure quality of outputs at each stage of the process
- Align quality standards with best practices, industry standards and organisational goals
- Establish processes and mechanisms to inspect and report quality issues
- Develop policies and procedures for documentation of end-user experience
- Formulate the approach to review and enhance organisational quality standards
- Approve new solutions, best practices, design approaches and technologies in quality management
Perform quality testing
- Lead the design and implementation of quality and quality assurance testing frameworks, procedures, test infrastructure and tools
- Oversee the execution of quality and quality assurance testing including end-user experience tests
- Provide technical inputs on approaches and conduct of quality testing
- Advise on recommend solutions to resolve significant quality lapses
- Drive the achievement of higher quality standards
- Evaluate outcomes of quality test reports to determine product approval
- Advise on the development of automated test cases and codes for applicable types of quality tests
- Develop guidelines on the selection of quality tests to automate and the implementation of automated quality tests
Optimise quality processes
- Drive continuous improvement in quality and quality assurance testing processes
- Develop sustainable quality and quality assurance testing processes
- Endorse improvements to optimise quality and quality assurance testing processes
- Establish quality improvement programs to detect, address and prevent quality issues in processes
- Secure buy-in for new investments in quality and quality assurance testing tools to enhance testing performance
Manage people and organisation
- Review operational strategies, policies and targets across teams and projects
- Develop strategies for resource planning and utilisation
- Review the utilisation of resources
- Oversee the development of learning roadmaps for teams and functions
- Establish performance indicators to benchmark effectiveness of learning and development programmes against best practices
- Implement succession planning initiatives for key management positions
- Establish roles and responsibility of the quality testing function in an Agile environment
Do You Have the Skills for This Role?
A Head of Quality needs 4 core competencies. Here's what's required and at what level.
Must-Have Skills (Advanced)
Developing People
AdvancedInteracting with Others
Decision Making
AdvancedThinking Critically
Supporting Skills
Customer Orientation
IntermediateInteracting with Others
Creative Thinking
IntermediateThinking Critically
SkillsFuture Skill Levels
3 levelsBasic
Recognise and understand fundamental concepts. Apply skills in routine situations with guidance.
Intermediate
Apply skills in varied situations independently. Analyse problems and adapt approaches as needed.
Advanced
Lead and innovate in complex situations. Evaluate strategies, guide teams, and drive improvements.
Technical Skills & Competencies (TSC) Levels
6 levelsFollow
Carry out routine tasks under close supervision. Follow established procedures and guidelines.
Assist
Perform tasks with some independence. Assist in non-routine situations and apply established techniques.
Apply
Apply skills and knowledge independently in varied situations. Analyse problems and adapt approaches.
Analyse
Analyse complex situations and develop solutions. Guide and mentor junior colleagues.
Strategise
Set strategic direction and drive innovation. Evaluate trade-offs and make high-impact decisions.
Transform
Lead industry transformation. Establish standards, shape policy, and provide expert advisory.
Technical Skills & Competencies
A Head of Quality requires 26 technical skills at specific proficiency levels.
Learning and Development
Level 6People Development
Mentor successors, support organisational learning and develop and engage employees to develop a strong organisational base
Quality Standards
Level 6Governance and Compliance
Review organisation’s quality guidelines against emerging trends and industry best practices, ensuring alignment with company values and objectives
Software Design
Level 6Design and Architecture
Inspire new and innovative software design ideas, and align design principles and parameters with current and future needs
Agile Software Development
Level 5Development and Implementation
Lead Agile software development processes and ensure end-to-end management of processes for seamless development, deployment and delivery of software applications
Applications Development
Level 5Development and Implementation
Lead large-scale or business-critical application development projects and explore the incorporation of analytics and advanced capabilities to enhance the application
Budgeting
Level 5Business Finance
Develop long-term financial plans and budget requirements
Business Agility
Level 5Business and Project Management
Adapt overall processes and create a working environment of business agility
Business Needs Analysis
Level 5Business and Project Management
Lead comprehensive analysis to understand underlying drivers and present a compelling business case for proposed IT solutions
Business Performance Management
Level 5General Management
Formulate organisational performance systems and key performance indicators in alignment with organisation’s vision, mission and values
Failure Analysis
Level 5Development and Implementation
Initiate failure analysis projects to improve organisation’s objectives
Manpower Planning
Level 5Business and Project Management
Formulate organisational manpower plans to bridge gaps between manpower demand and supply based on current and projected needs of the organisation
Networking
Level 5Business Development
Implementing strategies to capitalise on new business opportunities
Partnership Management
Level 5Stakeholder and Contract Management
Evaluate and drive inter-organisational initiatives, and negotiate strategic information exchange with key partners
People and Performance Management
Level 5People Development
Establish organisation-wide performance management strategies
Performance Management
Level 5Operations and User Support
Evaluate and integrate new mechanisms and technology, and leverage analytics to optimise performance data, and determine implications of performance levels reported
Product Management
Level 5Business and Project Management
Anticipate future industry trends, and define the product incubation strategy and business model
Problem Management
Level 5Operations and User Support
Establish problem management strategies, protocols, and mechanisms to guide the prevention, resolution and minimisation of problems and their effects
Process Improvement and Optimisation
Level 5Business and Project Management
Devise strategies for the adoption of improvements and optimisation of processes
Process Validation
Level 5Development and Implementation
Formulate process validation strategies to ensure quality integrated systems across the manufacturing process chain
Project Management
Level 5Business and Project Management
Lead end-to-end management of large programmes or multiple projects concurrently, coordinating project interdependencies
Quality Assurance
Level 5Development and Implementation
Establish quality benchmark standards and drive organisational commitment to ongoing quality through regular review of Quality Assurance (QA) audit results
Quality Engineering
Level 5Development and Implementation
Develop quality-related infrastructure and practices, as well as new techniques, tools and control systems, to drive high quality products and processes
Stakeholder Management
Level 5Stakeholder and Contract Management
Define a strategic stakeholder management roadmap, and lead critical discussions and negotiations, addressing escalated issues or problems encountered
Strategy Planning
Level 5Business and Project Management
Formulate the strategies and policies that are forward- looking and focuses on bottom line results
Test Planning
Level 5Development and Implementation
Develop a test strategy, and establish testing policies, guidelines and metrics according to internal and external standards
Software Testing
Level 4Development and Implementation
Define the testing objectives and criteria for success and oversee the testing and follow up processes for software products
European Skills Framework
ESCOSkills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential
Optional
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