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%
$267,857
TOTAL 50%
$323,382
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)
Defines the concepts, components, and methodologies used in software engineering.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Follows established guidelines and standards when carrying out basic software maintenance tasks.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Operates complex quality assurance tools to test and evaluate software products before deployment.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Directs the implementation of testing procedures to improve the usability of software products.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Designs and builds news software engineering tools to drive efficiency in operations.
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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 established processes used to develop and maintain codebases.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Complies with established guidelines when writing, testing, and debugging codes.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Delegates coding, testing, debugging, and analytics tasks to ensure the timely development of applications.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Defines and outlines our organization's current application software strategies to relevant departments.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes standards and procedures when designing, building, testing, and updating applications.
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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)
Describes the difference between public cloud technology and traditional computing.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists with transitioning cloud computing databases and software as a service technology.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements innovative solutions to resolve emerging cloud computing problems.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates cloud computing architectures to drive cost reduction in managing IT systems.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Conceptualizes new IT cloud computing products and service offerings to drive business continuity.
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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)
Partners with operational and development teams to bring DevOps software development methodologies to operations.
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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 importance of budget reporting and forecasting in our workplace.
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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)
Provides in-depth training to our entire organization about the zero based budgeting methodology.
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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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