What does a vice president of research and development do?
A vice president of research and development will lead a team of engineers in developing innovative products on time and on budget. This role will require you to perform a variety of tasks that include executing the company's overall technology vision, managing the appropriate development methodologies, and creating an organizational structure that will drive a high performing development team to deliver high-quality solutions to the market. In addition, you will be responsible for attracting, developing, and retaining top talent for the research and development function.
Vice president of research and development responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real vice president of research and development resumes:
- Manage initial implementation of GMP procedures.
- Manage and direct OEM manufacturing partner.
- Manage software application implementation for time reporting/project-costing system to aid in understanding project spending and improve portfolio prioritization and execution.
- Isolate malignant free cells using GMP methodology suitable for regulatory approval and clinical use in cancer patients.
- Assist in the development of the quality and design control system in compliance with FDA device development regulation.
- Provide clinical data for FDA submissions on instrumentation and clinical utility claims.
- Project include translations, regulatory filings, establishing configuration options in production, and interfacing with logistics provider base in U.K.
- Design robots and custom parts using AutoCAD.
Vice president of research and development skills and personality traits
We calculated that 34% of Vice Presidents Of Research And Development are proficient in R, Product Development, and Project Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Math skills, and Analytical skills.
We break down the percentage of Vice Presidents Of Research And Development that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- R, 34%
Develop and streamline R code for data evaluation and statistical analyses performed on data collected from experiments and from outside sources.
- Product Development, 10%
Researched state-of-the-art Radio Frequency Identification technologies, applications, and platforms, and designed/presented a global product development and expansion strategy.
- Project Management, 4%
Champion of Program/Project Management function on corporate initiative to create Business Excellence competency assessment.
- Strategic Plan, 3%
Designed and implemented strategic plan and marketing program, successfully rolling out re-packaged and re-branded classic product line.
- Intellectual Property, 3%
Developed and patented novel sterilization, clean, and medical device life indicators that protected the corporate intellectual property position.
- Regulatory Affairs, 3%
Manage R&D Laboratory, Microbiology, Regulatory Affairs, Quality Control/Assurance, and Manufacturing.
Common skills that a vice president of research and development uses to do their job include "r," "product development," and "project management." You can find details on the most important vice president of research and development responsibilities below.
Math skills. Another essential skill to perform vice president of research and development duties is math skills. Vice presidents of research and development responsibilities require that "architectural and engineering managers use calculus and other mathematics to develop new products and processes." Vice presidents of research and development also use math skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "analyze market trends and statistics to determine potential of growth - monitor sales performance regularly. "
Analytical skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of vice presidents of research and development is analytical skills. This skill is critical to many everyday vice president of research and development duties, as "architectural and engineering managers evaluate information to solve problems." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "provided clinical data for fda submissions on instrumentation and clinical utility claims. "
Communication skills. vice president of research and development responsibilities often require "communication skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "architectural and engineering managers must effectively convey information and expectations related to projects." This resume example shows what vice presidents of research and development do with communication skills on a typical day: "serve in multiple capacities: marcom, investor communications and analysis, operations, business development, and system architecture. "
Organizational skills. A commonly-found skill in vice president of research and development job descriptions, "organizational skills" is essential to what vice presidents of research and development do. Vice president of research and development responsibilities rely on this skill because "architectural and engineering managers keep track of many workers, schedules, and budgets simultaneously." You can also see how vice president of research and development duties rely on organizational skills in this resume example: "led the organizational development and part of the technology development at polyera. "
Most common vice president of research and development skills
The three companies that hire the most vice president of research and developments are:
- The Independent Traveler50 vice presidents of research and development jobs
- Glaxosmithkline4 vice presidents of research and development jobs
- Organon4 vice presidents of research and development jobs
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Compare different vice presidents of research and development
Vice president of research and development vs. Manufacturing engineering manager
Manufacturing engineering managers manage manufacturing process development and enforcement. The managers maintain the proper functionality of a product and the efficiency of cost. They ensure the cohesive work between manufacturing departments and the engineering team. Their main responsibility is to design and operate integrated systems for economically competitive and high-quality products. They need to have skills in teamwork, technical knowledge, information technology, and commercial awareness. It is also necessary for them to have strong leadership skills.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a vice president of research and development are more likely to require skills like "strategic plan," "intellectual property," "regulatory affairs," and "due diligence." On the other hand, a job as a manufacturing engineering manager requires skills like "continuous improvement," "lean manufacturing," "sigma," and "lean six sigma." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Manufacturing engineering managers really shine in the automotive industry with an average salary of $135,554. Comparatively, vice presidents of research and development tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $183,855.On average, manufacturing engineering managers reach similar levels of education than vice presidents of research and development. Manufacturing engineering managers are 3.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 12.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Vice president of research and development vs. Engineering manager
An engineering manager is responsible for managing the overall concept of engineering and construction projects, ensuring that the plan meets the budget goals and the client's specifications. Engineering managers approve designs, plan strategic procedures to follow the project's timetable, analyze current market trends, hire the best and efficient contractors, and coordinate with the clients for any changes and adjustments as needed. An engineering manager must have excellent knowledge of engineering disciplines, as well as leadership and communication skills, monitoring the team's performance throughout the project.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real vice president of research and development resumes. While vice president of research and development responsibilities can utilize skills like "strategic plan," "intellectual property," "regulatory affairs," and "due diligence," engineering managers use skills like "java," "continuous improvement," "ul," and "customer service."
On average, engineering managers earn a lower salary than vice presidents of research and development. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, engineering managers earn the most pay in the automotive industry with an average salary of $148,218. Whereas vice presidents of research and development have higher pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $183,855.In general, engineering managers achieve similar levels of education than vice presidents of research and development. They're 2.8% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 12.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Vice president of research and development vs. Senior engineering manager
Senior engineering managers are the leaders who oversee and supervise a team of engineers. These executives are the ones who develop, modify, create, and test solutions to technical-related problems. They direct and coordinate the production, quality assurance, maintenance, operations, or testing in industrial plants. It is part of their job to handle the research and development of new procedures and products. They are also involved in improving the advance scientific research and manufacturing processes of the company.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, vice presidents of research and development are more likely to have skills like "strategic plan," "intellectual property," "regulatory affairs," and "due diligence." But a senior engineering manager is more likely to have skills like "java," "cloud," "infrastructure," and "sr."
Senior engineering managers make a very good living in the telecommunication industry with an average annual salary of $160,722. On the other hand, vice presidents of research and development are paid the highest salary in the finance industry, with average annual pay of $183,855.senior engineering managers typically earn similar educational levels compared to vice presidents of research and development. Specifically, they're 2.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 9.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Vice president of research and development vs. Design manager
A design manager is responsible for creating graphic and digital designs, following clients' specifications, and managing project deliverables efficiently. Design managers work closely with the marketing and public relations department, developing strategies to promote the brand to the target audience. They coordinate with the creative team and present the design ideas to the management, ask for final approval, perform revisions as needed, and follow the budget goals. A design manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the design team's concerns and needs.
Types of vice president of research and development
Updated January 8, 2025
