View Alert

Statewide occupation search

Sort your search results or select and compare details of two occupations. Find out if an occupation is in demand or not in demand in your local area, at Learn about an occupation.

Print

Chief Executives

Determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body. Plan, direct, or coordinate operational activities at the highest level of management with the help of subordinate executives and staff managers.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Conduct or direct investigations or hearings to resolve complaints or violations of laws, or testify at such hearings.
    • Direct, plan, or implement policies, objectives, or activities of organizations or businesses to ensure continuing operations, to maximize returns on investments, or to increase productivity.
    • Appoint department heads or managers and assign or delegate responsibilities to them.
    • Direct human resources activities, including the approval of human resource plans or activities, the selection of directors or other high-level staff, or establishment or organization of major departments.
    • Make presentations to legislative or other government committees regarding policies, programs, or budgets.
    • Prepare bylaws approved by elected officials, and ensure that bylaws are enforced.
    • Direct or conduct studies or research on issues affecting areas of responsibility.
    • Represent organizations or promote their objectives at official functions, or delegate representatives to do so.
    • Establish departmental responsibilities and coordinate functions among departments and sites.
    • Prepare budgets for approval, including those for funding or implementation of programs.
    • Prepare or present reports concerning activities, expenses, budgets, government statutes or rulings, or other items affecting businesses or program services.
    • Nominate citizens to boards or commissions.
    • Deliver speeches, write articles, or present information at meetings or conventions to promote services, exchange ideas, or accomplish objectives.
    • Direct, plan, or implement policies, objectives, or activities of organizations or businesses to ensure continuing operations, to maximize returns on investments, or to increase productivity.
    • Prepare or present reports concerning activities, expenses, budgets, government statutes or rulings, or other items affecting businesses or program services.
    • Direct or coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
    • Negotiate or approve contracts or agreements with suppliers, distributors, federal or state agencies, or other organizational entities.
    • Appoint department heads or managers and assign or delegate responsibilities to them.
    • Review and analyze legislation, laws, or public policy and recommend changes to promote or support interests of the general population or special groups.
    • Represent organizations or promote their objectives at official functions, or delegate representatives to do so.
    • Direct non-merchandising departments, such as advertising, purchasing, credit, or accounting.
    • Confer with board members, organization officials, or staff members to discuss issues, coordinate activities, or resolve problems.
    • Analyze operations to evaluate performance of a company or its staff in meeting objectives or to determine areas of potential cost reduction, program improvement, or policy change.
    • Direct or coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
    • Direct or conduct studies or research on issues affecting areas of responsibility.
    • Refer major policy matters to elected representatives for final decisions.
    • Preside over, or serve on, boards of directors, management committees, or other governing boards.
    • Organize or approve promotional campaigns.
    • Serve as liaisons between organizations, shareholders, and outside organizations.
    • Direct or coordinate activities of businesses involved with buying or selling investment products or financial services.
    • Coordinate the development or implementation of budgetary control systems, recordkeeping systems, or other administrative control processes.
    • Direct or coordinate an organization's financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
    • Interpret and explain policies, rules, regulations, or laws to organizations, government or corporate officials, or individuals.
    • Review and analyze legislation, laws, or public policy and recommend changes to promote or support interests of the general population or special groups.
    • Conduct or direct investigations or hearings to resolve complaints or violations of laws, or testify at such hearings.
    • Direct, plan, or implement policies, objectives, or activities of organizations or businesses to ensure continuing operations, to maximize returns on investments, or to increase productivity.
    • Implement corrective action plans to solve organizational or departmental problems.
    • Review reports submitted by staff members to recommend approval or to suggest changes.
    • Administer programs for selection of sites, construction of buildings, or provision of equipment or supplies.
    • Direct non-merchandising departments, such as advertising, purchasing, credit, or accounting.
    • Attend and participate in meetings of municipal councils or council committees.
    • Establish departmental responsibilities and coordinate functions among departments and sites.

    Skills

    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.

    Abilities

    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.

    Knowledge

    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    Education

    Education
    Bachelor's degree
    Work Experience
    5 years or more work experience
    Training
    No on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    208,000+/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    100+/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    5,680
    Yearly Projected Openings
    490

    Personality

    Enterprising: People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Leadership
    • Initiative
    • Persistence
    • Analytical Thinking
    • Achievement/Effort
    • Integrity

    Tools

    • Desktop calculator
    • Desktop computers
    • High capacity removable media drives
    • Mobile phones
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers

    Technology

    • Accounting software
    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Content workflow software
    • Customer relationship management CRM software
    • Data base management system software
    • Data base reporting software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Desktop publishing software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise application integration software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Financial analysis software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Human resources software
    • Internet browser software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Time accounting software
    • Web platform development software
    • Word processing software