This reflects what we see from the recruiter’s side of the table, which is a useful vantage point when you are planning your own next move. Getting promoted to VP in a device company depends less on performing your current role excellently than on demonstrating that you already operate at the level above it. Companies promote people who have visibly been doing VP-level work, and the positioning that matters happens over years rather than in the months before a role opens.
Key Takeaways
- Promotion follows evidence of already operating at the next level.
- Own outcomes, not just functions, to build the right track record.
- Build visibility with decision-makers beyond your direct manager.
- Develop the cross-functional fluency VP roles require.
- Ask directly what the gap is and address it concretely.
Demonstrate the Level Before You Hold It
The most reliable route to a VP role is to be visibly doing VP-level work before the promotion, taking on scope beyond your remit, making decisions with wider consequences, and representing the function credibly to senior leadership and the board. Companies rarely promote on potential alone at this level, particularly in regulated businesses where the consequences of a wrong promotion are significant. This means the work of positioning is to accumulate evidence rather than to make a case at the moment a role opens.
Own Outcomes, Not Just Functions
Directors are typically evaluated on running a function well; VPs are evaluated on outcomes that cross functions. Positioning for the step means seeking ownership of something with a genuine outcome attached, a product line, a program, a remediation, a launch, where you must make tradeoffs across regulatory, quality, commercial, and operational considerations. This experience is what makes a promotion case, and it is also what makes the role survivable once you get it. Volunteering for the difficult cross-functional assignment is usually more career-advancing than executing your current remit flawlessly.
Build Visibility Beyond Your Manager
Promotion decisions at VP level typically involve several senior stakeholders, and being known and credible to them matters. This is not politicking; it is ensuring that the people who will make the decision have direct evidence of your judgment rather than relying on a single manager’s description. Presenting to leadership, participating in cross-functional forums, and handling visible problems well all build this. Professionals who are excellent but invisible outside their reporting line are frequently surprised when the promotion goes elsewhere.
Ask What the Gap Is, and Believe the Answer
Many people never ask directly what would need to be true for them to be promoted, and then guess wrongly about what is holding them back. Asking your manager and, where possible, a more senior sponsor for a specific answer, and pressing past the encouraging generalities, is uncomfortable but efficient. Then address the gap concretely and visibly. If the answers you receive are consistently vague or shifting, that itself is information, and it may indicate that the opportunity lies elsewhere rather than that you have not yet done enough.
What This Looks Like in Practice
A professional positioning for a VP promotion seeks ownership of cross-functional outcomes rather than functional excellence alone, builds direct visibility with the senior stakeholders who will decide, develops the regulatory, clinical, and commercial fluency the role requires, and asks directly what the gap is and addresses it concretely.
The Mistake Candidates Keep Making
The most common mistake is assuming that excellent performance in the current role is the path to the next one, and waiting to be recognised. Directors who execute flawlessly but never take cross-functional risk accumulate evidence of being excellent directors rather than evidence of operating at VP level. The professional mistakes performing the current job for demonstrating readiness for the next, and is passed over by someone with a broader, messier track record.
What Promotion Committees Look For
| Evidence | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Cross-functional outcome ownership | Shows VP-level tradeoff judgment |
| Direct visibility with decision-makers | They rely on their own evidence |
| Regulatory and commercial fluency | VP roles require integration |
| Handling of visible difficulty | Predicts performance under pressure |
| Sponsorship | Someone senior advocating credibly |
The Bottom Line
Positioning for a VP promotion in MedTech means accumulating visible evidence that you already operate at that level, through cross-functional outcome ownership, direct visibility with decision-makers, and integrative fluency, rather than performing your current role excellently and waiting to be recognised. The candidates who move well are rarely the ones who started looking last month; they are the ones who prepared before they needed to.
Related Reading
For more, see Career Paths from Engineer to Medical Device Executive, Skills Medical Device Companies Will Value Most in 2026, Executive Coaching for Aspiring MedTech CEOs.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What most influences a VP promotion decision?
- A: Visible evidence that the candidate already operates at that level, particularly ownership of cross-functional outcomes requiring tradeoffs across regulatory, quality, commercial, and operational considerations.
- Q: Is excelling in my current role enough?
- A: Usually not; flawless functional execution accumulates evidence of being an excellent director rather than evidence of VP-level judgment, which requires broader, riskier scope.
- Q: Why does visibility beyond my manager matter?
- A: Because VP promotion decisions typically involve several senior stakeholders who weigh their own direct evidence of your judgment rather than a single manager’s description.
- Q: Should I ask what is holding me back?
- A: Yes; asking directly and pressing past encouraging generalities is uncomfortable but efficient, and vague or shifting answers are themselves informative.
- Q: How long does positioning take?
- A: Typically years, since it depends on accumulating a track record of cross-functional outcomes and building credibility with senior stakeholders, not on advocacy when a role opens.
![](https://www.jrgpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/tanya-gallardo.jpeg")
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.
