VP, Growth

Career Guide

A VP, Growth leads company-wide efforts to increase revenue by improving how the business attracts, converts, retains, and expands customers. The role blends marketing, product strategy, data-driven experimentation, and cross-functional leadership to find repeatable ways to scale growth efficiently.

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Key Responsibilities

Set the growth strategy and targets (e.g., revenue growth, customer acquisition, retention) aligned to company goals.
Own the customer journey across key stages: awareness, conversion, onboarding, retention, and expansion.
Lead growth programs and experiments (A/B tests, new channels, pricing/packaging trials) and scale what works.
Partner with Product, Sales, and Customer Success to improve activation, retention, and customer lifetime value.
Build and manage the growth team (e.g., performance marketing, lifecycle/CRM, analytics, partnerships), including hiring and coaching.
Create a measurement system: dashboards, reporting cadence, and clear definitions for key metrics.
Manage growth budgets and ensure efficient spend (customer acquisition cost, return on ad spend, payback period).
Improve go-to-market execution, including positioning, messaging tests, and channel mix.
Identify new growth opportunities such as new customer segments, new markets, strategic partnerships, or new distribution models.
Present performance and plans to executives/board; communicate tradeoffs and expected outcomes.

Top Skills for Success

Growth strategy and prioritization (choosing the highest-impact bets)

Experiment design and execution (rapid testing and learning loops)

Data fluency: metrics, dashboards, and decision-making from evidence

Customer acquisition channel expertise (paid, organic, partnerships)

Lifecycle growth: onboarding, engagement, retention, and reactivation

Pricing and packaging thinking (how offers drive conversion and expansion)

Cross-functional leadership with Product, Sales, and Customer Success

Clear communication to executives and stakeholders (narratives, tradeoffs)

Budget ownership and efficiency management

Team building: hiring, coaching, and performance management

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Chief Growth Officer (CGO)

Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

VP/Head of Marketing

VP/Head of Product (growth-focused)

General Manager (GM) / Business Unit Leader

Transition Opportunities

Founder/Operator roles in early-stage startups

Consulting/advisory for go-to-market and growth

Revenue leadership roles (e.g., VP, Revenue Operations in some orgs)

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Proving end-to-end ownership (from strategy to execution to measurable results) rather than only channel expertiseRetention and expansion experience (many candidates skew toward acquisition only)Comfort with product-led growth and working closely with product teamsStrong measurement discipline (clean definitions, causal thinking, avoiding misleading metrics)Executive-level storytelling (clear plans, risks, and resource asks)Scaling systems: process, hiring, and operating cadence as the team grows

Development SuggestionsBuild a portfolio of 3–5 measurable growth wins with clear baselines, actions taken, and impact. Strengthen retention and activation by owning lifecycle programs. Practice executive communication by turning analyses into simple narratives with decisions and tradeoffs. If you lack product partnership experience, lead a cross-functional initiative with Product to improve onboarding or reduce churn.

Market Intelligence Report

VP, Growth is part of the Marketing Strategy category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

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Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry Level$180k–$250k base (Director/Head of Growth stepping into VP scope); total comp often $230k–$400k including bonus/equity

Mid Level$250k–$350k base; total comp often $350k–$600k (bonus/equity varies widely by company stage)

Senior Level$350k–$500k+ base; total comp often $600k–$1M+ in larger/public companies or high-growth startups

Growth Trend

Strong demand in software, marketplaces, fintech, and consumer apps. Hiring remains selective, with emphasis on proven impact, efficient growth (not just spend), and cross-functional leadership.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

GoogleMetaAmazonShopifySalesforceMicrosoftUberAirbnbStripeIntuitDoorDashTikTokLinkedIn

Industry Sectors

B2B software (SaaS)E-commerce and retail technologyMarketplaces (two-sided platforms)Fintech and paymentsConsumer subscriptions and mediaMobile apps and gamingTravel and on-demand servicesHealthcare technology

Recommended Next Steps

Define your target company type (startup vs. enterprise, B2B vs. B2C) and map the growth metrics that matter most for that environment.

Create a one-page “Growth Scorecard” for your current/last business: key metrics, what moved, and what you led.

Prepare 2–3 deep case studies for interviews (one acquisition, one retention/activation, one strategic bet like pricing/packaging or partnerships).

Audit your skill mix: if acquisition-heavy, take ownership of lifecycle/retention; if product-heavy, strengthen channel strategy and budget management.

Develop a 30/60/90-day plan template for a VP, Growth role (diagnose → prioritize → run tests → scale) and tailor it per company.

Network with product and revenue leaders (VP Product, VP Sales, VP Customer Success) since VP, Growth hiring is heavily cross-functional.

If job searching, target roles titled VP Growth, Head of Growth, Growth Marketing VP, or GM Growth; read the scope carefully to confirm ownership and resources.