IS Quality Assurance Manager

Menard, Inc•Eau Claire, WI

About The Position

The QA Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for the Quality Assurance function. This role is responsible for building, leading, and continuously improving a high-performing QA organization that delivers reliable, scalable, and secure software solutions. The QA Manager oversees QA Engineers, Test Architects, and Team Leads. They establish quality vision, drive adoption of modern testing practices (automation, performance testing, shift-left testing), and ensure alignment between QA strategy and enterprise goals. At Menards you will have the opportunity to manage a QA team in a collaborative, fast-paced environment where quality and customer satisfaction is paramount. This position will have the opportunity to foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and collaboration across business, development, infrastructure, and security teams.

Responsibilities

Define and communicate a clear quality vision aligned with enterprise strategy.
Establish and evolve QA standards, governance processes, and performance expectations.
Drive adoption of modern QA practices including automation-first testing, CI/CD integration, and performance engineering.
Lead enterprise-level quality improvement initiatives based on defect trends and RCA findings.
Align QA roadmaps with architecture modernization and digital transformation efforts.
Build, mentor, and develop QA talent across all levels.
Establish career progression paths and succession planning within the QA organization.
Conduct regular performance reviews, coaching sessions, and professional development planning.
Model strong leadership behaviors, including integrity, accountability, and ownership.
Identify capability gaps and proactively develop skill-building programs.
Oversee test planning, execution, and release readiness across multiple projects.
Ensure automation and performance testing are effectively embedded in delivery pipelines.
Monitor QA KPIs such as defect escape rate, test coverage, and automation effectiveness.
Oversee RCA processes to ensure systemic improvement.
Balance resource allocation across competing priorities and evolving project demands.
Partner with Development, Architecture, Infrastructure, Security, and Business stakeholders.
Influence architectural decisions to improve testability and reliability.
Represent QA in leadership forums and enterprise planning sessions.
Facilitate alignment between quality objectives and product delivery timelines.
Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on risk and quality posture.
Ensure adherence to QA standards, compliance requirements, and audit practices.
Establish clear release quality gates and enforce accountability.
Provide transparent reporting of quality risks and remediation plans.
Support continuous improvement reviews and quality governance stewardship.