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What is a vice president/managing director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

A company's vice president (VP) is usually the second or third most powerful member of the company. The basic job obligations of a vice president begin with those of a manager. These are the basic supervisory obligations of anyone who works as a manager in an organization and has employees reporting to them. Your job as a vice president or managing director includes creating and implementing business strategy for the company, advising the board of directors and the chairperson on strategic matters, developing and implementing comprehensive business plans to help you reach your goals.

To become a vice president/managing director, you must complete several educational prerequisites. Vice presidents and managing directors are typically the business, finance, or marketing graduates. To be a good vice president, you must be creative and have excellent leadership and management abilities. Motivational, good public speaker, self-assured, and goal-oriented are also desirable qualities. The average yearly income for a vice president/managing director is $204,779, or $98.45 per hour.

ScoreVice President/Managing DirectorUS Average
Salary
10.0

Avg. Salary $223,090

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.42%

Black or African American 6.25%

Hispanic or Latino 15.41%

Unknown 4.35%

White 67.11%

Gender

female 22.37%

male 77.63%

Age - 44
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44
Stress level
9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Vice president/managing director career paths

Key steps to become a vice president/managing director

  1. Explore vice president/managing director education requirements

    Most common vice president/managing director degrees

    Bachelor's

    75.5 %

    Master's

    18.2 %

    Associate

    2.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific vice president/managing director skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Portfolio8.46%
    Financial Services8.44%
    Wealth Management7.43%
    Business Development7.03%
    Relationship Management5.95%
  3. Complete relevant vice president/managing director training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New vice president/managing directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a vice president/managing director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real vice president/managing director resumes.
  4. Gain additional vice president/managing director certifications

    Vice president/managing director certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific vice president/managing director certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for vice president/managing directors include Program Management Professional (PgMP) and Certified Practice Manager (CPM).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research vice president/managing director duties and responsibilities

    • Manage installation of commodity and interest rate trading systems at large trading floors in the UK and Europe.
    • Design and manage multiple evidence-base healthcare solutions for population health and analytics in alignment with the organizational mission.
    • Provide oversight to ensure projects and programs within various portfolios are in compliance with establish standards to achieve business transformation objectives.
    • Create integrated communications programs in healthcare specialties, such as HIV/AIDS, infectious diseases and women's health.
  6. Get vice president/managing director experience

    Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a vice president/managing director. The most common roles before becoming a vice president/managing director include vice president, senior vice president team lead and general manager.
  7. Prepare your vice president/managing director resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your vice president/managing director resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a vice president/managing director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable vice president/managing director resume templates

    Build a professional vice president/managing director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your vice president/managing director resume.
    Vice President/Managing Director Resume
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    Vice President/Managing Director Resume
    Vice President/Managing Director Resume
    Vice President/Managing Director Resume
    Vice President/Managing Director Resume
    Vice President/Managing Director Resume
  8. Apply for vice president/managing director jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a vice president/managing director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first vice president/managing director job

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Average vice president/managing director salary

The average vice president/managing director salary in the United States is $223,090 per year or $107 per hour. Vice president/managing director salaries range between $138,000 and $358,000 per year.

Average vice president/managing director salary
$223,090 Yearly
$107.25 hourly

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Vice president/managing director reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Pros

Independence in decision making

Cons

I am responsible for everything be it any side of the business


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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