Many Hats

Even in a small company the VP of Engineering role is multi-dimensional, requiring a variety of skills and experience. Clearly this person comes from a technical background with some years of individual contributor history under his/her belt. Over time, increasing success in making a group of engineers productive and innovative adds essential skills. Earning the respect of the other professionals enables him/her to both lead and manage the overall group.

An Engineering VP wears many “hats” so to speak. Most likely, some hats are more comfortable than others even if they all must somewhat fit. Technical project manager and recruiter of engineering talent are roles that are most seen and valued by the members of the engineering team. However, it’s also essential that the VP be skilled at “managing up”, interacting appropriately with the CEO and often the Board of Directors. In addition, a successful company depends on close communication and coordination between the various functional groups.

So while it’s definitely important that the head of Engineering skillfully manages the engineering work being done it can all be for naught if the VP is ineffective at dealing with his/her peers and the CEO. Well, the job wouldn’t be interesting if it were easy, no?