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)
Cites the designs and methods used in a feasibility study.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists and helps write a comprehensive feasibility study.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Completes and distributes feasibility questionnaires on time to sites.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Delivers data-driven and end-to-end operational feasibility studies to forecast milestones.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Builds various approaches in feasibility studies to leverage services for multiple engineering projects.
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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)
Cites the engineering principles and procedures in implementing changes to components or products.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in completing basic administrative tasks of engineering change management processes.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Analyzes changes of product configuration to determine the effect on the product design.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Coordinates with stakeholders regarding engineering change management to verify the status of process changes.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Builds engineering change and control databases and systems to management initiatives.
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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)
Compares the difference between quantitative and qualitative market research.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in developing short-range market research plans to achieve our stakeholder's project goals.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Communicates with clients to identify and understand their needs.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Analyzes research results to identify ways of maximizing market penetration of our products.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Authorizes and approves business proposals based on presented market research results.
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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)
Cites the significance and risks of product development in improving our bottom-line.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists the management in the conceptual development stage of product lines.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Determines needed changes in product specifications based on the results of market research.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Creates product development strategy to translate high-level direction into technical deliverables.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Approves and monitors the project calendar to ensure alignment of deliverables with schedules.
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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)
Describes how our business makes money and our key business objectives.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in designing business models and operating plans.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Analyses the business impact of demographic changes; suggests effective responses.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Consults on the selection and adjustment of the go-to-market strategy.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Builds a mentoring model to ensure a continuous increase of business sense within our business.
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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)
Compiles a list of basic issues and risks for conducting our budget processes.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Applies established guidelines for conducting our budgeting processes.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Communicates budget objectives and plans to help identify financial trends and create budget forecasts.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Anticipates organizational income and expenses to make forecasts and develop budget plans.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Adapts relevant industry trends on techniques in financial budgeting in our 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

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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