A village head , village headman or village chief is the leader of a village, hamlet, or other type of settlement too small to have their own mayor.

Unlike the position of mayor, denoting a leader of a city, town or other large settlements with its own incorporated government, the title of village head may be purely ceremonial or even entirely unofficial, simply denoting an individual which commands sizeable political and social influence in a given area. This is especially the case in the modern era, as increased urbanization and advances in communication mean that most villages are subject to some form of local government already, and thus the need for local chiefs has decreased. However, in some countries, village heads continue to exist as an official government position analogous to that of a mayor, or at the very least as a consultative or representative role that mediates between small communities and higher levels of government.