Quality Assurance Lead Jobs in Minnesota
Quality Assurance Lead jobs in Minnesota are concentrated in the Twin Cities metro, with additional hiring in Rochester and Duluth, where manufacturing, medical devices, and food and beverage production drive steady demand for experienced quality professionals. Companies like 3M, General Mills, and Medtronic maintain large quality assurance teams in Minnesota and consistently hire leads across regulated manufacturing, process validation, and compliance-focused environments. Roles range from senior individual contributors stepping into team leadership to seasoned leads overseeing multi-site quality systems. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 65+ Quality Assurance Lead jobs
Essential Job Duties
- Ensures product/service conformance with the Specialty Manufacturing Co. Quality Management Systems.
- Inspects and audits products and services.
- Uses manual measuring gages (micrometers/calipers), equipment (Keyence/Vertex/CMM), and instruments/techniques to gather measurements.
- Identify, segregate, and report defective or out-of-spec materials
- Maintain accurate written and accurate records
- Prioritizes and meets deadlines in a timely manner.
- Collaborate with engineering and operations to find root causes and support lean or continuous improvement projects
- Any other duties as assigned by management.
Education
- High School diploma or GED required.
- Preferred: Associate degree Quality Technician
Skills and Qualifications
- Effective verbal and written communication skills.
- Understanding of ISO 9001 and other basic quality management system requirements.
- Basic computer and math skills.
- Blueprint reading
- Self-starter, must be able to work with minimal supervision.
- Strong organizational and follow-up skills, as well as attention to detail
- Ability to maintain regular and predictable attendance.
- Preferred: CMM or Vision systems.
- Preferred: GD&T experience
Work Environment
- Must be able to work in a manufacturing environment including exposure to noise, heat, and machinery.
- Ability to lift 50lbs regularly throughout the workday
- Must be able to stand for up to two hours at a time.
- Work must be performed on site during normal Specialty Manufacturing Co. business hours.
Specialty Manufacturing is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Specialty Mfg. provides a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings, focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. Specialty Mfg. operates an onsite work environment where employees are expected to work in the office 5 days per week.
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Essential Job Duties
- Ensures product/service conformance with the Specialty Manufacturing Co. Quality Management Systems.
- Inspects and audits products and services.
- Uses manual measuring gages (micrometers/calipers), equipment (Keyence/Vertex/CMM), and instruments/techniques to gather measurements.
- Identify, segregate, and report defective or out-of-spec materials
- Maintain accurate written and accurate records
- Prioritizes and meets deadlines in a timely manner.
- Collaborate with engineering and operations to find root causes and support lean or continuous improvement projects
- Any other duties as assigned by management.
Education
- High School diploma or GED required.
- Preferred: Associate degree Quality Technician
Skills and Qualifications
- Effective verbal and written communication skills.
- Understanding of ISO 9001 and other basic quality management system requirements.
- Basic computer and math skills.
- Blueprint reading
- Self-starter, must be able to work with minimal supervision.
- Strong organizational and follow-up skills, as well as attention to detail
- Ability to maintain regular and predictable attendance.
- Preferred: CMM or Vision systems.
- Preferred: GD&T experience
Work Environment
- Must be able to work in a manufacturing environment including exposure to noise, heat, and machinery.
- Ability to lift 50lbs regularly throughout the workday
- Must be able to stand for up to two hours at a time.
- Work must be performed on site during normal Specialty Manufacturing Co. business hours.
Specialty Manufacturing is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Specialty Mfg. provides a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings, focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. Specialty Mfg. operates an onsite work environment where employees are expected to work in the office 5 days per week.
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See All 65 Quality Assurance Lead Jobs in Minnesota
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Find Quality Assurance Lead JobsQuality Assurance Lead Jobs by City in Minnesota
Where Minnesota roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Quality Assurance Lead Job Market in Minnesota
A snapshot from current Minnesota openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Manufacturing
- Food & Beverage
- Agriculture & Farming
- Technology & Software
- Healthcare & Medical Services
What Minnesota Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in quality assurance lead jobs across Minnesota.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, life sciences, or a related technical field
- Five or more years of quality assurance experience in a regulated manufacturing environment
- Demonstrated experience leading or mentoring a team of QA technicians or specialists
- Proficiency with quality management systems such as SAP QM, MasterControl, or TrackWise
- Working knowledge of FDA 21 CFR, ISO 9001, ISO 13485, or IATF 16949 standards
- ASQ Certified Quality Engineer, Certified Quality Auditor, or Six Sigma Green Belt certification preferred
Quality Assurance Lead Jobs in Minnesota: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a quality assurance lead in Minnesota?
Most quality assurance leads in Minnesota follow a path from QA technician or specialist roles into a lead position after gaining hands-on experience in a regulated industry such as medical devices, food manufacturing, or aerospace. A bachelor's degree in engineering, chemistry, or a life science is the common baseline. Earning an ASQ credential, such as the Certified Quality Engineer or Certified Quality Auditor, meaningfully strengthens a candidate's profile for lead-level roles at Minnesota employers.
How much do quality assurance leads make in Minnesota?
Quality assurance leads in Minnesota earn a median of about $101,700 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $66,090 for the lowest 10% to over $137,310 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire quality assurance leads in Minnesota?
Minnesota quality assurance lead roles are posted by Le Sueur, Cirrus Aircraft, and Beckman Coulter Diagnostics and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Minnesota's concentration of medical device manufacturers and large food and consumer goods companies makes it one of the more active states for quality assurance lead hiring in the Midwest.
Which Minnesota cities have the most quality assurance lead jobs?
Minneapolis, Chaska, and Le Sueur have the most quality assurance lead openings in Minnesota. The Twin Cities metro drives the bulk of demand because of its dense cluster of medical device manufacturers, food and beverage companies, and aerospace suppliers, while Rochester benefits from the large life sciences and healthcare manufacturing presence anchored by employers in that corridor.
Are there remote quality assurance lead jobs in Minnesota?
Yes, but they're limited. Quality assurance leads often need to be physically present on a production floor, in a lab, or at a supplier site, which makes fully remote work less common than in purely desk-based fields. About 19% of quality assurance lead openings tied to Minnesota are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and those positions tend to cover documentation review, audit coordination, and supplier quality management rather than hands-on production oversight.
How can I get hired as a quality assurance lead in Minnesota with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry point is a QA technician or quality inspector role at a Minnesota medical device or food manufacturing company, then building toward a lead position from within. Large Minnesota employers in those sectors regularly hire new graduates or career changers into associate QA roles where they learn regulated-industry standards on the job. Earning an ASQ Certified Quality Improvement Associate credential before applying, or completing a quality-focused certificate through a Minnesota State system community college, gives candidates a visible edge when competing for those entry roles.
Where can I find and apply to quality assurance lead jobs in Minnesota?
You can find and apply to quality assurance lead jobs in Minnesota on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers hiring in the state right now. Search by city or specialty to find roles that match your background, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 65 Quality Assurance Lead Jobs in Minnesota
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