Quality Director

This profile displays a summary of the competence of a typical Quality Director. It describes the typical tier of competence for each of the 18 components of the Profession Map across the five elements of Context, Governance, Assurance, Improvement, Leadership.

Click on the component label (CA, CB etc) to view the detailed description of each component of competence.

CA4: Customers and the market place

You can lead, develop or advise on approaches used to review, scan and forecast for sector trends, changes, risks and opportunities

You can lead, develop or advise on methods for using knowledge of customers and the marketplace to sustain and improve quality

CB4: Legal and regulatory requirements and voluntary standards

You can lead, develop or advise on which standards and regulations are applied and establish responsibilities for fulfilling their requirements

You can develop or lead a culture that welcomes openness, learning and improvement in relation to compliance

You can lead, develop or advise on risk management activities relating to achieving the requirements of standards and regulations

CC4: Partners and suppliers

You can lead, develop or advise on the activities undertaken to select, manage, measure and improve supply chain quality management in order to meet the requirements of the organisation, customers and stakeholders

You can lead, develop or advise on the activities undertaken to identify, analyse and understand societal requirements, and use the information to sustain and improve quality

CD4: The structure and identity of the organisation

You can co-ordinate quality management activities with the organisation’s mission, vision, values, culture and ethics

You can align quality plans and activities with the organisation’s goals and objectives

You can recognise and address opportunities to build competence for quality within the team or function

You can understand and use the frameworks established within the organisation to identify, assess and prioritise risks and opportunities

GA4: Developing and delivering strategies, policies and plans

You can understand the structure of the management system and how it is used

You can explain how your role contributes to the achievement of quality strategies, policies and plans

You can interpret reported information to understand performance and progress

You can recognise and escalate risks or opportunities affecting the achievement of plans

You can share key information about quality strategies, policies and plans with your colleagues

GB4: Developing and consistently delivering products and services

You can lead, develop or advise on the quality measures for products and services, aligned with the expectations of the organisation, customers and stakeholders

You can lead, develop or advise on risk management activities relating to the development and consistent delivery of products and services

You can lead, develop or advise on the design of methods for monitoring and assuring product and service quality

GC4: Developing and delivering processes and projects

You can construct a simple flowchart to represent the current state process

You can identify waste in a process

You can understand the impact of variation on processes and process results

You can understand the importance of placing the customer at the centre of process design

You can understand the principles of project management and how they are applied within the organisation

You can recognise and escalate risks or opportunities affecting processes and projects

AA4: Providing confidence that requirements can be satisfied

You can guide the formulation of controls and the system of controls used within the organisation, considering a range of factors, including risk and innovation

You can develop, managed and evaluate the organisation’s assurance approaches

You can manage risk assessment activities and assess the impact and effectiveness of assurance methods in relation to risk

You can influence stakeholders and colleagues from multiple business areas about the purpose and value of assurance and their role in assuring quality and developing a culture of openness and trust

AB4: Monitoring and measuring for assurance

You can lead, develop or advise on the design and use of tools, techniques and technologies for monitoring and measurement and build capability and understanding in the organisation

You can lead, develop or advise on data analytics and how the outputs are used by the organisation

You can lead, develop or advise on systems for comparing and contextualising performance

You can lead, develop or advise on the use of Cost of Quality measures to make decisions

AC4: Assessing and auditing for assurance

You can motivate and engage senior management in auditing, assessment and assurance processes

You can develop a framework of assurance activities that is appropriate to the scale and complexity of the organisation and its risks

You can identify and address issues which compromise the objectivity of auditing, assessment and assurance activities

AD4: Reporting and addressing assurance findings

You can develop or lead a blame free, learning culture

You can explain the implications of assurance outcomes for the organisation, its customers and stakeholders

You can lead, develop or advise on the translation of assurance outcomes into decisions and actions

IA2: Delivering sustainable improvement

You can define problems, performance gaps and improvement opportunities clearly

You can contribute to problem-solving or improvement activities

You can apply improvement tools and techniques as part of an improvement team

You understand the principles and benefits of teamwork and can work in a team

You can understand the elements that create a continuous improvement culture

IB3: Managing Change

You can establish a clear vision for change and how processes and ways of working will need to be adjusted after implementation

You can adopt a structured and systematic approach to change management

You can assess responses to change and manage resistance that is overt, implicit or immediate

You can establish methods for monitoring and controlling new practices to sustain the benefits of change

You can assess the impact, efficiency and effectiveness of approaches used to manage risks and opportunities relating to the management of change

IC3: Innovating and creating opportunities

You can understand the concept of innovation and the importance of ideas and innovation to the organisation

You can contribute ideas and opportunitiesfor innovation within the team

You can understand the principles of agility and resilience and how they relate to improvement and innovation

You can understand the relationship between innovation and risk

LA3: Being the 'Quality Conscience'

You act as a champion for quality within your team, speaking up about quality issues and opportunities with clarity and conviction.

You consider and support the interests of customers and stakeholders in your work.

You value and explore improvements, new concepts and ideas.

LB4: Demonstrating a quality approach

You apply systems thinking to support effective quality outcomes for the organisation as a whole and encourage others to do the same.

You apply and are an advocate for fact-based thinking, and a balanced, holistic approach to decision making.

You seek to prevent failure by “building quality in”, considering medium and long-term implications and uncertainties within your plans and those of others

LC4: Working as a quality facilitator

You share knowledge and learning and enable growth in others through coaching and feedback.

You motivate others to take accountability for (and be proud of) achieving quality goals and improving performance.

You create opportunities for effective collaborative working, and visibly lead this across the organisation and with its stakeholders

LD4: Acting as a quality role model

You set the standard for those around you to apply honesty and authenticity to all aspects of their work, and create an environment which enables this, providing support, feedback and coaching to others.

Quality Director - Profile Download

FAQ

What does each Tier mean?

Each tier represents a distinct level of competence as defined by The Profession Map , ranging from foundational to advanced capabilities. For instance, a Tier 1 indicates a developing level of knowledge and skills, while Tier 4 reflects advanced competence often seen in senior professionals subject matter specialists, and those in advisory and consulting roles. Each tier is aligned with specific responsibilities, functions and expectations within quality, helping professionals assess where they stand and where they can grow.

Refer to https://www.quality.org/the-profession-map/frequently-asked-questions for specific definitions of each tier.

How did we determine the appropriate tier of competence for each typical role profile?

Each profile was created using a combination of self-assessment data and rigorous statistical analysis. The data provided by quality professionals in specific roles helped identify the mode –the most commonly identified tier of competence – for each component of The Profession Map. This approach ensures that the tier assigned to each component within a profile accurately reflects the competence typically found in that role.

How have you ensured that the profiles are an accurate representation of the typical competence of a quality professional in each role?

The profiles are based on self-assessment data from a representative sample of quality professionals in each role. Extensive statistical testing was conducted to verify the reliability of each component of each profile, and confidence intervals were used to account for possible variations within the sample.

Each profile was tested and verified by a Project Guidance Panel of quality professionals.

Why is my role missing from the Career Pathways Map?

The Career Pathways Map currently includes a selection of roles that represent the most common roles within the quality profession, based on CQI membership data. If your specific role title is missing, it may be due to its lower frequency among members or because it overlaps with another listed role. We plan to expand the map as more data becomes available, ensuring broader representation in the future.

Where do I direct any general enquiries about Typical Competence Profiles?

Please email [email protected].

More FAQs

Click here for our dedicated FAQ page, containing answers to our most commonly asked questions

What is a quality director?

A typical Quality Director plays a pivotal strategic role within an organisation, aligning quality management with business objectives to drive both compliance and performance. They develop and execute quality strategies that enhance process efficiency and predictability, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Collaborating with senior leadership, the Quality Director ensures that quality practices are integrated across all operations, influencing change and helping shape the company’s long-term direction.

A key part of their role involves guiding the quality team and acting as a bridge between senior management, stakeholders, and regulators. By embedding quality at the core of the business, they drive operational excellence, mitigate risks, and contribute to the organisation's strategic success.

Job titles

Job titles associated with the role Quality Director include but are not limited to:

Compliance Director
Technical Director
Qualified Person
Associate Director
Director of Management Systems (HSEQ) and Human Resources
Quality Assurance / Project Director
Managing Director
HSEQ Director
Director of Continuous Improvement
Quality and Client Advocacy Director

Activities

Typical Activities undertaken by quality directors may include but are not limited to:

Influencing the organisation to accept and adopt quality practices and common ways of working
Developing and executing quality and business strategies
Facilitating collaboration
Improving the predictability and efficiency of processes and services
Providing guidance to the board and chairperson
Acting as change agent to drive a continuous improvement culture
Interfacing with senior management, plant quality and other functional managers, customers, and suppliers to lead and manage quality and quality improvement programs
Managing the company's business operations and ensuring company corporate policies/legal guidelines are maintained
Establishing systems to ensure the requirements of regulators can be met
Leading and developing the quality team

Quality Coordinator Quality Engineer Quality Manager HSEQ Manager Lead Auditor Pathway Overview