This research is purposed at exploring the roles of the heads of departments as the middle level manager in higher education institution in the quality assurance of teaching and learning especially in the Indonesian context. This research is significant as research on the role of middle level manager in higher education are less found especially in quality assurance of teaching and learning. This research focuses on the management strand of quality assurance (c.f. Steinhardt et al. 2017). The roles of the middle level managers are seen from the activities of the managers in the stages of quality assurance of teaching and learning (c.f. Elton, 1995) and the support to the presage and process dimension of quality teaching and learning (Gibbs 2010). In addition, analysis of leadership from the organisation structure perspective (tactical/middle-level management, c.f. Turbino et al., 2013). Data were collected from documents analysis and interviews to seven heads of ‘A’ grade departments and one head of Centre for Teaching and Learning in the university. The findings show that the role of middle level managers in quality assurance of teaching and learning fell under seven categories such as (i) translating university’s vision into concrete benchmark, (ii) empowering subordinates and building partnership with other parties, (iii) monitoring and controlling quality teaching and learning, (iv) planning, managing, evaluating programs for quality assurance, (v) becoming hub between top and lower level management, (vi) leading academic convention, and (vii) fund tactician. This research, even though has described vividly the roles of the heads of departments as the middle level manager in higher education, is very context specific and other countries’ higher education may possess different mechanism. However, most universities, especially in Indonesia or similar contexts, may take the practical benefits of this research, which is to raise awareness and potential contribution of the middle level managers in quality assurance of teaching and learning.