So I’ve been in software for 12+ yrs, started as a dev → QA automation → QA Eng Manager. Last gig I managed ~11 ppl (mix of FTE + contractors), mostly QAs across different teams. Been doing people mgmt full-time for 3 yrs (1:1s, perf reviews, mentoring, feedback, all that).
Then new CTO nuked the whole QA org (50-60 ppl gone ). I liked the work, so I’m looking at Sr QA EM roles, BUT also wondering if I can jump to a regular Eng Manager role.
From what I saw, QA EM vs EM is basically the same except EMs also ran standups + sprint ceremonies + a bit more PM-type stuff. I didn’t do daily standups, but I did handle timelines, releases, cross-team coordination, oncall rotation, etc. My dev background is backend/ETL, not mobile/frontend.
Q: Can I sell my background and go straight into EM, or do I need some training first? Or is it just “find a company that’ll give me a shot and see if I sink or swim”?
honestly you can totally make the jump. a lot of eng managers out there came from QA, SRE, even support. the core of the job is people leadership, hiring, feedback, alignment, making sure the team delivers without burning out. you’ve already been doing that for years.
the standups and sprint ceremonies stuff is easy muscle to build. most companies don’t care if you’ve memorized scrum rituals, they care if you can grow people, handle conflict, and keep delivery on track. your background in QA actually gives you a nice angle too—you’ve probably got a sharper eye for quality and process than someone who only coded features.
it really comes down to finding a company willing to bet on you. some will get hung up on “but you weren’t an EM for devs,” others won’t. once you’re in, you’ll figure out the extra ceremonies and PM-ish stuff quickly.
so no, you don’t need formal training first. it’s more about targeting the right place, selling your people mgmt chops, and showing you can already handle cross-team coordination and delivery.
yeah agreed with neel here. tbh a lot of EM work is just people + delivery, not some deep dev wizardry. if you already managed 11 ppl and dealt with releases/timelines, you’re basically doing 80% of the job. maybe just spin your resume so it highlights that side more than “QA.” once you get in, the ceremonies/process bits are super easy to pick up.
). I liked the work, so I’m looking at Sr QA EM roles, BUT also wondering if I can jump to a regular Eng Manager role.