Quality Without Leadership: The Challenges of Testers Reporting to Engineering

And what you can do about it

Photo by Simon Hurry on Unsplash

Software testers’ role is often misunderstood in agile teams. Unlike developers, product managers, or designers, whose responsibilities are widely recognized, testers frequently struggle with a lack of clarity and visibility in their contributions. This misunderstanding leads to the assumption that testing is merely a supporting function rather than a specialized discipline requiring expertise.

Because testing is often viewed as disposable—a task anyone can perform rather than a critical skill—many leaders fail to see its depth, treating it as an interchangeable commodity rather than a profession in its own right. This post focuses on one of the most damaging consequences of this misconception: the elimination of test leadership and the merging of testers into engineering teams. 

The Problems With Testers Reporting to Engineering Managers

This structure creates several challenges for both testers and the teams they support:

Stunted Career Growth for Testers

Engineering managers are typically not equipped to mentor testers or provide structured career growth in testing. A software engineer’s career path involves learning different coding languages, architecture, scalability, and DevOps principles—good skills for some testers, but none of which are directly related to the progression of a strong testing career. Testers need leadership that understands their discipline and can help them grow in exploratory testing, critical thinking, test design, risk analysis, and quality advocacy.

Testing Becomes an Individual Burden Instead of a Team Responsibility

When testers report to engineering managers, testing challenges such as tooling, environments, and process improvements often fall on individual testers to resolve alone. Unlike software engineers, who benefit from strong engineering leadership to advocate for their needs, testers end up with no structured leadership to push for systemic improvements. This results in:

• Poorly maintained or underfunded test environments

• Disjointed quality approach and automation strategies across squads

• Lack of investment in test tooling

• Testers fighting for quality improvements without leadership backing

Inconsistent Testing Practices Across Teams

Every squad in an agile team develops its own approach to testing, leading to fragmentation:

• Some teams heavily invest in automation, while others barely touch it.

• Some squads integrate testers early in the development cycle, while others treat them as afterthoughts.

• Without quality leadership overseeing the entire organization, there is no unified approach to testing, automation, and integration.

Lack of a Cross-Team Quality Strategy

Engineering teams require consistent leadership in test environments, tooling, and automation approaches. When each squad works independently, systemic testing issues—like unstable test environments or inconsistent release validation—go unaddressed. A dedicated quality leadership team ensures that:

• Cross-squad testing challenges are tackled at an organizational level.

• Test automation strategies remain scalable and sustainable.

• Test environments and CI/CD pipelines are managed holistically instead of per squad.

If You’re a Tester Reporting to an Engineering Manager, Here’s What You Can Do

While I strongly advocate for keeping testers within a dedicated quality leadership structure, I recognize that many testers already find themselves reporting to engineering managers. If that’s your reality, here are some tips on how you can make the most of the situation:

Use the Opportunity to Learn from Engineers

Even though engineering managers may not specialize in testing, there’s a lot to gain from being closely aligned with engineers. Learn about and try to influence:

• How your developers approach code quality

• The team's CI/CD pipeline and DevOps practices

• Automation frameworks that could enhance your testing strategy

Be Vocal About Your Needs

Engineering managers may not understand what testers require to be successful. Advocate for:

• Dedicated time for test automation and exploratory testing

• Resources for better tooling and test environments

• Inclusion in architectural discussions where testing strategies should be considered early

Find Allies in Your Squad

Seek out developers, product managers, or designers who care about quality. Build relationships with those who recognize that quality is a shared responsibility. These allies can help advocate for testing practices when leadership doesn't.

Create a Tester Guild or Working Group

If your company lacks a formal quality leadership structure, take the initiative to create one.

• Form a tester guild with peers across different squads.

• Meet regularly to discuss challenges, share strategies, and align testing practices.

• Use this platform to raise visibility on quality issues that affect the entire organization.

Find a Leadership Ally for Quality Initiatives

While your direct manager may not be a quality expert, look for leaders—another engineering manager, director of engineering, VP, or CTO—who value quality and can champion test-related initiatives.

Seek Mentorship Outside of Work

If your workplace doesn’t provide strong testing leadership, find mentorship externally. There are many experienced quality leaders (myself included!) who are happy to mentor testers looking to grow in their careers. Consider:

• Joining software testing communities

• Attending conferences or meetups on software quality

• Finding a mentor through LinkedIn or professional networks

Are you a tester reporting directly to an engineering manager? What have your experience been?