P6P6 — Principal Professional
Director
A Director of Quality Control (P6) is a senior executive responsible for the overarching quality control strategy and performance across the enterprise or multiple sites.
What this level means
Top individual contributor; recognized authority with strategic impact, equivalent to a low executive level
- Scope
- Organization-wide architecture and the hardest problems
- Autonomy
- Defines direction; minimal oversight
- Complexity
- Strategic, open-ended problems shaping the technical future
- Impact
- Organization-wide
- Decision rights
- Sets technical strategy for a major area
- Leadership
- Recognized authority; multiplies many teams
- Typical experience
- 12–18 yrs
What you'd do
- Define and implement a long-term QC strategy and quality policy that supports corporate goals.
- Oversee multiple QC units or sites, ensuring consistency in processes and standards.
- Lead senior QC leaders and shape the organization’s quality culture and competencies.
- Ensure enterprise compliance with FDA/EMA regulations, ISO standards, and other requirements.
- Engage with regulatory agencies at the executive level and manage high-level risk.
- Define QC strategy
- Oversee multiple sites
- Engage with regulatory agencies
Skills, knowledge & tools
- Visionary planning
- Negotiation
- Innovation
- Business strategy
- Risk management
- Long-term QC strategy
- Regulatory engagement
- Innovation in QC
- Business acumen
- Risk management strategies
- Visionary leadership
- Influence & Negotiation
- Innovation
- Business acumen
- Risk Management
What good looks like
- Advanced degree (PhD or MS) in relevant field, or equivalent business/technical leadership experience
- 12–20 years of relevant experience, including multiple years in senior management roles within QC/QA
Common titles
Quality Control VIQuality Control 6Principal Quality Control
What it pays
Market-pay benchmarks for this family × level are being recalibrated across all survey sources and will return shortly.
O*NET / SOC: 19-4099.01 — Quality Control Analysts