Quality Assurance

In a world that grows more and more connected every day, and therefore, more homogeneous, it is necessary to establish proper conditions so that everyone, regardless of the part of the world they are in, can enjoy (and expect) the same level of high-quality products. For this, it is necessary not only to have the best quality on the development of the said product, but on the operations of the company that manufactures them as well. 

What is Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance is a job title that has grown noticeably during the past years. In an environment that continues getting more and more regulated, it is necessary to have a professional that ensures that the company, and the products, meet established criteria, set by different stakeholders.

What does a QA engineer do? A day in the life of a QA engineer

A Quality Assurance Engineering professional ensures that products meet both company and regulatory standards. They are also responsible for assessing specifications and technical documents; QA Specialists get involved with other departments of the company, as well as customers, on quality-related issues. 

QA Specialists also proactively identify problems during project execution and suggest solutions as part of a continuous improvement program. They also identify and collect data, for further analysis with the rest of the company. The QA Specialist’s responsibility also includes designing and implementing tests/checks and defining corrective actions.

A Quality Assurance specialist may work overseeing production (Manufacturing Quality/Process Quality Engineering), Product Development (Design Quality), supplier performance (Supplier Quality), in a lab (Quality Technician), auditing, risk management, Statistical Process Control, software testing, among many other crossover tasks. It would be hard to describe a typical day for a QA Specialist, as the tasks vary greatly between each specialty. However, it is all done with one thing in mind: achieving the highest quality possible by fixing issues in time, all while doing appropriate resource management. 

How much does a QA engineer earn?

As a fresh QA Specialist, the starting salary is around 87,000 CHF, considering the candidate has little experience in the field. However, this salary can increase quickly, depending on the training and tasks the professional undertakes. It is normally not required for the candidate to have previous certifications (although useful) since the needs can vary greatly depending on the company. 

Top skills needed

To get into this career field and be successful, it is necessary to at least have a bachelor’s degree in engineering. Software skills, methodology and analytical skills are also a must. It is a plus to have already an insight into the type of industry, or the product it produces. A big variety of Quality Engineering certifications is also available, should the QA specialist wish to advance his career. 

Attention to detail, communication skills and team working skills are also very valuable – it is very important to remember that not only one must be able to identify issues, but to be able to properly communicate them as well!