Product Manager

Oh My Job is a webseries dedicated to discovering jobs as explained by in-the-field professionals. In this episode, Camélia, a product manager, tells us about her job and day-to-day tasks at Aircall.

Product managers are responsible for the success of a product. They try to understand the problems that customers can encounter when they are using the product so that they can find a solution and help in product development.

Missions

Product managers are constantly looking to improve or create new products for their companies. They must be versatile, as the job is multifaceted, and they are a key liaison between the clients and the product. Product managers gather and organize the various product-user experiences in order to propose coherent and pertinent solutions to any problems detected. In short, they are the link between all of the teams in contact with customers and the teams that can resolve the problems. Product managers must also monitor the production of the product and are in charge of the development chain: formulating an idea, defining the features and design, and developing a roadmap. In a nutshell, they decide the what, when, how, and why behind product development. They are perfectionists, and their ultimate goal is to propose the best improvements for a product in order to bring value to their clients.

“We work more on the roadmap, on strategy, and everything a bit less operational. ”

Career path

Although product management training exists, most of the people in this job majored in engineering or management in college. Industrial engineering and production and process management experience are also highly valued in these positions.

Skills

Product managers might need to manage a large number of product requests and feedback. So as not to become overwhelmed, rigor and an acute sense of organization under all circumstances are crucial. The position has a technical and a business side, so product managers must, above all, possess excellent leadership and communication qualities in order to explain the product improvements and innovations to the production teams.

Lastly, product managers must know how to compromise. They cannot resolve every single problem for all of the users, and they will be obligated to make choices that will have a direct impact on the product.

“ Something very important is curiosity and to be interested in the technical and computer aspects. ”

Collaborations

Product managers are in contact with the sales teams (who are aware of the point of views of prospective customers about the product), the customer satisfaction teams (in contact with current clients), and the support teams (who report the problems with the product). They must gather and organize these various types of feedback.

“I try to understand the problems our current and future customers have and convert them into behind-the-scene solutions that will be implemented by our development teams. ”

Salary range

In the US, this job is often listed as one of the top-ten moneymakers, with an average, gross monthly salary at $6,800. Employees at some of the biggest names on the Dow Jones can earn up to $200,000 annually.

Career growth

After spending several years as a product manager, the possibility for growth is towards head-of-product positions. A product manager can also focus on an aspect of a product and become a lead expert.