Director, Quality Control

Functional leader

Career Explorer · Quality, Regulatory & Product Safety · Quality Control Management

M3 · DirectorIndividual contributorDirector

Standard where organizational scale supports the level

What the role involves

Autonomy: Department / major product or regional function
Scope: Department / major product or regional function
Time horizon: 1-2 years
Expertise and judgement: Sets functional strategy, operating model and investment priorities
Expected impact: Department/business outcomes

Expected skills (24)

Grouped as human, professional and technical. Target proficiency uses the P1–P5 scale, and each row says what that level means for that particular skill.

Human (11)

Skill	Importance	Target	What that level looks like
Coaching Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Decision making Thinking & Judgment	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Delegation Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Executive communication Communication & Influence	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Feedback delivery Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Risk judgment Thinking & Judgment	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Stakeholder management Communication & Influence	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Strategic thinking Thinking & Judgment	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Talent development Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Conflict resolution Communication & Influence	Supporting	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Inclusive leadership Collaboration & Leadership	Supporting	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.

Professional (11)

Skill	Importance	Target	What that level looks like
Business acumen Business & Strategy	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Financial acumen Business & Strategy	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Performance management Business & Strategy	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) Quality & Regulatory	Supporting	P4	Sets cross-team standards and governance for Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA), integrating risk, metrics and stakeholder needs.
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Quality & Regulatory	Supporting	P4	Sets cross-team standards and governance for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), integrating risk, metrics and stakeholder needs.
ISO 13485 Quality & Regulatory	Supporting	P4	Sets cross-team standards and governance for ISO 13485, integrating risk, metrics and stakeholder needs.
Process validation Quality & Regulatory	Supporting	P4	Sets cross-team standards and governance for Process validation, integrating risk, metrics and stakeholder needs.
Quality Management Systems (QMS) Quality & Regulatory	Supporting	P4	Sets cross-team standards and governance for Quality Management Systems (QMS), integrating risk, metrics and stakeholder needs.
Quality documentation Quality & Regulatory	Supporting	P4	Sets cross-team standards and governance for Quality documentation, integrating risk, metrics and stakeholder needs.
Quality risk management Quality & Regulatory	Supporting	P4	Sets cross-team standards and governance for Quality risk management, integrating risk, metrics and stakeholder needs.
Resource management Program, Risk & Sustainability	Supporting	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.

Technical (2)

Skill	Importance	Target	What that level looks like
Root cause analysis Quality Engineering & Statistics	Supporting	P4	Designs standards/approaches for Root cause analysis, leads cross-team implementation and mentors practitioners.
Statistical Process Control (SPC) Quality Engineering & Statistics	Supporting	P4	Designs standards/approaches for Statistical Process Control (SPC), leads cross-team implementation and mentors practitioners.

Career ladder

Reached from

Senior Manager, Quality ControlM2

Next steps

Senior Director, Quality ControlM4Management promotion
Move from department leadership to large multi-portfolio leadership; integrate functions, influence enterprise decisions and strengthen the leadership pipeline.

People management requires sustained evidence of coaching, performance management, staffing judgment and organizational leadership - not simply greater individual expertise.

What changes to advance

Move from department leadership to large multi-portfolio leadership; integrate functions, influence enterprise decisions and strengthen the leadership pipeline.

Source: PROCOMER FTZ benchmark; SFIA; PMI · MF368-M3