As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I offer this VP of R&D job description template as a working document, not a formality. The template below covers responsibilities, requirements, and KPIs; the sections after it explain how to adapt each element to your mandate, because the specification is the search’s first act of persuasion.
Key Takeaways: Writing a VP of R&D Job Description That Works
- The VP of R&D owns the research and development portfolio and organization, advancing the pipeline or roadmap with scientific rigor, portfolio discipline, and delivery credibility.
- The specification is a sales document and a filter simultaneously; it should attract precisely and repel usefully.
- Every requirement should survive the question ‘would we reject a great candidate lacking this?’, most lists cannot.
- Committee alignment on the KPIs before posting prevents the classic failure of interviewing for one job and hiring for another.
- Describe the portfolio’s stage mix and the decision the company most needs (advance faster, kill smarter, or build new platforms); it orients every strong candidate instantly.
About the VP of R&D Role
Reporting most commonly to the Chief Scientific/Technology Officer or Chief Executive Officer and leading research, development, program management, and labs/technical operations, the role carries the accountabilities in the template below. Treat the template as the market-standard baseline and the customization section as the part that makes it yours.
VP of R&D Job Description Template
Position Summary
[Company] is seeking a VP of R&D. The VP of R&D owns the research and development portfolio and organization, advancing the pipeline or roadmap with scientific rigor, portfolio discipline, and delivery credibility. The position reports to the Chief Scientific/Technology Officer or Chief Executive Officer.Key Responsibilities
- Own R&D portfolio strategy and stage-gate discipline
- Advance programs against milestones with honest go/kill calls
- Lead scientific/technical talent and organization design
- Manage R&D budget and resource allocation
- Drive external innovation: partnerships, CROs, academia
- Ensure research quality, integrity, and documentation standards
- Partner with regulatory/commercial on development strategy
- Translate portfolio status to executive and board clarity
Requirements & Qualifications
- 12+ years R&D leadership; programs advanced through relevant stages
- Advanced degree typical (PhD/MS in field, or equivalent depth)
- Portfolio management with documented kill discipline
- External-partnership and CRO management experience
- Budget command at comparable scale
- Cross-functional development fluency (regulatory, manufacturing)
- Talent record among scientists and engineers
Key Performance Indicators
- Milestone attainment across the portfolio
- Pipeline value progression
- Cycle time per development stage
- R&D spend productivity
- Program success/attrition rates versus benchmark
- External-partnership output
- Scientific-staff retention
Compensation
Mid-market base salaries for this role typically run $225,000-$300,000, scaling substantially with company size and mandate; see our VP of R&D Salary Guide 2026 for full benchmarks by revenue tier, ownership structure, and industry.
How to Customize This Template
Treat every element above as a default awaiting your specifics. Describe the portfolio’s stage mix and the decision the company most needs (advance faster, kill smarter, or build new platforms); it orients every strong candidate instantly. Then prune the requirements to the honest minimum, rank the responsibilities so the first three carry the mandate’s weight, and confirm the KPI list matches how the executive will actually be reviewed, because candidates will hold you to it.
Common Mistakes in VP of R&D Job Descriptions
Audit any specification against five classic errors before posting: unicorn requirement lists, unprioritized responsibility dumps, absent success metrics, insider jargon, and missing compensation context. Strong candidates read these as organizational tells, and they are usually right to.
From Job Description to Hire
Once the document is agreed, invest in the sequence it anchors: market-honest compensation set early, and interviews designed to verify each requirement against evidence. For the interview stage, our VP of R&D interview questions guide pairs directly with this template.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What does a VP of R&D do?
- A: The VP of R&D owns the research and development portfolio and organization, advancing the pipeline or roadmap with scientific rigor, portfolio discipline, and delivery credibility. Day to day, the role centers on own R&D portfolio strategy and stage-gate discipline and advance programs against milestones with honest go/kill calls.
- Q: Who does the VP of R&D report to?
- A: Most commonly the Chief Scientific/Technology Officer or Chief Executive Officer, with the role leading research, development, program management, and labs/technical operations. Reporting-line choices signal the seat’s real weight, and candidates read them that way.
- Q: How many years of experience should a VP of R&D have?
- A: Market-standard specifications ask for 12+ years of relevant progressive leadership, but treat tenure as a proxy: the requirement that matters is demonstrated ownership of the outcomes in the KPI list at comparable scale.
- Q: How does VP of R&D pay compare with chief scientific officer pay?
- A: The CSO typically earns 25-50% more, reflecting enterprise-officer scope and board-facing accountability for the entire scientific strategy; where the VP of R&D is the top scientific seat, price against small-company CSO economics.
- Q: How long should a VP of R&D job description be?
- A: A page externally, with the fuller internal profile behind it. Length signals indecision; precision signals a company worth joining.
- Q: What requirements should we include for a VP of R&D?
- A: Apply one test to each line: would we reject a great candidate who lacks this? If not, move it to preferred, or delete it.
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Tanya Gallardo
Managing Director, Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy
Tanya Gallardo is the Managing Director of Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy at JRG Partners, leading C-suite and Board engagements across key growth sectors including Technology, Financial Services, and Manufacturing.
With over 18 years of experience specializing in disruptive technology leadership, Tanya is recognized as a leading authority on talent architecture for future-focused executive roles, such as the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Her expertise lies in accurately assessing the cultural fit and technical depth required to ensure a high return on investment (ROI) for critical leadership appointments.
Prior to her role at JRG Partners, Tanya held senior roles directing global talent acquisition strategies at a major publicly-traded technology firm, advising on organizational design and succession planning for emerging executive functions. She is a recognized speaker and contributor to industry events, sharing data-driven insights on executive compensation, leadership development, and the measurable business impact of C-suite talent.
