How to hire a senior vice president

How to hire a senior vice president, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior vice president hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior vice president job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior vice president
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a senior vice president do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The senior vice president hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A senior vice president's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior vice presidents from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of senior vice presidents.

   Type of Senior Vice President	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Vice President	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$60-145
   Managing Director	A Managing Director oversees workflow and progress, making sure that all operations align within the company or organization's mission or set of goals. They are responsible for crafting strategies, devising effective business plans, and executing guidelines that would nurture a company's growth, and as well as to be the driving force that would direct employees to the company's objectives... Show more	$34-112
   Chief Operating Officer	A chief operating officer, also known as a COO, is a high-ranking official who oversees a company or organization's daily administrative and overall operations. They are typically the second in the chain of command, reporting directly to the company's chief executive officer, also known as a CEO... Show more	$38-110

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Financial Services
   • SVP
   • Oversight
   • Healthcare
   • Risk Management
   • Project Management
   • Strategic Direction
   • Customer Service
   • Asset Management
   • Business Development
   • Real Estate
   • Client Relationships
   • Product Development
   • Human Resources

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage relationships with hedge funds, administrators and investors regarding trade requests, derivative restructuring and compliance issues.
   • Manage legal proceedings and investigations with state, federal, and self-regulatory organization securities and insurance regulatory agencies.
   • Manage the successful transition of a large-cap telecommunications company from NYSE to NASDAQ including all relate communications and events.
   • Manage all financial functions including controlling/accounting, board and regulatory reporting, treasury and cash management, and asset/liability management.
   • Develop institutional procedures for managing project logistics, vendor relations, supply chain, engineering functions, and document storage/sharing.
   • Lead asset management function including budget development and analysis of and strategic planning for economic performance of real estate asset portfolio.

   More senior vice president duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior vice president job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A senior vice president can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, senior vice presidents' average salary in oklahoma is 42% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior vice presidents 59% less than senior-level senior vice presidents.
   • Certifications. A senior vice president with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a senior vice president's salary.

   Average senior vice president salary

   $194,770yearly

   $93.64 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior vice president salary

   $125,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2026

   Average senior vice president salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$262,292	$126
   2	California	$231,529	$111
   3	Nevada	$229,310	$110
   4	Oregon	$223,959	$108
   5	Colorado	$222,589	$107
   6	Minnesota	$213,442	$103
   7	Illinois	$212,944	$102
   8	Pennsylvania	$212,006	$102
   9	Connecticut	$207,339	$100
   10	New York	$203,241	$98
   11	District of Columbia	$199,635	$96
   12	Texas	$198,839	$96
   13	New Jersey	$196,515	$94
   14	Massachusetts	$193,880	$93
   15	Virginia	$193,168	$93
   16	Georgia	$190,407	$92
   17	Ohio	$185,399	$89
   18	Arizona	$181,590	$87
   19	Delaware	$179,509	$86
   20	Utah	$175,529	$84

   Average senior vice president salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Brookfield Properties	$420,904	$202.36	8
   2	The Howard Hughes	$263,454	$126.66	1
   3	Reef	$257,129	$123.62
   4	THINX	$251,947	$121.13
   5	PVH	$248,206	$119.33	21
   6	Apple	$246,562	$118.54	7
   7	Coty	$241,058	$115.89
   8	Beaumont Health	$240,734	$115.74
   9	Center on Budget and Policy Priorities	$237,553	$114.21
   10	Genentech	$233,452	$112.24	33
   11	Coach	$232,233	$111.65	2
   12	UTMB HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS	$231,108	$111.11	12
   13	Stockbridge Capital Group	$230,696	$110.91
   14	Prologis	$230,621	$110.88	9
   15	American Eagle Outfitters	$230,161	$110.65	2
   16	The Rockefeller Foundation	$229,967	$110.56	2
   17	Cytokinetics	$229,030	$110.11	4
   18	Marchon Eyewear	$228,878	$110.04
   19	Leo Burnett	$228,782	$109.99
   20	Infoblox	$228,641	$109.92	5

4. Writing a senior vice president job description

   A job description for a senior vice president role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a senior vice president job description:

   Senior vice president job description example

   You see every day as an opportunity to make the world better, more connected, more sustainable. Discover ways to expand your Jacobs journey, advance your thinking, and take on new responsibilities across our dynamic, transformational and innovative global IT organization - with a diverse team that's inspiring and supporting you.
   
   In this role, you'll develop and maintain solid, successful relationships between the Lines of Business (LOBs)/Corporate Functions (CF) and IT, representing the 'voice' of technology in the business and vice versa. You'll bridge gaps, maximize customer satisfaction and build trust through active engagement with stakeholders across the global organization.
   In this impactful role, you will:
   
   Transform and maximize operational efficiency and responsiveness of IT to LOBs/Corporate Functions Manage Business and IT expectations for service levels, project intake and prioritization. Increase IT value through increased coordination of IT technologies within and across LOBs/Corporate Functions Provide direct support and development of LOB/Function-specific IT requirements.
   
   Your most impactful mission in this leadership role is to embrace living inclusion every day and enabling diversity and quality globally. For us, this means creating a culture of belonging where we all thrive by embracing all perspectives. An inclusive culture with many perspectives through diverse backgrounds allows us to leverage knowledge, leadership and connection to bring forth opportunity, creativity and growth.
   
   #corpitjob
   
   Qualifications
   
   Experience in leading large business/transformation initiatives with geographically diverse teams Strong business acumen and understanding of Jacobs' business domains. Thorough understanding of both IT and business capabilities, functions and delivery models Superior communication, coordination and relationship building skills
   
   Jacobs is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, medical condition, marital or domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression and transgender status, mental disability or physical disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, citizenship, low-income status or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable law. Learn more about your rights under Federal EEO laws and supplemental language.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right senior vice president for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior vice president job on Zippia to find and recruit senior vice president candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit senior vice presidents, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior vice president

   Once you've decided on a perfect senior vice president candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new senior vice president first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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