Quality engineering is a field that specialises in ensuring that products or services meet certain quality standards. It is an essential part of manufacturing, production, and other industries where quality control is crucial. Quality engineers play an important role in ensuring that business processes are optimised and raw materials are used efficiently.
Quality engineers work to ensure that products or services meet certain required quality standards. The exact quality engineer job description can vary according to employer, but generally-speaking, they identify problems in the production process and work to develop solutions that can improve the overall quality of a product. As well as problem solving, quality engineers use statistical analysis to identify trends and patterns that can be used to improve the production process and ensure quality.
The responsibilities of quality engineers typically include:
- Developing and implementing quality systems
- Ensuring that products meet quality standards
- Identifying and solving any problems in the production process
- Conducting statistical analysis to identify trends and patterns
- Ensuring that business processes are optimised to provide the best outputs
- Working with raw materials to ensure that they are used efficiently, while reducing waste
There are several types of quality engineer, which are usually categorised in line with quality engineering jobs, including:
1. Manufacturing Quality Engineers:
This is a common role for quality professionals. These engineers work in manufacturing facilities, ensuring that products meet certain quality standards as required by the employer, customer or industry in general
2. Software Quality Engineers:
A more recent area for quality engineering, these engineers work in the software industry, ensuring that software products are of high quality
3. Supplier Quality Engineers:
These engineers work with suppliers to ensure that they provide high-quality raw materials for use by manufacturing and other facilities
4. Quality Assurance Engineers:
These engineers work to ensure that products or services meet certain set quality standards once produced
There are several advantages to being a quality engineer, including:
- The ability to make a significant impact on the quality of products or services
- The opportunity to work with a variety of different people and departments within a company
- The ability to solve problems and implement quality solutions that can improve business processes and products
- The potential for career advancement and growth within a company
Despite the advantages associated with this role, there are also some disadvantages to being a quality engineer, including:
- The need for a high level of attention to detail
- The potential for high levels of stress due to the nature of the job and its responsibilities
- The need for a high level of technical expertise and knowledge
- The need for strong communication skills to work effectively with different departments within a company, including those without the same level of expertise in quality. This can often mean that you need to be able to explain outcomes clearly and concisely
As noted above, quality engineering is used in a variety of industries, including, but not limited to:
- Manufacturing
- Software development
- Healthcare
- Aerospace
- Automotive
Quality engineers use a variety of tools to complete their duties and ensure that products or services meet certain quality standards. These tools include:
- Statistical analysis software
- Quality control charts
- Root cause analysis tools
- Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) tools
Most quality engineering roles require at least a bachelor's degree in quality assurance or a related field, although some companies may also require additional certification or training. Some employers may require an industry-specific qualification, but most quality engineers hold degrees in chemical engineering, process engineering or mechanical engineering. Other employers may ask that you hold a master’s degree in a related field too, especially when working in potentially hazardous environments or with complex processes.
It is also a good idea to gain experience in quality engineering through an internship, apprenticeship or simply by seeking out an entry-level position. While it is possible to enter this profession without a degree, this can be a time-consuming process as you will need to gain a good working understanding of relevant software, processes and regulations.
As noted above, quality engineers may also require additional certification, especially as your career progresses, in order to gain more senior roles. This certification can be achieved through continuous improvement and training while employed, but there will usually be a requirement to renew your certificate periodically by submitting a journal or by taking a recertification exam.
Quality engineering is an essential part of ensuring that products or services meet certain quality standards. In order to ensure product quality for a range of different industries and applications, quality engineers play a crucial role in identifying and solving problems in the production process, optimising business processes, and ensuring that raw materials are used efficiently. If you are interested in pursuing a career in quality engineering, it is important to have a strong attention to detail, technical expertise, and strong communication skills.
Are Quality Engineers In Demand?
Yes, quality engineers are in demand in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, software development, healthcare, aerospace, and automotive.
What Is The Average Salary Of A Quality Engineer?
The average salary of a quality engineer varies depending on the industry and location. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a quality engineer in the United States is $75,000 per year, while in the UK the average salary is £37,500 (according to TotalJobs.com)
Can Quality Engineer Work From Home?
Some quality engineering roles may allow for remote work, but this depends on the company and the specific role. However, most roles will require you to be on site much of the time.
Why Quality Engineering Is Important?
Quality engineering is important because it ensures that products or services meet certain quality standards, which can lead to increased customer satisfaction, improved business processes, better safety and higher profits.