Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a person in authority; one who holds a superior rank (to oneself).

1908		B. Fisher A. Mutt in Blackbeard Compilation (1977) 44: Mutt is merely the fall guy. We are after the ‘higher up’, Cicero Mutt, and I will land Cicero in the jug.
[1914		H. Hershfield Abie the Agent 13 Mar. [synd. cartoon strip] Let us use one of your autos in a moving picture called ‘The Man Higher Up’].
1916		C. Sandburg ‘To a Contemporary Bunkshooter’ in Chicago Poems 61: Higher-ups among the con men of Jerusalem.
1927		H. Asbury Gangs of N.Y. 258: An attack upon the policeman would prove to the political higher-ups that the Hudson Dusters really controlled their territory.
1932		(con. 1917–19) Dos Passos Nineteen Nineteen in USA (1966) 508: The higherups sent him from one to the other.
1935		D. Lamson We Who Are About to Die 202: The higher-up hands out orders to the cop.
1941		A. Lomax Mister Jelly Roll (1952) 181: He simply could not compete with these Chicago higher-ups in the rackets.
1953		‘William Lee’ Junkie (1966) 55: He would speak of the higher-ups in a voice of sepulchral awe.
1977		B. Davidson Collura (1978) 108: Do you think this dude knows any of the higher-ups on the distributor level?
1981		H. Gould Fort Apache, The Bronx 15: So they nailed a runner with some slips, or even broke up a bank if the higher ups wanted headlines.
1993		T. Jones Pugilist at Rest 120: He says the higher-ups want me fired.
1998		P. Doyle (con. late 1950s) Amaze Your Friends (2019) 212: ‘He was told by the higher-ups to make himself scarce’.
2004		E. Cutler A Thorn in My Pocket 10: The higher-ups were sympathetic about the casualties but adamantly against an official report.
2010		(con. 1973) C. Stella Johnny Porno 54: Detective Kelly [...] brokered a deal with higher-ups for Hastings to leasve the department without losing any of his pension.