Product Development Manager

A Product Development Manager specializes in the new products development and planning. They are responsible for finding opportunities in the marketing of consumer products and consumer services. Persons involved in product development must have skills and understanding in marketing research, sales forecasting, and promotional planning. Their mission is to successful take a product from concept to commercialization.

PERSONALITY SYNOPSIS - Common traits of a Product Development manager include a unique combination of creative and analytical talents. They must be able to conceptualize new ideas, research the new ideas, and evaluate them objectively from a market and financial standpoint. It's important that they have a high degree of tolerance for uncertainty since new product development is ever changing.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Managing the entire product line life cycle from strategic planning to tactical activities, specifying market requirements for current and future products by conducting market research supported by on-going visits to customers and non-customers. Driving a solution set across development teams (primarily Development/Engineering, and Marketing Communications) through market requirements, product contract, and positioning. Developing and implementing a company-wide go-to-market plan, working with all departments to execute. Analyzing potential partner relationships for the product.

As Product Development Manager, you will guide a team that is charged with a product line contribution as a business unit.

This extends from increasing the profitability of existing products to developing new products for the company.

You will build products from existing ideas, and help to develop new ideas based on your industry experience and your contact with customers and prospects. You must possess a unique blend of business and technical savvy; a big-picture vision, and the drive to make that vision a reality. You must enjoy spending time in the market to understand their problems, and find innovative solutions for the broader market. You must be able to communicate with all areas of the company.

You will work with an engineering counterpart to define product release requirements. You will work with marketing communications to define the go-to-market strategy, helping them understand the product positioning, key benefits, and target customer. You will also serve as the internal and external reference for your product offering, occasionally working with the sales channel and key customers. A product development manager's key role is strategic, not tactical. The other organizations will support your strategic efforts; you won't be supporting their tactical tasks.