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What is a vice president, operations and finance and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
John Clark Ph.D., CFA, CFP

While the focus of this position is finance, the vice president of operations and finance also performs duties associated with managing a wide range of staff operations and resources. As someone in this position, you will report to the company president and provide a strategic vision to assist the firm in growing more profitable, providing high-quality goods or services, and reaching its production targets. You will be creating measures to improve company operations, monitor and evaluate inventory, identify cost-effective suppliers, determine the most efficient way to route products to customers, and direct departmental projects.

Becoming a vice president of operations and finance is a fantastic opportunity for you as a finance executive with operational expertise to use your knowledge. You also need to have a track record of innovative problem-solving and change management to be hired. The median annual compensation for chief executives, including vice presidents of operations, is $183,270.

What general advice would you give to a vice president, operations and finance?

John Clark Ph.D., CFA, CFP

Chair, Dept. of Finance, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

Show you have experience. Doing an internship is a great way to increase your starting salary. I always advocate for doing applied research, this is research that you can show has implications for society - science for the sake of science is not good science! Obtaining an MS degree is also a good way to increase your salary, especially if your MS degree is relevant to your future job.
ScoreVice President, Operations And FinanceUS Average
Salary
8.9

Avg. Salary $148,375

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 6.36%

Black or African American 6.17%

Hispanic or Latino 15.16%

Unknown 4.34%

White 67.50%

Gender

female 19.47%

male 80.53%

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, operations and finance career paths

Key steps to become a vice president, operations and finance

  1. Explore vice president, operations and finance education requirements

    Most common vice president, operations and finance degrees

    Bachelor's

    75.5 %

    Master's

    19.5 %

    Associate

    2.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific vice president, operations and finance skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Financial Statements15.18%
    Oversight6.53%
    Payroll4.80%
    Financial Performance4.21%
    CPA3.91%
  3. Complete relevant vice president, operations and finance training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New vice presidents, operations and finance 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, operations and finance based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real vice president, operations and finance resumes.
  4. Research vice president, operations and finance duties and responsibilities

    • Lead team who build the infrastructure, and implement ERP and CRM systems.
    • Oversee and manage company's online presence including online content, SEO and web updates.
    • Lead online marketing efforts, including e-mail marketing, PPC, SEO, and development of a new content website.
    • Lead business requirement definition, technology evaluation and selection of a new ERP solution.
  5. Get vice president, operations and finance experience

    Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a vice president, operations and finance. The most common roles before becoming a vice president, operations and finance include chief finance officer, controller team lead and finance vice president.
  6. Prepare your vice president, operations and finance resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your vice president, operations and finance 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, operations and finance 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, operations and finance resume templates

    Build a professional vice president, operations and finance 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, operations and finance resume.
    Vice President, Operations And Finance Resume
    Vice President, Operations And Finance Resume
    Vice President, Operations And Finance Resume
    Vice President, Operations And Finance Resume
    Vice President, Operations And Finance Resume
    Vice President, Operations And Finance Resume
    Vice President, Operations And Finance Resume
    Vice President, Operations And Finance Resume
    Vice President, Operations And Finance Resume
  7. Apply for vice president, operations and finance jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a vice president, operations and finance 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, operations and finance job

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Average vice president, operations and finance salary

The average vice president, operations and finance salary in the United States is $148,375 per year or $71 per hour. Vice president, operations and finance salaries range between $99,000 and $221,000 per year.

Average vice president, operations and finance salary
$148,375 Yearly
$71.33 hourly

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Vice president, operations and finance reviews

profile
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


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

I do not work as a finance Vice President but I would like to become one.

Cons

I don’t know because I have not worked as one.


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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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