The assistant vice president’s primary responsibility is to assist the vice president in any way necessary. As an assistant in this capacity, you oversee basic business functions and supervise employees; however, many of your additional duties may be determined by the industry or branch of the company that the position is in.

Employee Supervision

As an assistant vice president, one of your core responsibilities is supervising employees. You may be required to conduct performance reviews, which you would then submit and discuss with your supervisor. You will need to work with the heads of various company departments to ensure that they are working well together, and be prepared to help resolve any problems that may arise with the staff. For a company whose focus is on sales, for example, you may be responsible for setting sales quotas and working with the sales force to ensure that those quotas are met.

Business Development

As a part of your role in assisting the vice president, you need to be proficient in a variety of business development roles. The vice president is usually the second-in-charge of a company, but in some companies the president is a figurehead, leaving more duties to be passed down to the vice president and subsequently to you.

One of the business responsibilities you may have is formulating and implementing strategies and policies with various department heads. You may also be responsible for working with finance employees to develop a budget, and finding ways to make the company more economical in order to get more use out of that budget. The ability to establish new business contacts and maintain business relationships is also an important skill to have.

Corporate Social Responsibility

In some companies, this role includes promoting social welfare within the company with various activities and policies. These activities can include employees, stakeholders and the community. Some policies that fall under the corporate social responsibility rubric may include anti-corruption measures, eco-friendly policies and positive working conditions. Duties may include formulating and implementing these policies, which can improve business relations and public perception of the company.

Education and Skills

To be an assistant vice president, you must be organized and creative. You must display the ability to work well within a team and lead other employees with confidence. Academically, you need at least a bachelor’s degree, though experience is also very important. To qualify for this position, you need experience in management -- specifically in project management and handling a large team of staff. For a position in a specialized field, such as sales, finance or medicine, you may also need experience in that field.