Skills & Competencies for Product Development Director

Product Development Director job profile

JOB SUMMARY for Product Development Director

Oversees and implements product development policies, objectives, and initiatives.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for Product Development Director

Leads research for new products, product enhancements, and product redesign. Evaluates the potential and practicality of products in development.

Product Development Director SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$199,915
TOTAL 50%
$234,000
Job Level
M04
Job Code
EX05000245
Education/Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Reports To
Top Management

Product Development Director Skills and Competencies List

Proficiency Levels and Behavioural Indicators
Salary.com identifies five increasing levels of proficiency for each skill/competency. Some jobs require only a relatively low level of proficiency in each skill/competency, while other jobs will require a more advanced level of proficiency in the same skill/competency. These levels rate the degree of proficiency (skill level, expertise) we expect the incumbent to perform in the given skill/competency for the given job. Note that we intentionally do not associate timeframes or years of experience in performing the skill/competency because that can be misleading. Proficiency levels identify what the incumbent knows and can do rather than how long they have been doing it. Also, note that the proficiency levels are cumulative, e.g., a level 4 proficiency implies the ability to perform all the behaviors at the lower levels.
Check each Product Development Director skill and competencie below to view definitions.

6 hard skills or competencies (industry competencies) for Product Development Director

1 Industry Competency – Feasibility Study
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Analyzing economic, technical, and legal considerations to determine the cost and risks of projects.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Describes the process of generating feasibility questionnaires.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Collects information and documentation for a proposed study to help determine feasibility.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Handles the design of the feasibility questionnaires for studies.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Facilitates feasibility activities to design and present recommendations within defined timelines.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Creates a catalog of factors that warrant the need for carrying out a feasibility study.
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2 Industry Competency – Engineering Change Management
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Creating, reviewing, and implementing engineering change requests, orders, and notifications.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Describes the concepts and definitions of engineering change management and processes.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Follows a set of guidelines in providing support with engineering change management.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Analyzes databases to provide critical status evaluations of engineering projects for change management.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Leads periodic management audits of customer configuration and ISO9001 assessments.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops change management tools to document and track engineering code and order changes.
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3 Product Development Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Product Development Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Product Development Director
Proficiency Level - 5

3 general skills or competencies (Job family competencies) for Product Development Director

1 Job Family Competencies – Market Research
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Gathering information about a business's potential customers to determine the feasibility of a new product or service.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Describes the fundamentals and concepts of market research.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Compiles market research data gathered from available sources and public information.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Employs data collection tools to gather and analyze potential customers' information.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates consumer preferences to identify the potential sales of a product or service.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Builds advanced marketing research strategies to gain a competitive edge in the market.
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2 Job Family Competencies – Product Development
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Overseeing the creation of new products or improvement of the performance, cost, or quality of existing products to achieve business goals.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Cites the uses of basic prototyping equipment and design software.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Compiles results of quantitative and qualitative user research.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Documents tasks performed and outcomes in each phase of the product development initiative.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Facilitates post-implementation review to define the project's success and room for improvement.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Champions the development and execution of new products and streamlining of existing products.
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3 Product Development Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Product Development Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Product Development Director
Proficiency Level - 5

15 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for Product Development Director

1 Core Competencies – Business Acumen
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Insight into our organization's business, goals, and values. Ability to design and implement initiatives that facilitate successful outcomes.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Describes the market conditions that impact the business.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Collects and compiles competitor information for competitive analysis.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Communicates financial insights that positively influence the business plan development process.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Coordinates technical and business teams to solve complex and diverse customer problems.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Champions organizational change and digital transformation to drive higher business performance.
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2 Core Competencies – Budgeting
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Applying specific policies, tools and practices to plan and prepare projected revenues, expenses, cash flows, and capital expenditures.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Describes the concepts and principles of budgeting operations.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Gathers data from financial statements to help create budget plans and improve budgeting strategies.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements strategic operational efficiencies and techniques for conducting successful budgeting.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Determines system capabilities and needs to improve the process for financial budgeting.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops financial models to support the strategic improvement of our budgeting processes.
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3 Product Development Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Product Development Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Product Development Director
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of Product Development Director skills and competencies

There are 6 hard skills for Product Development Director, Feasibility Study, Engineering Change Management, Value Engineering, etc.
3 general skills for Product Development Director, Market Research, Product Development, Product Marketing.
15 soft skills for Product Development Director, Business Acumen, Budgeting, Planning and Organizing, etc.
While the list totals 24 distinct skills, it's important to note that not all are required to be mastered to the same degree. Some skills may only need a basic understanding, whereas others demand a higher level of expertise.
For instance, as a Product Development Director, he or she needs to be skilled in Business Acumen, be skilled in Budgeting, and be skilled in Planning and Organizing.

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