Product Manager jobs

Product manager jobs place an individual in a position of responsibility over a particular product. That may be physical commercial goods for retail, but can include financial products like bank accounts, credit cards and mortgages, plus digital products such as apps and other software.

As a lead product manager, you are ultimately responsible for the product meeting the needs of customers and succeeding commercially: this is called product marketing. For new products still under development, the senior product manager's focus may be less on the end-user and more on ensuring the creative process runs smoothly: this is called product development.

Typical tasks of a product manager

Your tasks will depend on your level of seniority. A junior product manager may be allocated one part of a larger product, for example the live chat feature on a large corporate website. Digital product managers often work as part of a larger development team, with each manager coordinating development or updates to a single component in a larger application or software suite.

Product manager jobs are efficiency-driven. It is your duty as senior product manager to identify which features need more work and prioritise development on the most important areas. Again, this can be easier for digital product managers, as you can assign teams and individuals to work on specific modules before compiling them as part of the overall application.

During initial development and generational updates, you may also be responsible for choosing which desired features are left out due to time, budget or personnel constraints. The decisions you take will have material impacts on the finished product and its commercial success, making lead product manager jobs challenging but rewarding roles.

Qualifications required for a product manager job

There are no specific prerequisites to apply for product manager jobs, especially junior product manager jobs where you may be offered training by your employer. A degree will help strengthen your application but is not always necessary. A recognised qualification in marketing or market research will be beneficial if you are applying for a product marketing role.

If you do not have relevant qualifications, reputation is important. Positive references from previous employers and proof of working in marketing or product development jobs can all help ensure your application is advanced to interview stage.

Hard/soft skills needed for a product manager job

Product manager jobs require a variety of hard skills. In digital product manager jobs you will need strong computer skills and may need expertise in programming languages, especially if you are directly involved with the development of an app or program.

As this is a managerial role, it's likely you will be required to lead a team working on your product. Effective communication and teamwork will help with this, especially in junior product manager jobs where the hierarchical distance between you and your subordinates may be closer. A general understanding of consumer markets and buyer behaviour will help you make decisions about product development and promotional activities.