VP of Software Engineering Role

A VP of Software Engineering Role is an organizational executive role that oversees the engineering function within a company, ensuring that products are developed efficiently and effectively while aligning with the overall business strategy.

• Context:
  • It can (typically) manage Engineering Teams and ensure they are productive and aligned with company goals.
  • It can (often) collaborate with other executives such as the Chief Technical Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and VP of Product to align engineering efforts with broader business objectives.
  • It can (often) oversee Product Development from conception through to delivery, ensuring technical feasibility and adherence to timelines.
  • It can (often) be responsible for maintaining high standards of Software Quality and Technical Excellence across engineering projects.
  • It can (often) develop and manage the engineering department's budget, including headcount, equipment, and other resources.
  • It can (often) implement and refine Engineering Processes to enhance productivity and quality.
  • It can (often) act as a key technical advisor and decision-maker in strategic planning and technical architecture.
  • It can range from being directly involved in day-to-day engineering tasks to primarily focusing on strategic leadership and high-level oversight.
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• Example(s):
  • a VP of Engineering at a software company, who manages multiple engineering teams developing cloud-based solutions.
  • a VP of Engineering in a hardware firm, responsible for overseeing the development and production of new electronic devices.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO), who focuses on financial planning and management, not engineering leadership.
• See: Chief Technical Officer, Director of Engineering, VP of AI.

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References

2017

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  • QUOTE: The VP Engineering role traditionally includes multiple aspects:
    • Personnel management – for small teams (up to 10 FTE), the VP Engineering is the direct supervisor of the technical staff. For larger teams (> 10 FTE), the VP E often manages contributing engineering managers, who serve as the direct supervisor of the technical staff. For teams at scale (> 100 FTE), the VP E’s direct reports will typically be senior level engineering directors, who in turn manage engineering managers.
    • Program management and engineering execution – the VP Engineering is responsible for ensuring that the product vision is realized through excellence in execution. There is typically an overall program plan that incorporates all inter-dependencies between functional disciplines (e.g. mechanical, electrical, controls, software), which in turn is a part of a company program plan that incorporates inter-dependencies between departments (e.g. engineering, marketing, business development)
    • Technical leadership – the VP Engineering is responsible for co-developing the technical strategy with the CTO, and for developing and maintaining a technical roadmap that will continue to innovate from a technical standpoint. The VP Engineering may personally serve as a systems architect, or may assign another engineer to assume that role.
    • Strategy development – the VP Engineering serves as part of the senior staff, working in an interdisciplinary manner with their peers in other departments (e.g. VP Marketing, VP Business Development, VP Manufacturing and Ops) as well as the CEO, CTO, and COO (if present) to develop company strategy and product strategy.
    • The VP Engineering is traditionally responsible for managing the annual bottom-up budget for the engineering department, which is often the biggest cost center for a technology-based startup. This includes: headcount, consulting spend, prototyping costs, equipment cost, travel and entertainment, professional development, patent costs and more.

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