Quality Engineer Job Description: Skills and Salary

What is a Quality Engineering job?

Engineering is that segment that makes sure the creation of a product follows a process that adheres to a set of protocols defined by mandatory standards that ensures that the outcome is replicated in all instances. Quality engineers are one of the most crucial cogs in the well-oiled machine of engineering and product manufacturing, be it software-related or manufacturing-related. A quality engineering job entails drafting and executing a strategic plan to maximise production that is aimed at improving the business process and workflow. Some organisations also float the role of Quality Assurance Engineer.

Today, quality engineers have highly sought after. This subtly implies one has to possess at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering. A lot of big names in the game now prefer candidates with a master degree. An essential requirement for a quality engineering job is a strong analytical and problem-solving mindset.

What does a Quality Engineer do?

Quality Engineers are responsible for setting up a production pipeline for manufacturing products that are bereft of malfunctions. This also means quality engineering job roles are involved in the product’s actual making to ensure all potential issues are eliminated at the grassroots level.

A quality engineer works alongside the quality control team to set standards and protocols to be adhered to through the entire process. This also implies planning out strategies to minimise costs and drive up output. Quality engineers are responsible for generating reports that highlight issues related to the process so as to find a viable solution that eliminates these issues.  

Quality Engineering Job types

Every field has a robust team that always has a quality engineering job vacancy. Regardless of the specialisation, the core responsibilities of a quality engineer remain the same. There are a lot of fields to choose from, some of which are:

• Software
• Manufacturing
• Industrial
• Construction
• Telecommunication
• Food and Beverage
• Automation
• Medical and pharma
• Energy
• Aviation

Quality Engineer job duties include:

One of the foremost roles in the entire process, a quality engineer drafts quality standards, designs the process workflow, categorises product and product components, drafts process control strategies, and plans corrective and preventive action protocols. 

Some of the roles and responsibilities of a quality engineer entail

• Designing process workflows 
• Creating corrective and preventive action plans
• Understanding and categorising product components to ensure a flawless pipeline.
• Design verification and establishment.
• Implementation of a QMS (Quality Management System). QMS systems vary across organisations.
• Identifying attrition points throughout the process.

Job brief for a Quality Engineer.

A Quality Engineer’s duties include setting up a quality assurance system that is all-inclusive of identifying and briefing the team on measures and protocols to prevent potential issues and corrective measures identified during the process so that the product that reaches the customer is void of flaws, hence making it a successful experience for the customer and the manufacturer.

Candidates who display an affinity towards the following points are a green light in any organisation’s books floating a quality engineering job role.

• Problem-solving skills.
• Strong analytical sense to predict and identify potential roadblocks and problems.
• Strong technical background in the relevant field.
• Work and collaborate with relevant departments to identify potential potholes.
• Develop strategies to minimise cost and maximise efficiency.
• Ensure set standards are met, so there are no anomalies in the end product.
• Set up process protocols to ensure end products are consistent.

Responsibilities of a Quality Engineer

• Develop and implement methods to analyse end-product quality.
• Identify issues and flaws with current models and processes and recommend changes to the relevant department.
• Collaborate with relevant departments to improve the end product quality.
• Pitch ideas to come up with solutions to potential problems.
• Draft strategies to increase productivity and maximise output.
• Documentation and report generation. These reports educate relevant departments of current issues in pipelines, workflows, or prelim product releases.
• Set up a consistent pipeline to ensure adherence and conformity to set standards and protocols.

Average Salary for a Quality Engineer

The average salary for a quality engineer in Singapore is approximately SGD 50,000 to SGD 90,000 per annum, depending on factors such as experience, industry, and the company. 

Industry-wise Comparison

Experience-wise Comparison

Top Companies Comparison

The data indicates that salaries for quality engineers in Singapore are competitive and can vary based on the industry and experience level. The IT services and manufacturing sectors typically offer higher salaries compared to other industries.

Quality Engineer Key Skills 

• Spontaneous, yet calculated in approach.
• Acute sense of strategic planning.
• Strong technical background in order to identify issues within the bracket of the context of the field.
• Strong computer skills.
• Strong communication skills.
• Resilient and unwavering in adverse situations.
• Strong mathematical acumen.
• Attention to detail.
• Critical and logical thinking.
• Time management and time adherence.

The key skills point out to one common thread: The candidate must have a strong awareness of the field he or she is getting into. Without strong technical knowledge, it is uncommon for organisations to hire someone with little to no knowledge, no less for a quality engineering job role.

Why pursue a career in Quality engineering?

Quality engineering jobs are considered a torchbearer career choice as quality engineers are the ones who set up boot camps in terms of the development and maintenance of quality standards across any discipline of engineering. Quality engineers are sought after as they understand the process and the product considering they themselves must have had a proper education in that relevant discipline. Quality engineers develop, implement, and maintain quality protocols and systems that monitor, measure, and control the ultimate product quality. And to reach the point of a flawless product, a flawless process is a must. And quality engineers take ownership of maintaining these quality protocols during the actual process as well. 

More often than not, quality engineers determine parameters to set up an appropriate line of testing. And because quality engineering jobs are involved in the end-to-end aspects of a business, identifying issues enables the organisation, on the whole, to control and eliminate potential roadblocks, including major renovations like product changes, so that customer expectations and requirements are exceeded.

Quality engineering is a very demanding job role, and people with drive and passion have always found their niche here. Considering how many parallels a quality engineer works with, growth is exponential and lucrative in the long run. In short, it is heterogeneous as a role focused on various parameters building towards a singular goal: flawless output.

How to become a Quality engineer?

A quality engineering job can only be achieved by earning a degree in a relevant stream.

The following points are added perks for any organisation to consider a potential candidate for the role of a quality engineer. 

• A Master degree in a relevant stream.
• Experience in the relevant industry is an added bonus. This is not to say organisations do not hire freshers.
• An external certification goes a long way.
• In-depth understanding of the product and process.
• Ability to work in a team-based setting.
• Versatile and adaptive.
• Strong analytical skills that tend to create corrective and preventive measures, including contingency plans and damage control.

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