Senior Product Manager

Summary

Senior product managers manage multiple products or a single product that is especially complex, high risk or sensitive. At this role level, you will:

line manage associate product managers and product managers

have expert product management skills

potentially be involved in elements of programme management activity

be involved in hiring associates, product managers and contractors

Background

Description	Background
Has demonstrable skills across the product management lifecycle. Has deep practical understanding of the activities of the employer or client and is able to demonstrate the importance of product profitability within the business. Able to effectively communicate and influence stakeholders given the agreed product strategy and plan.	Prior Knowledge and Skills

Work Activity Components

Title	Details
Product launch (Level 5)	Coordinates trials and product launches and supports communications and training. Co-ordinates robust high-level plans for successful product launch. Optimises resources to gain the required impact and buying influence. Ensures risks, e.g. public reaction, are understood, quantified and mitigated.
Senior Product Manager
Guidance, performance and feedback (Level 4)	Provides direction, support and guidance as necessary, in line with individual's skills and abilities setting appropriate and effective boundaries. Sets achievable goals, monitoring and acknowledging performance and supporting individual and team development. Collects data on individual and team performance. Gives regular feedback to team members and leads them to achieve their full potential.
Formal appraisals (Level 4)	Conducts formal appraisals of the performance of team members. Facilitates a dialogue with team members about expectations, progress, performance and development needs.
Empowerment and role model (PEMT) (Level 4)	Facilitates effective working relationships between team members. Motivates team members to maintain a high level of performance. Engages with, and empowers team members. Acts as a role model for individuals and team members, setting a standard, acting professionally at all times and working to a professional code of conduct and ethics.

Behavioural Skills

Title	Details
Customer Focus	Understanding the needs of the internal or external customer and keeping these in mind when taking actions or making decisions.
Initiative	Being proactive, anticipating opportunities for systems, service or product improvement or development and taking appropriate action(s).
Creativity	Taking innovative approaches to problem solving and/or devising inventive and creative solutions.
Organisational Awareness	Understanding the hierarchy and culture of own, customer, supplier and partner organisations and being able to identify the decision makers and influencers.
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.
Influence, Persuasion and Personal Impact	Conveying a level of confidence and professionalism when engaging with stakeholders, influencing positively and persuading others to take a specific course of action when not in a position of authority.
Teamwork	Working collaboratively with others to achieve a common goal.
Providing Direction	Directing others to undertake specified tasks within a defined timescale.
Follow-up and Monitoring	Checking progress against targets, taking action to resolve exceptions/ issues and reporting and escalating where necessary.

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.	Proficient in
Third Party IT Products and Services	The IT products and/or services supplied to own organisation by external suppliers.	Proficient in
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.	Expert in

Other Skills

Title	Details	Depth
Presentation Techniques	Methods and techniques for delivering effective and accessible presentations, either face-to-face or online within various contexts and to a variety of audiences.	Familiar with
Appraisal Techniques	Methods and techniques for appraising an individual's performance and potential.	Familiar with
Techniques for Effective Meetings	Methods and techniques for running effective meetings and for understanding and influencing the roles played by participants.	Familiar with
Project Planning and Control Techniques	Methods and techniques associated with planning and monitoring progress of projects.	Familiar with
Resource Allocation	The effective and efficient routine deployment of resources, (but also including reassessment and reallocation in a dynamic multi-project environment), to achieve optimum results.	Familiar with
Performance Monitoring	Identifying, agreeing and monitoring (usually by face-to-face interviews) objectives and deliverables with individuals. Identifying under-performance issues against agreed quality standards and performance criteria. Identifying gaps in capability and causes, disciplinary or ability-related (needing assistance, training or other support).	Familiar with
Disciplinary Issues and Procedures	Managing episodes of unsatisfactory behaviour or performance in accordance with appropriate policies and legislative conformance. Includes changes to circumstances, such as sickness, disability and other personal issues.	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.
Coaching	Concepts, methods and techniques for providing coaching in subject specialisms to individuals or groups (e.g. GROW model).
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
Team Leadership	Undertaking learning and practice of the skills required to lead teams, including motivation, direction, coaching, delegation, appraisal, counselling and developing 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.	Expert Agile working You can: coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean practices, determining the right approach for the team to take and evaluating this through the life of a project think of new and innovative ways of working to achieve the right outcomes act as a recognised expert and advocate for the approaches, continuously reflecting and challenging the team
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.	Practitioner Government Digital and Data perspective You can: demonstrate an advanced understanding of design, technology and data principles identify and implement solutions for assisted digital apply knowledge to work with other roles and groups in Government Digital and Data
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	Practitioner Life cycle perspective You can: apply experience in multiple parts of the product life cycle recognise when it is right to move forward and when it is right to stop recognise the appropriate deliverables and the right people to meet them work with other Agile delivery operations throughout the product life cycle plan and engage with the appropriate stakeholders at a particular stage in the project
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.	Expert Operational management You can: keep abreast of industry best practice and can cascade ways of working make operations efficient act as the escalation point for major operational issues and champion operational management across the community work closely with leaders of operational delivery teams in Government Digital and Data
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Problem management	Expert Problem management You can: anticipate problems and defend against them at the right time understand how the problem fits into the larger picture articulate the problem and help others to do so build problem-solving capabilities in others
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.	Expert Product ownership You can: start to define and create approaches coach others implement new ways of working show an awareness of what other sectors are doing understand what is most important and applicable
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.	Expert User focus You can: give direction on which tools or methods to use demonstrate experience in meeting the needs of users across a variety of channels bring insight and expertise in how user needs have changed over time to ensure they're met by the business apply strategic thinking to provide the best service for the end user
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.	Practitioner Working within constraints You can: work with and challenge senior stakeholders prioritise and mitigate constraints, and turn them into an advantage adapt the approach depending on the constraints

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Skill

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