Product Manager

Summary

A product manager defines, owns and solves problems. At this role level, you will:

manage a product through discovery, alpha, beta and live states

support lead and senior product managers

potentially line manage associate product managers and support their professional development

be developing expert skills in and knowledge of product management techniques

potentially be involved in recruitment

Background

Description	Background
Understands the full product lifecycle and supports all aspects of the product during its lifetime. Is conversant with aspects of the processes used in Product Management. Has practical understanding of the activities of the employer or client and appreciates the importance of product profitability within the business. Understands the business portfolio of products and each product within that portfolio. Able to effectively communicate and influence stakeholders given the agreed product strategy and plan. Will support management of the profit and loss account for the product. Is involved in operational delivery decision making.	Prior Knowledge and Skills

Description

Background

Understands the full product lifecycle and supports all aspects of the product during its lifetime. Is conversant with aspects of the processes used in Product Management. Has practical understanding of the activities of the employer or client and appreciates the importance of product profitability within the business. Understands the business portfolio of products and each product within that portfolio. Able to effectively communicate and influence stakeholders given the agreed product strategy and plan. Will support management of the profit and loss account for the product. Is involved in operational delivery decision making.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

Work Activity Components

Title	Details
Product launch (Level 4)	Rolls out product trials and product launches. Contributes to robust plans for successful product launch.

Behavioural Skills

Title	Details
Information Acquisition	Identifying gaps in the available information required to understand a problem or situation and devising a means of resolving them.
Customer Focus	Understanding the needs of the internal or external customer and keeping these in mind when taking actions or making decisions.
Creativity	Taking innovative approaches to problem solving and/or devising inventive and creative solutions.
Interacting with People	Establishing relationships, contributing to an open culture and maintaining contacts with people from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Effective, approachable and sensitive communicator in different communities and cultures. Ability to adapt style and approach to meet the needs of different audiences.
Teamwork	Working collaboratively with others to achieve a common goal.

Technical Skills

Title	Details	Depth
Own Organisation's IT Products and Services	The IT products and/or services supplied to internal and external customers by own organisation.	Familiar with
Third Party IT Products and Services	The IT products and/or services supplied to own organisation by external suppliers.	Familiar with
Product Evaluation and Selection	The analytical comparison of IT products against specified criteria (including costs) to determine the solution that best meets the business need.	Proficient in

Other Skills

Title	Details	Depth
Techniques for Effective Meetings	Methods and techniques for running effective meetings and for understanding and influencing the roles played by participants.	Aware of
Project Planning and Control Techniques	Methods and techniques associated with planning and monitoring progress of projects.	Aware of

Training

Title	Details
Systems Development	Systems development, including development life-cycles and methods, organisation interfaces, typical corporate application architectures, project and programme management, risk management and change control.
Presentation Skills	Methods and techniques for verbal and visual communication in a formal or semi-formal environment, including face-to-face and online.
Service Management	Principles, methods and techniques for managing IT services, including the preparation, understanding and use of Service Level Agreements, Operational Level Agreements and underpinning contracts.
Security Awareness	Tools and techniques to help users and employees understand the role they play in helping to combat information security breaches and for IT and security professionals to prevent and mitigate risk.

Professional Development Activity (PDA)

Title	Details	PDA Group
Deputising	Standing in for supervisor or manager on a temporary basis during periods of absence.	Broadening Activities
Job Shadowing and Special Assignments	Undertaking temporary periods or secondments in other roles, particularly those that offer a new perspective on own function or exposure to other environments and cultures.	Broadening Activities
Research Assignments	Exploring a topic which is not part of own normal responsibilities and presenting findings to colleagues and/or management	Increasing Knowledge
Gaining Knowledge of Activities of Employing Organisation	Developing an understanding of the potentially diverse range of activities (service, governance, administrative, regulatory, commercial, charitable, industrial, etc.) undertaken by the employing organisation.	Increasing Knowledge
Gaining Knowledge of IT Concepts and Techniques	Undertaking study, learning and, where possible, practice in IT concepts and techniques external to own function.	Increasing Knowledge
Participation in Professional Body Affairs	Taking an active part in professional body affairs at branch, specialist group, committee or board level.	Participation in Professional Activities
Negotiating and Influencing	Undertaking learning and practice of negotiating with and influencing others.	Developing Professional Skills

Organisational Skill Name and Description

Framework	Skill	Level
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Agile working Agile delivery involves encouraging teams to build incrementally, test and iterate their work based on regular feedback and other useful data.	Practitioner Agile working You can: identify and compare the best processes or delivery methods to use, including measuring and evaluating outcomes help the team to decide the best approach help teams to manage and visualise outcomes, prioritise work and adhere to agreed minimum viable product (MVP), priorities and scope
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Financial ownership Financial management involves planning, organising and monitoring financial resources.	Practitioner Financial ownership You can: understand the marketplace realise the benefit of a product and persuade others that it's the right one to use integrate a product with other services ensure that products get used realise benefits by linking work in progress back to the business case build business cases based on user needs
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Government Digital and Data perspective Data visualisation involves producing graphical representations that communicate data, such as charts and graphs.	Working Government Digital and Data perspective You can: demonstrate a working understanding of design, technology and data principles understand the variety and complexity of users’ digital needs, and how the product will meet those needs show an awareness of assisted digital support and can explain why it’s important design services and make decisions to meet user needs
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Life cycle perspective Leadership and guidance involves providing effective leadership and management through team motivation, decision making, risk management, mediation and professional development	Working Life cycle perspective You can: recognise when to move from one stage of a product life cycle to another ensure the team is working towards the appropriate service standards for the relevant phase manage the delivery of products and services at different phases
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Operational management Non-functional testing involves verifying that a system (behind the functions and features) complies with requirements such as performance and usability.	Practitioner Operational management You can: design operational processes for the running and maintenance of products or services throughout their product life cycle redesign operational processes, amend existing processes, and plan and put into operation the stages of a new product or service development act as the escalation point for operational issues and can fix complex operational issues overcome operational constraints to deliver a successful product or service work closely with operational delivery teams in Government Digital and Data
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Problem management	Practitioner Problem management You can: ensure that the right actions are taken to investigate, resolve and anticipate problems co-ordinate the team to investigate problems, implement solutions and take preventive measures
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Product ownership Problem management involves anticipating and identifying problems in systems, processes or services, and ensuring appropriate solutions are implemented.	Practitioner Product ownership You can: apply tools, terms and concepts in a variety of ways be flexible, consider new ways of working and adapt to change
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Strategic ownership Strategy involves creating a plan to achieve a team or organisation's objectives.	Practitioner Strategic ownership You can: effectively get buy-in from the organisation work with scant information and explain it in abstract terms develop a strategy
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	User focus User focus involves understanding the user needs to develop a detailed understanding of the problems that need to be solved.	Practitioner User focus You can: collaborate with user researchers and can represent users internally explain the difference between user needs and the desires of the user champion user research to focus on all users prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story, guiding others in doing so offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Working within constraints Web performance optimisation involves improving the efficiency and speed with which web pages load in a browser.	Working Working within constraints You can: identify, communicate and work within constraints challenge the validity of constraints ensure standards are being met

Framework

Skill

Level