This document shows the career path for people who are working in software QA and RM area. It shows what possible roles are and what kind of skills and competences are needed towards each role.

1. Career Path in Quality Assurance (QA) and Release Management (RM) – Roles and Key Competence
[Note: All roles listed below are generic. It ONLY represents my personal view.]
Technology Lydia Jin (Lydia.jin@gmail.com), v9, 06/01/2011
7 8 9
QA Manager
Release Manager
Senior
Ops 8
Sr. Developer QA Director
9
5
System Automated 7 10
Test Specialist
Lead QA
6 Non-QA position
Sr. QA Analyst
Automated Developer
Product PM /
Test Specialist 3 Owner Scrum Master
4 5 6
Intermediate
Developer 4 QA /RM
Coordinator
2
Application QA Business Analyst
Analyst
1
Jr. QA Analyst
Junior
1 2 3
Dependent Independent Interdependent Leadership

2. What’s this about?
This career path chart is intended to be used as a development and growth road map for people who are working in software QA and RM area. It shows
what possible roles are and what kind of skills and competences are needed towards each role.
It’s developed based on my personal experiences as developer, tester, BA, PM, scrum master, manager, as well as my hiring experience and researches.
How to read it?
1. X-axis
X-axis is for the seniority of technology, it has “Junior, Intermediate and Senior” three grade.
2. Y-axis
Y-axis is for leadership. I uses the concept I learnt from Stephen Covey’s “The 7 habits for managers” to define it as dependent, independent and
interdependent.
The 3 grade in both X and Y axis makes up 9 grids separated by grey dash line.
3. Roles:
Roles are generically defined to cover both QA (Quality Assurance) and RM (Release Management) area. It’s not a position. (In fact, it does not match the
positions in my company.)
4. Color Code
Colors (blue, orange, yellow, green) are for role in QA and RM area, grey is out of area.
For different colors: Blue is for junior positions, Orange is for intermediate positions; Yellow is senior position; Green is for management positions. For these
roles, I also defined detailed key competence in technology, process, and “people skills & leadership” three category.

3. # Role Key Competence
Technology Process People Skill & Leadership
1 Jr. QA 1. can complete UAT test independently 1. can clearly understand assignments
Analyst 2. have basic understanding the interrelationship 2. Can clearly report and communicate defect:
between defects and be able to eliminate something is wrong; here are steps to reproduce
duplicate defects it.
3. Can perform function and regression test 3. Can follow QA work flow with some guidance.
independently.
4. be able to learn business related knowledge
quickly
5.
2 Application 1. All of above. 1. All of above. 1. can clearly communicate the defects to developers and QA
QA Analyst 2. Understand QA methodology, know what kind of 2. Clearly understand QA work flow. manager
tests is required by what functions. 3. Understand business process and teams 2. Actively follow through the life cycle of defects.
3. Have basic knowledge of web development such interdependency. 3. start to communicate with developer using development
as browsers impact, operational system impact, 4. Can clearly understand priority from PM and language
different application tiers etc. align own assignments with it. 4. can be an actively participant in subject matter discussion,
4. Understand big picture and high level of sometime can provide analysis why it’s wrong and can raise
interrelationship among web applications and be interrelated questions during defect / technology discussion
able to create comprehensive test plan to cover with PM and business owners.
functional test. 5. can clearly and effectively communicate with PM and
5. have a good understanding on browsers and front business owner
end technology, can skillfully use firebug and 6. Knowing who the go to person is when obstacle arises and
other browser plug-in to do analysis, such as page proactively seeks help.
weight, client side cache etc.
6. have basic UNIX, java and SQL knowledge to
understand what happens behind the scene
7. Be able to monitor system logs, CPU, memory
etc…
8. Be able to understand the data and perform data
integrity test.
9. can create more precise defect report
10. can follow instruction to handle build
independently
11. Can review high level technical design.

4. 3 Automated 1. All of above 1. All of above. 1. All of above.
Test 2. familiar with at least one automated test tool and 2. can clearly communicate automated / load test goals,
Specialist understand what it can be handled by automated measurement, analysis result
test and what’s not 3. Can proactively seek help from subject matter help such as
3. Can skillful create automated tests to cover developers, system admin and DBA.
repeatable functional test and data integrity test.
4. Have clear understanding on performance
measurement.
5. 4. can perform load test and provide analysis
6.
4 Quality 1. Competence defined in #2. 1. All of above. 1. Competence defined in #2.
Coordinator 2. Have more knowledge on interrelationship and 2. Clearly understand development and release 2. Take quality ownership.
dependency among web applications. work flow. 3. can independently lead small or middle size QA efforts
3. be able to handle handover process between QA 1. Be able to lead the defect communication.
and other teams 2. Be able to lead the collaborate efforts to connect business
4. Can clearly understand business priority and people and technical people.
work with developers to align our work together 6. Can facilitate problem solving.
with it. 7. Can be the go-to person to lead towards solutions.
5. can initiate process improvement and provide 8. Can mentor QA members.
options 9. be comfortable to work with uncertainty, knowing how and
where to seek help during emergency situation
5 System 1. Competence defined in #3. 1. Competence defined in #3. 1. Competence defined in #3.
Automated 2. have in-depth system knowledge: clearly 2. Can lead the collaborative efforts on troubleshooting when
Test understand system architecture and load test failed.
Specialist interdependency
3. clearly understand what to expected from front
end to back end process
4. understand cache management and its impact
5. Understand web application difference between
single-thread / single-serve mode and multi-
thread and/or multi-server mode.
6. have clearly understanding on web log analysis
7. know what kind of load is required for curtain
test and why
8. Can design load test to cover reliability test.
9. Can provide more in-depth analysis when load

5. test fails.
10. Can work on white box testing.
6 Sr. QA 1. Competence defined in #4. 1. Competence defined in #4. 1. Competence defined in #4.
Analyst 2. Have clearly understanding on what kind of QA 2. Can identify / proactively identify process gap 2. Take quality ownership and can independently make quality
standard is required for different web application and initiate process improvement. decision.
and how to apply it. 3. can independently lead medium or large QA efforts
3. Have clearly understanding on business and 4. Is the go-to person.
technical requirement and the reason to drive it. 5. Can facilitate large group on problem solving.
4. Can review and audit technical design. 6. Can step in at scrum master to facilitate problem solving
5. Very comfortable to deal with ambiguity, can process.
actively raise questions for clarity on unknown 7. Can mentor and guide team members.
issue.
7 Lead QA 1. All above competence. 1. All above competence. 1. All above competence.
2. Is subject matter expert. 2. Can define and set QA goals. 2. Can independently lead medium or large QA efforts
3. Can review and audit complex technical design. 3. Understand both how and why regarding to task
4. Can skillful use different resources to achieve assignment.
QA goals. 4. understand industry best practices
5. Can work independently and interdependently
8 Release 1. Deeply understand system architecture 1. Competence defined in #7. 1. All above competence
Manager 2. Understand different branch strategy and its 2. Clearly understand release process 2. Can clearly communicate release process and enforce it
pro/con 3. Can design and implement build process 3. Be able to quickly coordinate resources around production
3. Familiar with code repository 4. Actively identify gaps and champion release emergency towards solutions.
4. Skillful in build process and experienced in build process improvement
scripts
5. Can handle staging system admin work
6. Know how to set up integration environment.
7. Knowledgeable about continuing integration.

6. 9 QA Manager 1. Competence defined in #4 / al above competence. 1. All above competence. 1. All above competence.
2. Can communicate using IT languages 2. Can define and set QA goals. 2. With excellent project management skill.
3. Understand system architecture 3. Define QA strategy 3. Recruit and hire QA resources and ensure resources are
4. With excellent troubleshooting skills to help 4. Have deep understanding on work flows available for projects.
identify issue. 5. Have business acumen, understand business 4. Provide mentoring, training and support to team members.
needs regarding to QA resources, quality 5. Set goals for team member, conduct team member
measurement etc. performance feedback and reviews.
6. Define Release Management strategy 6. In charge of quality related emergency and coordinate cross
7. Champion continuous process improvement. functional resources for solutions.
8. Research industry best practices and introduces 7. direct quality improvements
applicable ones 8. Manage inter-teams and inter-department relationship
9. Set up QA measurements 9. Manage conflicts
10. Select QA tools 10. Manage direct reports.
11. Conduct QA related vendor evaluation 11. Manage vendor relationship

7. 10 QA Director 1. Technical savvy 1. All above competence 1. All above competence
2. Set up strategic plan 2. Create long term vision for the team
3. With project management skill to plan and 3. Get buy in from executives
deliver on established strategic goals 4. have strong business partnership skills: can interface
4. Successfully identify, assess & manage risk with top management, internal & external customers and
proactively & be accountable for other functional teams , responding in a professional
actions/tough decisions manner
5. Drive quality improvement 5. Demonstrate collaboration, negotiation & conflict
6. Provide effective guidance for quality process resolution skills
7. Translate new industry trends and 6. Have good presentation skills
requirements into business policies and 7. Ability to effectively lead, acknowledge, develop,
practices. communicate & implement a strategy under crisis
situations to ensure compliance
8. Accountable for each of the metrics for the business (i.e.
product quality, employee engagement, etc.) and
management review process.
9. Assure business/customer needs are met
10. Strong business acumen-understands key financial
metrics, understands business trends & cycles & is able
to influence key business strategies & initiatives,
demonstrates knowledge of key business measurements
(i.e., market, suppliers, competition, performance
measures) & is able to link QA strategy to this
framework
11. Research industry best practices
12. Investigate and drive enhancement of QA tools
13. Drives training
14. Coach employees