Quality Analyst Job Role and Responsibilities- Explained!

In a software organization, the role of a quality analyst plays a vital role from initiation to the completion phase.  Their main work is to accomplish manual testing and then move towards the automation part. They need to ensure that all the testing functionalities are working correctly. 

A quality analyst supports planning, designing, and executing a project, i.e. it involves simple to complex responsibilities. They work with the development team in the organization and validate the test cases considering system requirements.

A quality analyst is held responsible for implementing quality assurance principles and practices throughout the SDLC.

Quality Analyst – Job Description 

To come up with a quality analyst job description, you need to understand the purpose of this role. The main purpose of this role is to test all the aspects of software both technically and functionally which is essential to delivering a quality product. They closely work with the IT department and identify software defects.

An efficient quality analyst should possess strong attention to detail and problem-solving ability. They must be able to implement quality assurance standards and provide accurate feedback to relevant teams.

Importance of QA for an Organization

In the software development world, the quality of the product is what actually counts. The design and concept can’t identify flaws that could have been easily avoided. Hiring a Quality Analyst is an effective way to ensure that the processes work as planned.

A quality analyst is responsible from planning to the implementation phase and ensures that the product is delivered adhering to deadlines. It is essential for an organization to satisfy its clients by providing high-quality products that meet all their requirements. 

Responsibilities of a Quality Analyst

Quality Analyst professionals have gained significance across various domains such as software development, customer service, manufacturing, and yet more. 

A quality analyst possesses ample responsibilities, regardless of the domain they choose to pursue. Here is a compilation of it. 

Responsibilities of a Quality Analyst

• A quality analyst should focus on designing/creating plans and ensure whether the quality requirements adhere to the organization’s policies
• A quality analyst is held responsible for implementing a plan with errors being fixed
• They are responsible to ensure whether the plan is apt considering its performance, reliability, functionality, and compatibility
• They should possess knowledge of quality assurance testing tools
• They collect all the essential statistics required and identify the root cause analysis method to identify the defect
• Reduction in employee attrition rates
• Provide knowledge/ Knowledge transfer to new joiners
• Develops a good rapport between the management and the employees
• Handling various resources at the workplace
• Providing efficient solutions for various types of issues

The responsibilities of a QA can get specific based on the organization and the domain you choose. However, a quality analyst’s education and skills remain constant.

Educational Requirements and Experience 

Now that you are aware of the responsibilities of a quality analyst, let’s take a look at the educational qualification to become one.

• Thorough knowledge of JavaScript, HTML, Python, Scrum, project management, Java, and SQL
• 2-4 years of proven experience in the software testing domain 
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, management information, or any other related field
• 3 years of quality analyst technical experience 
• Comprehensive knowledge of tools, concepts, and associated methodologies of QA
• Proven skills in QA applications, databases, and Microsoft Office
• Certification like Quality Engineer, Quality Auditor, Six Sigma, and Quality Improvement associate

Emerging Skills of a QA Professional 

With recent developments in the technological domain, the software testing industry has seen a huge rise. Thus, the demand for quality analysts has also increased in delivering efficient products to clients and customers. 

Here is a list of a few essential skills that help quality analysts to have a progressive career:

• Critical Thinking 

Having critical thinking ability helps in resolving the issues irrespective of the situation. It is a known fact that the product developed should adhere to organization norms and customer requirements. They must be capable of delivering more reliable and efficient software. They must be determined to dig out the bugs within the software and fix them at the earliest.

• Learning Skills 

To pursue a progressive career as a quality analyst it’s mandatory to have astounding learning skills. A quality analyst should possess ample knowledge of tools and technologies that are trending in their respective domain.

• Team Player

With more companies incorporating Agile methodology, quality analysts are expected to work in coordination with various teams such as programmers, executives, developers, and testers in order to ensure successful product releases. 

• Time Management 

A quality analyst should be well aware of how and when to deliver the product adhering to deadlines. Following time management best practices will help one become more efficient in their QA role.

• Flexible Working Approach 

A quality analyst should be flexible enough to take on added responsibilities for the successful accomplishment of the project. The term flexibility is related to various aspects such as skills, bandwidth, and duration.

• Communication 

Having clear and crisp communication skills is of utmost essential for a quality analyst role to effectively communicate with clients, stakeholders, and key users. They must be proficient enough in documenting the defects and reporting them. Other than bug reporting, the QA should also be able to provide appropriate solutions to those defects and this provides an edge to the overall process. 

A quality analyst should be well-versed in both formal and informal communication. Information communication includes an oral conversation with the developer or other team members regarding the product. On the other hand, formal communication includes conveying the message through writing bug sheets, test cases, and other related documents.

• Attention to Detail 

Giving attention to minute details ensures that all the tasks are accomplished within the given time. It also prevents major intricacies hindering the supply chain and the need to redo the task to meet customer requirements at later stages.

Being a quality analyst, if you master the above set of skills, then absolutely you are bound to have a progressive career.

Salary Trends 

The average remuneration of a quality analyst in the United States is approximately $67,978. Their salary might vary considering various factors such as certifications, experience, educational qualifications, and added skills. 

Conclusion 

There is fierce competition in the IT world, hiring a quality analyst is just not only advisable but foreseeable as well. Now that you are aware of what Quality Analyst do, their responsibilities, and the skills required, it is time to decide whether this career path is apt for you.

In the current scenario, quality analyst professionals should focus on improving their skills to overcome complex challenges by upgrading their knowledge through various industry-recognized certification training across categories such as IT Service Management, Project Management, Agile, DevOps, and Quality Management.

They play a great role in delivering great software to the market. They are also accountable for identifying and fixing the bugs in the software. Nevertheless, their job role responsibilities involve testing to provide/ facilitate total quality management. They just not only ensure an error-free product is released to the market, but they also ensure user satisfaction levels as well. 

Some of the popular certification courses that quality analyst professionals can take up are: