Skills & Competencies for VP of Software Engineering

VP of Software Engineering job profile

JOB SUMMARY for VP of Software Engineering

Establishes and directs the strategic long term goals, policies and procedures for an organization's software development program.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for VP of Software Engineering

Oversees the development, release, and maintenance of software applications in accordance with business needs.

VP of Software Engineering SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$263,614
TOTAL 50%
$318,259
Job Level
M06
Job Code
EX05000290
Education/Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Reports To
Top Management

VP of Software Engineering Skills and Competencies List

Proficiency Levels and Behavioural Indicators
Salary.com identifies five increasing levels of proficiency for each skill/competency. Some jobs require only a relatively low level of proficiency in each skill/competency, while other jobs will require a more advanced level of proficiency in the same skill/competency. These levels rate the degree of proficiency (skill level, expertise) we expect the incumbent to perform in the given skill/competency for the given job. Note that we intentionally do not associate timeframes or years of experience in performing the skill/competency because that can be misleading. Proficiency levels identify what the incumbent knows and can do rather than how long they have been doing it. Also, note that the proficiency levels are cumulative, e.g., a level 4 proficiency implies the ability to perform all the behaviors at the lower levels.
Check each VP of Software Engineering skill and competencie below to view definitions.

5 hard skills or competencies (industry competencies) for VP of Software Engineering

1 Industry Competency – Software Engineering
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Applying computer science and engineering principles, methods, and practices to design, develop, deploy, and maintain reliable software systems.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Cites examples of testing techniques used to ensure the efficiency and reliability of software products.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in performing software testing to identify code errors, bugs, and inconsistencies.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements new and updated software engineering processes that adhere to regulatory standards.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Develops software verification plans to ensure intuitive and robust product features.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Conceptualizes new software testing methods to deliver high-quality products that meet organizational objectives.
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2 Industry Competency – Application Development
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Creating and deploying application software and providing necessary maintenance and upgrades to ensure competitiveness.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Cites the differences between commonly used application development methodologies.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in the troubleshooting of basic application software issues.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Administers validation and verification testing to inspect new applications' functionality before deployment.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Decides which application development methodology best suits the project's goals.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Advocates the adoption of the latest tools, programming techniques, and equipment to improve application development.
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3 VP of Software Engineering - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - VP of Software Engineering
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - VP of Software Engineering
Proficiency Level - 5

3 general skills or competencies (Job family competencies) for VP of Software Engineering

1 Job Family Competencies – Cloud Computing
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Providing on-demand computing services that allow users to store, manage, and process their data remotely.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Cites examples of public cloud computing architectures and services.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in developing automated solutions using cloud-based server-less computing platforms.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Analyzes various applications and platforms to automate and orchestrate cloud computing activities.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Consults on emerging cloud computing technologies to improve our operational efficiency.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Builds security programs to elevate our security posture within a cloud computing infrastructure.
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2 Job Family Competencies – DevOps
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Automating and integrating the efforts of IT operations and development teams to deliver software applications faster.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains the advantages and disadvantages of DevOps implementation.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Identifies defects and tracks bugs to ensure continuous operations of the software development lifecycle.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Evaluates each release automation and generate reports to improve future releases.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Monitors and alerts the team about the impact and risk of DevOps changes.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops automated security and compliance capabilities in support of DevOps processes.
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3 VP of Software Engineering - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - VP of Software Engineering
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - VP of Software Engineering
Proficiency Level - 5

11 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for VP of Software Engineering

1 Core Competencies – Budgeting
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Applying specific policies, tools and practices to plan and prepare projected revenues, expenses, cash flows, and capital expenditures.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains the different purposes and uses of our organization's budgets.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Produces budget reports showing planned vs. actual variances highlighted and explained.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Reviews and helps approve major budget adjustments to negotiate and reconcile line variances.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Monitors budgeting processes to ensure adherence to our organization's financial practices and standards.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Forecasts asset needs to leverage available inventory and data compilation for annual budgeting.
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2 Core Competencies – Planning and Organizing
Proficiency Level -5
Skill definition-Managing and prioritizing resources and workloads by creating well-organized plans to attain organizational goals and objectives.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains the importance of planning and organization in building a good working environment.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Identifies key implications of ineffective planning and organization that affects decision-making.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Leverages key performance indicators to measure progress completion against performance metrics.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Manages the planning and sequencing of activities to create well-planned schedules and achieve goals on time.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes standards for planning and organization processes to align efforts with business goals.
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3 VP of Software Engineering - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - VP of Software Engineering
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - VP of Software Engineering
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of VP of Software Engineering skills and competencies

There are 5 hard skills for VP of Software Engineering, Software Engineering, Application Development, Mobile Application QA, etc.
3 general skills for VP of Software Engineering, Cloud Computing, DevOps, Software Development Life Cycle.
11 soft skills for VP of Software Engineering, Budgeting, Planning and Organizing, Goal Setting, etc.
While the list totals 19 distinct skills, it's important to note that not all are required to be mastered to the same degree. Some skills may only need a basic understanding, whereas others demand a higher level of expertise.
For instance, as a VP of Software Engineering, he or she needs to be skilled in Budgeting, be an expert in Planning and Organizing, and be an expert in Goal Setting.

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