You're the senior executive responsible for research across an organization — overseeing scientists and the research portfolio that produces the knowledge or evidence the organization depends on. The role lives between senior scientific leadership and executive strategy.
Related occupations pay a median of $161K, and jobs in this field are projected to grow 4% through 2034.
Most days tend to involve a blend of executive leadership work, research oversight, and external relationships — leadership team meetings, methodology and program reviews, and engagement with academic, government, or industry partners. You'll often spend part of the time on strategic priorities — research direction, capability investment, partnership development — and part on active programs where senior judgment matters.
The hardest part is often balancing scientific rigor against the practical demands of the organization the research serves. You'll typically defend methodological standards that make findings durable, while delivering against the cycles that fund the work. Political dynamics around inconvenient findings are real.
People who tend to thrive here are scientifically expert, strategically minded, and politically literate. The trade-off is the long horizon of research outcomes and the chronic resource pressure that research functions face. If you find satisfaction in leading the work that produces the knowledge an organization or field actually relies on, this role offers one of the most influential seats in scientific leadership.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
You're the senior executive responsible for research across an organization — overseeing scientists and the research portfolio that produces the knowledge or evidence the organization depends on. The role lives between senior scientific leadership and executive strategy.
Median pay for a vp of research (vice president of research) is about $161K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $80K to $208K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Science, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 3.7% through 2034, with roughly 100,870 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Analytical Services Manager, Research Development Director, and Geochemical Manager.
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