Job Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the person at this position include developing, implementing, administering and managing a particular organization. Key strategies have to be developed and implemented by the vice president at the senior position. These strategies should be decided after a thorough analysis of various factors and should be based on the goals of a particular company.
They have to manage several brands of the company and would be the person whom the client will contact at the senior positions of the organization. They will have to oversee the annual budget preparation besides developing legal, financial, and managerial along with the Information Technology structures. The responsibility of coaching and guiding managers for successful completion of projects is also the responsibility of the Vice President. Important closings are to be made as required besides maintaining positive and strong links with all of the company's stakeholders. He is answerable to the company's president.
A senior level executive can express opinions about things that are not his/her field of expertise. It is necessary for the growth of a company that its various departments should work in the general same direction. A lot of senior presidents realize that the job of the senior president can be the pinnacle of the career. Some of them change their company at this phase of their career. Others are satisfied with their career and continue to work at the senior president position till they retire.
These are the job responsibilities of a vice president as the senior executive job of an organization. Besides having the educational qualifications he or she should have other qualities also. First of all, let us see what are the educational qualifications a "senior vice president" should possess.
Requirements
Academic
The educational qualification required for the Senior Vice Presidents of the company starts with a minimum undergraduate degree in the field of business management. A post-graduate degree would be an added advantage. A well completed degree from a reputed institution would always be preferred by companies. Performance is given more importance by the employers than the educational qualifications. But this does not imply that having a few years of work experience can get you the job of a 'senior vice president'. If there are two people with all the required qualification and same level of experience the education could become an important factor, since the candidate with more educational qualifications would be preferred for the position.
Skill Sets
As mentioned before, the Vice President at the senior most level of an organization should possess excellent delegation and leadership skills. You have to manage a lot of people working under you efficiently. A thorough knowledge on the job is another requirement.
Training
Generally, the training provided to a person at the level of senior president is found to be very extensive and covers all the aspects of the job. This is because of the responsibilities associated with the job of vice president. The "senior vice presidents" are found in large companies and MNCs only. Hence the responsibilities are also likely to be more.
Prior Experience
Generally candidates with a minimum of 8 to 10 years of experience are considered for the position of the Senior Vice President. A good employment history would surely be an advantage for the candidate. Try to gain as much knowledge on the business as possible within this time period.
Employment Outlook
Career Prospects
The job of the Senior Vice President is very challenging as well as interesting. Contrary to what the terms president and vice-president of an organization imply, there is no rule that a Senior Vice President would be chosen as the preferred candidate for the position of President as well. Vice presidents can be promoted to the top most levels of an organization, if he/she possesses the right skills. For many individuals the vice president job is the apex of their career. You can look forward to working for other larger companies, if the new job suits you.
Salaries
A senior vice president job is inclusive of an attractive pay package and depends on the organization you are working for and the experience you have. A senior president can earn up to $400,000 in a year.
Be dedicated to your work from the beginning, so that you would be the preferred candidate for the senior positions that crop up later on.
The designation of a Senior Vice President comes with a lot of responsibilities and obligations along with the larger than life remunerations and perks. So candidates considering this job position should be ready to take the work pressure.