QA Manager

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for designing, leading, and continuously improving the quality assurance program supporting Guitar Center and Music & Arts CSC operations. This role will eventually lead a team of Quality Assurance professionals. It will also establish consistent standards for evaluating customer interactions, identifying performance trends, and translating quality insights into measurable improvements in customer experience, sales effectiveness, service delivery, compliance, and overall operational performance.

This role balances people leadership, quality program governance, analytics, and cross-functional partnership. The Manager owns quality methodologies, scorecards, sampling plans, calibration practices, reporting, and action-plan follow-through while ensuring evaluation standards are objective, reliable, and aligned with business priorities. The position partners closely with Operations, Training, Sales, Customer Service, Data Operations, Human Resources, and other business leaders to connect quality findings with coaching, process, technology, and policy improvements.

The Quality Assurance Manager serves as the organization's subject matter expert for contact quality and performance consistency. This role is accountable for building a high-performing Quality Assurance team, strengthening leader confidence in quality data, and ensuring insights are converted into sustainable actions that improve customer outcomes, associate effectiveness, and business results.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead, coach, motivate, and develop a team of Quality Assurance professionals to achieve individual, team, and organizational goals.

• Establish clear performance expectations for evaluation accuracy, productivity, timeliness, communication, and professional conduct.

• Conduct regular coaching sessions, performance reviews, calibration feedback, and development planning discussions.

• Identify individual and team skill gaps and implement training initiatives that strengthen evaluation quality, data interpretation, business acumen, and communication effectiveness.

• Support recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, cross-training, and succession planning efforts for Quality Assurance team members.

• Foster an objective, collaborative, and accountable work environment that supports continuous learning, professional growth, and performance excellence.

Quality Assurance Strategy and Program Management

• Own the CSC quality assurance framework, including standards, policies, procedures, governance, and program documentation.

• Design, maintain, and continuously improve evaluation scorecards, quality definitions, sampling methodologies, and review workflows aligned with business priorities.

• Ensure the quality program evaluates customer interactions across phone, email, chat, and digital channels and supports sales, service, retention, compliance, and customer experience objectives.

• Establish quality goals, evaluation accuracy thresholds, service levels, audit schedules, and workload priorities for the Quality Assurance team.

• Review and evolve the quality program as business processes, products, technology, customer expectations, and organizational priorities change.

• Oversee interaction selection and evaluation distribution to promote fair, representative, and consistent assessment across teams, channels, and customer contact types.

• Partner with leadership to establish annual quality priorities, program roadmaps, and measures of effectiveness that demonstrate business impact.

Quality Monitoring, Evaluation, and Calibration

• Oversee the monitoring and evaluation of customer interactions for adherence to customer experience, sales, service, process, documentation, and compliance standards.

• Lead regular calibration sessions with Quality Assurance, Operations, Training, and business leaders to strengthen scoring consistency and resolve interpretation differences.

• Conduct audits of completed evaluations to verify accuracy, consistency, documentation quality, and alignment with established standards.

• Maintain a clear review and appeal process and ensure quality feedback is delivered in a timely, constructive, and actionable manner.

Reporting, Insights, and Continuous Improvement

• Analyze quality results to identify behavioral trends, recurring defects, process breakdowns, customer friction points, and root causes affecting performance.

• Develop and present dashboards, reports, and executive-level insights that connect quality performance with customer, associate, operational, sales, and financial outcomes.

• Translate quality findings into practical recommendations for coaching, training, process, knowledge, policy, technology, and customer experience improvements.

• Partner with business leaders to create action plans, assign accountability, monitor progress, and validate whether corrective actions produce sustained improvement.

• Identify systemic risks and emerging trends, escalate concerns appropriately, and recommend preventive actions before issues expand.

• Measure the impact of quality initiatives and continuously refine scorecards, reporting, calibration practices, and program priorities based on results.

Collaboration and Communication

• Partner with Operations, Sales, Customer Service, Training, Workforce Management, Data Operations, Human Resources, Technology, and other cross-functional business partners to support organizational objectives.

• Communicate quality priorities, performance trends, evaluation standards, process updates, and program changes clearly and effectively to leaders and associates.

• Serve as a trusted resource and subject matter expert for quality assurance practices, customer interaction standards, and performance improvement strategies.

• Build confidence in the quality program by maintaining transparent methods, consistent standards, accurate reporting, and constructive business partnerships.

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned. 

Qualifications

MINIMUM Requirements & Special ATTRIBUTES:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant business experience.

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in quality assurance, contact center operations, customer service, sales, or a related environment, including at least 2 years of people leadership experience.

• Demonstrated experience managing or significantly contributing to a structured quality assurance or customer interaction monitoring program.

• Strong knowledge of evaluation scorecards, sampling practices, calibration, auditing, performance reporting, and continuous improvement methods.

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities, with the ability to translate complex performance data into clear business insights and actions.

• Strong coaching, communication, facilitation, and team development skills.

• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders.

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust, influence across functions, manage conflict, and drive accountability in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred

• Experience leading a quality assurance function within a contact center, inside sales, customer service, customer success, or retail support environment.

• Experience evaluating customer interactions across phone, email, chat, and other digital channels.

• Experience with quality management platforms, speech or text analytics, customer relationship management systems, and business intelligence reporting tools.

• Experience implementing quality technology, automation, artificial intelligence, or analytics-enabled process improvements.

• Knowledge of the musical instrument retail industry, music education, Guitar Center, or Music & Arts operations.

Key Competencies

• Leadership and Team Development

• Quality Assurance Strategy and Governance

• Coaching and Performance Management

• Analytical Thinking and Data Interpretation

• Customer Experience Excellence

• Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement

• Communication and Cross-Functional Influence

• Problem Solving and Root Cause Analysis

• Project Management and Prioritization

• Results Orientation and Accountability

Why Guitar Center? Here's just some of the rewards:

For our employees who are musicians we offer the unique opportunity of gig leave--take time off to share your music with the world and return to your job after your tour! Guitar Center offers robust benefits and perks, including Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K plus company match, mental health support, paid sick/holiday/vacation time, employee discount program, and tuition reimbursement options.

About Music & Arts

Music & Arts embodies the world of creativity and music by encouraging our teammates to find their own individual sound. We strive to create lifelong musicians and make a difference in the world by enabling musicians and non-musicians alike to experience the almost indescribable happiness that comes from playing an instrument. We believe in putting our customers first, engaging with respect and integrity and fulfilling our mission with passion.

The first Music & Arts was located in a small house in Bethesda, MD and run by founder Benjamin O'Brien. When Music & Arts opened its doors in 1952, we offered printed music, music lessons, dance lessons, and art supplies. Ben decided shortly after opening his business that he wanted to focus on music to better serve his customers -- a decision that remains intact to this day.

Since the 1990's, Music & Arts has expanded nationwide through organic growth and a series of acquisitions and mergers with other music dealers. In 2005, Music & Arts joined forces with American Music to become the largest band and orchestra instrument retailer in the United States. Based in Frederick, MD, Music & Arts is now part of the Guitar Center enterprise and comprises 225+ retail stores, 200+ educational representatives, and 250+ affiliate locations.

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Send your resume and cover letter today along with salary expectations!

Music & Arts is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides fair and equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected status prohibited under Federal, State, or local laws. All employment decisions are based on valid job‐ related requirements.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our website, you may request a reasonable accommodation to express interest in a specific opening. You can request reasonable accommodation by calling 1‐818-735-8800 ext. 2862 or by sending an email to recruiting@guitarcenter.com.