Quality engineer

Description

Quality engineers define quality standards for the creation of products or services. They check to make sure the products and services are in compliance with the quality standards and they coordinate quality improvements.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to quality engineer:

software quality assurance engineer
software quality engineer
QS inspector
product inspector
senior quality engineer
QA inspector
customer quality engineer
product quality monitor
quality control inspector
QA engineer
junior quality engineer
supplier quality engineer
quality assurance inspector
quality inspector
quality systems engineer
quality assurance engineer

Minimum qualifications

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as quality engineer. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Quality engineer is a Skill level 4 occupation.

Quality engineer career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to quality engineer.

industrial quality manager
quality services manager
industrial production manager
calculation engineer
commissioning engineer

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of quality engineer. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of quality engineer with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of quality engineer.

Quality assurance procedures: The procedures to inspect a product or system to ensure that it is according to specifications and requirements.
Quality standards: The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.
Quality assurance methodologies: Quality assurance principles, standard requirements, and the set of processes and activities used for measuring, controlling and ensuring the quality of products and processes.
Test procedures: The methods for producing results in science or engineering, such as physical tests, chemical tests, or statistical tests.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of quality engineer.

Inspect quality of products: Use various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.
Perform risk analysis: Identify and assess factors that may jeopardise the success of a project or threaten the organisation’s functioning. Implement procedures to avoid or minimise their impact.
Set quality assurance objectives: Define quality assurance targets and procedures and see to their maintenance and continued improvement by reviewing targets, protocols, supplies, processes, equipment and technologies for quality standards.
Record test data: Record data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptional or unusual input.
Undertake inspections: Undertake safety inspections in areas of concern to identify and report potential hazards or security breaches; take measures to maximise safety standards.
Report test findings: Report test results with a focus on findings and recommendations, differentiating results by levels of severity. Include relevant information from the test plan and outline the test methodologies, using metrics, tables, and visual methods to clarify where needed.
Define quality standards: Define, in collaboration with managers and quality experts, a set of quality standards to ensure compliance with regulations and help achieve customers’ requirements.
Analyse test data: Interpret and analyse data collected during testing in order to formulate conclusions, new insights or solutions.
Identify process improvements: Identify possible improvements to operational and financial performance.
Recommend product improvements: Recomend product modifications and process improvements.
Support implementation of quality management systems: Advocate the introduction of new business processes to help achieve quality standards, such as the improvement of the organisational structure or the development of new procedures in case of quality defects.
Write inspection reports: Write the results and conclusions of the inspection in a clear and intelligible way. Log the inspection’s processes such as contact, outcome, and steps taken.
Identify improvement actions: Realise possible improvements for processes to increase productivity, improve efficiency, increase quality, and streamline procedures.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of quality engineer. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Communication: Exchanging and conveying information, ideas, concepts, thoughts, and feelings through the use of a shared system of words, signs, and semiotic rules via a medium.
Manufacturing processes: The steps required through which a material is transformed into a product, its development and full-scale manufacturing.
Audit techniques: The techniques and methods that support a systematic and independent examination of data, policies, operations and performances using computer-assisted audit tools and techniques (CAATs) such as spreadsheets, databases, statistical analysis and business intelligence software.
Non-destructive testing: The techniques used to assess the characteristics of materials, products and systems without causing damage, such as ultrasonic, radiographic, and remote visual inspection and testing.
Industrial engineering: The field of engineering concerned with the development, improvement, and implementation of complex processes and systems of knowledge, people, equipment, etc.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of quality engineer. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Perform pre-assembly quality checks: Inspect product parts for faults or damages, using testing equipment if necessary, and check that the received lot is complete before assembling the finished products.
Use a computer: Utilise computer equipment or digital devices to facilitate quality control, data management, and communication. Follow instructions given by a computer programme, create computer files or documents.
Ensure compliance with legal requirements: Guarantee compliance with established and applicable standards and legal requirements such as specifications, policies, standards or law for the goal that organisations aspire to achieve in their efforts.
Manage budgets: Plan, monitor and report on the budget.
Define manufacturing quality criteria: Define and describe the criteria by which data quality is measured for manufacturing purposes, such as international standards and manufacturing regulations.
Ensure compliance with company regulations: Guarantee that employees’ activities follow company regulations, as implemented through client and corporate guidelines, directives, policies and programmes.
Check quality of products on the production line: Check products for quality on the production line and remove defective items before and after packaging.
Oversee quality control: Monitor and assure the quality of the provided goods or services by overseeing that all the factors of the production meet quality requirements. Supervise product inspection and testing.
Communicate test results to other departments: Communicate testing information such as testing schedules, samples testing statistics and test results, to the relevant departments.
Maintain test equipment: Maintain equipment used for testing the quality of systems and products.
Check quality of raw materials: Check the quality of basic materials used for the production of semi-finished and finished goods by assessing some of its characteristics and, if needed, select samples to be analysed.
Use measurement instruments: Use different measurement instruments depending on the property to be measured. Utilise various instruments to measure length, area, volume, speed, energy, force, and others.
Perform project management: Manage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project’s progress in order to achieve a specific goal within a set time and budget.
Train employees: Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.
Lead inspections: Lead inspections and the protocol involved, such as introducing the inspection team, explaining the purpose of the inspection, performing the inspection, requesting documents, asking appropriate questions, and maintaining a high level of professionalism when investigating subjects.

ISCO group and title

2149 – Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified

 

 


 

 

References
  1. Quality engineer – ESCO
Last updated on August 8, 2022