Management & LeadershipISCO 1223

Product development manager

Product development managers coordinate the development of new products from beginning to end. They receive briefings and start envisioning the new product considering design, technical and cost criteria. They conduct research on market needs and create prototypes of new products for untapped market opportunities. Product development managers also improve and boost technological quality.

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Check yourself in a minute: product development manager

Rate 5 of the 19 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

combine business technology with user experience

manage budgets

plan product management

draw conclusions from market research results

develop new products

About product development manager

As a product development manager, you will be at the heart of innovation, guiding new products from initial concept through to market launch. Your day-to-day work involves conducting thorough market research to identify unmet customer needs, collaborating with design and engineering teams to develop prototypes, and analyzing market trends to ensure your products remain competitive. You will manage budgets, define technical requirements, and make data-driven decisions that balance business objectives with user experience. As a product development manager, you will oversee the entire product life-cycle, from feasibility studies through production cost analysis and eventually to post-launch improvements. Your role is crucial because you bridge the gap between what customers want and what the company can profitably deliver. In Poland's growing tech and manufacturing sectors, product development managers are increasingly in demand, with strong career prospects for those who can demonstrate both strategic thinking and hands-on technical knowledge.

Key Work Functions

Core areas of responsibility for a product development manager.

Market Research and Analysis

Conduct comprehensive market research to identify gaps and opportunities in target segments
Analyze consumer buying trends and draw data-backed conclusions for product positioning
Design customer experience research methods to validate product-market fit

Product Design and Development

Define technical requirements and specifications based on market needs and company capabilities
Develop product designs and create prototypes for untapped market opportunities
Combine business strategy with technological innovation and user experience design

Budget and Cost Management

Calculate and manage production costs throughout the development process
Calculate design costs and allocate resources efficiently across development phases
Manage overall product development budgets and track spending against projections

Product Life-cycle Management

Oversee the entire product life-cycle from concept through launch and improvement phases
Follow company standards and ensure compliance with design and quality criteria
Monitor and improve technological quality of products in response to market feedback

Do You Have the Skills for This Role?

Core competency requirements inferred from the occupation's skill profile. Take the free assessment to see how you match.

Must-Have Skills (Advanced)

Creative ThinkingAdvanced

Supporting Skills

Problem SolvingIntermediate

Transdisciplinary ThinkingIntermediate

CommunicationIntermediate

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European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (19)

product life-cycleproduct life-cycleThe management of the life-cycle of a product from the development stages to the market entry and market removal.design managementdesign managementThe way in which design principles are incorporated to help achieve business objectives, create products and services, obtain new customers, and support marketing activities.market researchmarket researchThe processes, techniques, and purposes comprised in the first step for developing marketing strategies such as the collection of information about customers and the definition of segments and targets...industrial research and developmentindustrial research and developmentThe set of activities that companies carry out to do industrial innovation and introduce new engineering products and services or new industrial production processes.combine business technology with user experiencecombine business technology with user experienceAnalyse and exploit the points where technology, user experience, and business meet in order to create and develop new products.manage budgetsmanage budgetsPlan, monitor, report on the budget and prepare set production budgets.plan product managementplan product managementManage the scheduling of procedures which aim to maximise sales objectives, such as forecasting market trends, product placement, and sales planning.draw conclusions from market research resultsdraw conclusions from market research resultsAnalyse, draw conclusions and present major observations from the results of market research. Suggest on potential markets, prices, target groups, or investments.develop new productsdevelop new productsDevelop and generate new products and product ideas based on market research on trends and niches.calculate production costscalculate production costsCalculate the costs for every production stage and department.calculate design costscalculate design costsCalculate design costs to make sure the project is financially viable.analyse consumer buying trendsanalyse consumer buying trendsAnalyse buying habits or currently prevalent customer behaviour.design customer experiencesdesign customer experiencesCreate customer experiences to maximise client's satisfaction and profitability.design prototypesdesign prototypesDesign prototypes of products or components of products by applying design and engineering principles.analyse data about clientsanalyse data about clientsStudy data about clients, visitors, customers or guests. Gather, process and analyse data about their characteristics, needs and buying behaviours.follow company standardsfollow company standardsLead and manage according to the organisation's code of conduct.develop product designdevelop product designConvert market requirements into product design and development.perform market researchperform market researchGather, assess and represent data about target market and customers in order to facilitate strategic development and feasibility studies. Identify market trends.define technical requirementsdefine technical requirementsSpecify technical properties of goods, materials, methods, processes, services, systems, software and functionalities by identifying and responding to the particular needs that are to be satisfied acc...

Optional (35) — show

design drawingsdesign drawingsThe drawings detailing the design of products, tools, and engineering systems.physicsphysicsThe natural science involving the study of matter, motion, energy, force and related notions.cost managementcost managementThe process of planning, monitoring and adjusting the expenses and revenues of a business in order to achieve cost efficiency and capability.quality standardsquality standardsThe national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.legal requirements of ICT productslegal requirements of ICT productsThe international regulations related to the development and use of ICT products.types of metal manufacturing processestypes of metal manufacturing processesMetal processes linked to the different types of metal, such as casting processes, heat treatment processes, repair processes and other metal manufacturing processes.chemistrychemistryThe composition, structure, and properties of substances and the processes and transformations that they undergo; the uses of different chemicals and their interactions, production techniques, risk fa...marketing mixmarketing mixPrinciple of marketing that describes the four fundamental elements in marketing strategies which are the product, the place, the price and the promotion.marketing principlesmarketing principlesThe principles of managing the relationship between consumers and products or services for the purpose of increasing sales and improving advertising techniques.analyse cultural trendsanalyse cultural trendsKeep up to date with popular cultural trends such as pop culture, cultural and social slang.ensure compliance with environmental legislationensure compliance with environmental legislationMonitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation....conduct metallurgical structural analysisconduct metallurgical structural analysisPerform detailed analysis related to researching and testing new metal products.design metal componentsdesign metal componentsDesign metal components in response to a need. Provide support by writing documents, manuals, metallurgical investigations, and reports in support of customer liaison.lead a teamlead a teamLead, supervise and motivate a group of people, in order to meet the expected results within a given timeline and with the foreseen resources in mind.maintain relationship with customersmaintain relationship with customersBuild a lasting and meaningful relationship with customers in order to ensure satisfaction and fidelity by providing accurate and friendly advice and support, by delivering quality products and servic...consult with technical staffconsult with technical staffSeek the advice of technical staff concerning the requirements, operation, and use of various products and systems.speak different languagesspeak different languagesMaster foreign languages to be able to communicate in one or more foreign languages.troubleshoottroubleshootIdentify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.perform product testingperform product testingTest processed workpieces or products for basic faults.manage the customer experiencemanage the customer experienceMonitor, create and oversee customer experience and perception of brand and service. Ensure pleasant customer experience, treat customers in a cordial and courteous manner.apply systemic design thinkingapply systemic design thinkingApply the process of combining systems thinking methodologies with human-centred design in order to solve complex societal challenges in an innovative and sustainable way. This is most often applied i...work in metal manufacture teamswork in metal manufacture teamsAbility to work confidently within a metal manufacturing group with each doing a part but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole.create technical planscreate technical plansCreate detailed technical plans of machinery, equipment, tools and other products.analyse economic trendsanalyse economic trendsAnalyse developments in national or international trade, business relations, banking, and developments in public finance and how these factors interact with one another in a given economic context.develop promotional toolsdevelop promotional toolsGenerate promotional material and collaborate in the production of promotional text, videos, photos, etc. Keep previous promotional material organised.improve business processesimprove business processesOptimise the series of operations of an organisation to achieve efficiency. Analyse and adapt existing business operations in order to set new objectives and meet new goals.liaise with industry expertsliaise with industry expertsConsult and cooperate with industry experts who handle matter that is relevant to you and your business.measure customer feedbackmeasure customer feedbackEvaluate customer's comments in order to find out whether customers feel satisfied or dissatisfied with the product or service.identify market nichesidentify market nichesAnalyse the composition of the markets, segment these into groups, and highlight the opportunities that each one of these niches represent in terms of new products.liaise with engineersliaise with engineersCollaborate with engineers to ensure common understanding and discuss product design, development and improvement.liaise with managersliaise with managersLiaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.ensure products meet regulatory requirementsensure products meet regulatory requirementsStudy, implement, and monitor the integrity and compliance of products with the required regulatory aspects by law. Advise on applying and abiding by regulations on the product and manufacturing regul...prepare market research reportsprepare market research reportsReport on the outcomes of the market research, main observations and outcomes, and notes helpful for analysing the information.innovation processesinnovation processesThe techniques, models, methods and strategies which contribute to the promotion of steps towards innovation.optimise financial performanceoptimise financial performanceDirect and coordinate the organisation's financial operations and budget activities, in order to optimise financial performance.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a product development manager do?

What skills does a product development manager need?

A product development manager needs 19 essential skills, including product life-cycle, design management, market research, industrial research and development, combine business technology with user experience.

Will AI replace product development manager jobs?

The AI disruption score for product development manager is 64/100 (high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: calculate production costs, quality standards, analyse consumer buying trends. Most resilient: liaise with industry experts, liaise with managers, consult with technical staff.

AI Replacement Risk

64/ 100

High Risk

Low riskHigh risk

Skills most at risk from AI

calculate production costs quality standards analyse consumer buying trends

Skills resilient to automation

liaise with industry experts liaise with managers consult with technical staff

This is the average for the whole occupation. The AI Career Shield test (about 10 minutes) shows the risk in your own work and what you can do about it.

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Quick Facts

SectorManagement & Leadership

ISCO GroupAdministrative and commercial managers

Essential Skills19

Core Skills4

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