Skills & Competencies for Product Development Manager

Product Development Manager job profile

JOB SUMMARY for Product Development Manager

Manages and coordinates product development projects.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for Product Development Manager

Evaluates and resolves technical feasibility, design optimization, and production issues. Ensures that labeling and marketing/promotional literature match product specifications. Researches and monitors existing client base and industry developments and identifies potential new product opportunities. Works with other departments to establish a design, technology, product development, and vendor strategy. Manages project budgets and prepares financial analysis reports for top management.

Product Development Manager SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$139,855
TOTAL 50%
$153,877
Job Level
M02
Job Code
MM18000039
Education/Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Reports To
Top Management

Product Development Manager 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 Manager skill and competencie below to view definitions.

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

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 -2
Skill definition-Creating, reviewing, and implementing engineering change requests, orders, and notifications.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Describes the goal of engineering change management in ensuring minimal disruption to quality improvements.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Gathers technical drawings and documents needed for the engineering change management process.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Follows quality assurance procedures for validating engineering changes.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Manages engineering change request processing and implementation procedures for controlled items.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes user-defined codes to define the reason and status of engineering change management within the organization.
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3 Product Development Manager - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Product Development Manager
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Product Development Manager
Proficiency Level - 5

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

1 Job Family Competencies – Market Research
Proficiency Level -2
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)
Discusses different types of market research, such as focus groups, polls, and surveys.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Conducts market research to support the execution of new product initiatives.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Generates questionnaires, surveys, and other data collection resources.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Facilitates one-on-one interviews with clients to identify and understand their needs.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Champions the adoption of advanced techniques and tools in enhancing marketing research processes.
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2 Job Family Competencies – Product Development
Proficiency Level -3
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)
Describes the different phases in the new product development process.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Conducts basic product testing at various stages of product development.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Helps in the manufacturing and design activities by creating prototypes.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Monitors prototyping and quality testing in each phase of product development.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Creates ideas for new products and evaluates feasibility in terms of profit, resources, and compliance.
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3 Product Development Manager - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Product Development Manager
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Product Development Manager
Proficiency Level - 5

14 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for Product Development Manager

1 Core Competencies – Business Acumen
Proficiency Level -2
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)
Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of our products and services.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Explains advantages and disadvantages of different organizational structures from an efficiency perspective.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Demonstrates an innate sense of how to achieve positive results in the current environment.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates and explains the financial aspects of a business initiative to different teams.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Conceptualizes new and creative business initiatives to boost business growth.
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2 Core Competencies – Budgeting
Proficiency Level -2
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 procedures for capital and expense allocation and budgeting.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Gathers financial data to help support management in budgeting analysis and forecasting.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Prepares and reviews the annual budgeting process to ensure effective and efficient budgeting.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates past decisions on budgetary considerations to improve the budgeting process.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes operating procedures to guide the consistency and repeatability of our budgeting processes.
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3 Product Development Manager - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Product Development Manager
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Product Development Manager
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of Product Development Manager skills and competencies

There are 6 hard skills for Product Development Manager, Feasibility Study, Engineering Change Management, Value Engineering, etc.
3 general skills for Product Development Manager, Market Research, Product Development, Product Marketing.
14 soft skills for Product Development Manager, Business Acumen, Budgeting, Planning and Organizing, etc.
While the list totals 23 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 Manager, he or she needs to be proficient in Business Acumen, be proficient in Budgeting, and be skilled in Planning and Organizing.

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