Product Manager
Product managers are senior-level employees that are in charge of guiding the success of a product from product conception all the way through its launch. They play a pivotal role in making strategic product development and marketing decisions to drive sales and profit margins of a company. By leading a cross-functional team within the company, product managers ensure that the product vision, as well as the company’s overall goals, are aligned and executed successfully.
Explore the job descriptions, responsibilities, qualifications needed, and the future career path of a product manager with Links Recruitment. On this page, you will find all the information you need to know about Product Managers whether you are an employer looking to hire a product manager or an individual aiming to become a product manager themselves.
What is Working as a Product Manager Like?
As a product manager, you are the team leader and communication bridge between internal teams and key stakeholders. You design and implement strategic operational plans for product development and marketing to ensure that growth objectives of each product are achieved on time and on budget with optimal customer satisfaction and return of investment.
The following activities and responsibilities are typically included in a product manager job description:
- Develop and execute the vision, strategy and roadmap of products or product lines by gathering and analysing business intelligence from internal and external sources
- Watch over the entirety of a product’s life cycle from concept, design, sample production, testing, forecast, costs, mass production, promotion, and support
- Oversee and collaborate with the development team, designers, project managers, technical team, marketing, and business personnel to generate, develop, and deliver marketable products that meet regulations and requirements
- Conduct research, testing, market analysis, and data insights to make informed strategic decisions, resolve risks, and come up with creative solutions
- Engage key stakeholders and coordinate with relevant internal departments to ensure that strategic goals, timeline, and objectives of products are met
- Liaise with the marketing and business team to optimise the product marketability
- Identify gaps and opportunities in the market based on competitive conditions and customer insights for new product ideas and development
A product manager’s job is becoming increasingly important as it is all about building and implementing the vision for a successful product. It requires a broad range of skills and qualifications to do it well.
- Degree holder in any disciplines with minimum 6 years of experience in product development or product management (background in software development, technology, and engineering is preferred for more tech-focused companies)
- Exemplary analytical and problem-solving skills
- Highly organised with the capacity to prioritise, make strategic decisions, work well under pressure, multitask, and maintain keen attention to detail
- Excellent team-building and relationship-building ability
- A driven and enthusiastic leader that is able to communicate and work effectively with different departments within the company
Although it takes at least 6 years of experience to become a product manager, there are multiple ways to do so. People who are from a more business and marketing background or an engineering and programming position can move up to become an associate product manager if they show managerial or leadership characteristics and demonstrate an understanding of what product management is. In this role, Associate Product Managers do not set product strategies or design their own product roadmap like Project Managers do but they may instead start smaller and set priorities for their own projects.
When a product manager gets promoted, they will move on to more senior marketing roles such as marketing manager, product marketing manager, senior product manager, or product development manager. After gaining enough experience and knowledge, these individuals can continue on to become managing director or vice president of the company.
Product managers tend to have about 6 to 12 years of experience. Salaries differ depending on the years of experience and the specific industries. You can find the approximate salary for a product manager as a reference here:
| Position | No. of Year Experience | Hong Kong Monthly Salary (HKD) | Singapore Monthly Salary (SGD) | China Monthly Salary (RMB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product Development VP | 8 – 12 | 70K – 100K | 10K – 14K | 35K – 45K |
| Product Manager | 8 + | 30K – 70K | 7K – 11K | 15K – 30K |
| Associate Product Manager | 6 – 8 | 26K – 38K | 4.5K – 6K | 15K – 30K |
Find out more about salary trends for different sectors and levels of experience with Link’s International’s comprehensive Asia Salary Guide.
Looking for a Product Manager Job?
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