This is one role every startup founder absolutely must recruit for! But what goes into hiring a product manager? How do you write a product manager job description?
Let’s take a few steps back and begin with who a product manager is.
PS: If you’re just here for the product manager job description sample (free template), click here and jump straight to it!
- Who is a product manager?
- What does a product manager job description look like?
- What should you include in a product manager Job description?
- Best channels to post a product manager job description
- Things to keep in mind while writing a product manager job description
- Summary
- FAQs
Download the product manager job description now!!
Who is a product manager?
Very often I hear people talking about how a product manager acts as the CEO of a particular product.
And that is so true!!
Think about it…
A product manager oversees everything pertaining to a said product. Right from managing the product development, marketing, branding finances and so on to even overseeing the HR aspects of the team that is working on the product. So, essentially, a product manager is considered the CEO of the product they work on.
But the question still remains –
What does a product manager do?
A product manager sets the road map for the product (or product line) they are working on. They keep track of the team that is working on the product. A product manager also works on product marketing, forecasting, and P & L i.e. profit and loss related tasks.
They come up with analyses and then strategies that help differentiate the product. Also, they focus on how to provide benefits and added value to the end customer.
What does a product manager job description look like?
So after we have taken a look at who a product manager is, let’s see what they do. Here I have given just a small summary of the daily tasks.
You can find more details in the job description sample which you can from here!
- Understanding user needs
- Creating product features
- Aligning the various stakeholders and their ideas
- Monitoring the market and developing competitive analyses.
What should you include in a product manager Job description?
Like in any job description, there are a few things that you must include no matter what.
Here’s a list below
- Job Title
- Summary of the job role (2 lines about the role, what the candidate should expect from the role and what you expect from the candidate)
- Day to day tasks
- Job Responsibilities
- Salary, stipend or compensation package
- Minimum qualifications required for the job
- Requirements in terms of the soft skills or personality traits that will help them perform better
- Contact information (the HR or someone from the company) for applicants to contact in case of doubts
Best channels to post a product manager job description
When you post this job description of a product manager, figure out where these product managers are looking for jobs. Do they look at 3rd party job portals – Linkedin or Naukri.com. Do they look at career pages?
A little research on your end goes a very long way here. (Or, in this case, a little research on our end has helped you a lot!!)
There’s no point in posting a JD where potential applicants aren’t even looking. That just ends up becoming a waste of time. Here are some options to consider.
- Job posting portals -> Glassdoor, Linkedin or Naukri.com etc.
- Your own career page on your website (which you can do via our very own Asanify software too!)
- If you are considering looking for fresh MBA graduates (whom you may have to train), then you could also either
- Post on internship portals such as Internshala, hire interns on trial or probation and then take them on full-time if they work well
- You could also get in touch with institutions that have M.tech, MBA or similar courses and hire final year students and onboard them after they have graduated
Download the sample job description for this role for FREE!!!
Things to keep in mind while writing a product manager job description
Don’t use fancy words in the title of the product manager job description
Product manager as a term is very generic. But trust me when I say this, here you’d rather go boring and simple rather than use fancy buzz words no one understands!
Terms such as CEO of a product etc. will only discourage people from applying for the role. This will leave you with very few options to choose from.
Research industry standards and then start writing the job description
To ensure that a candidate is more likely to apply for a role in your company, ensure that the salary, job responsibilities and qualifications (plus other requirements) are all up to industry standards)
Include OKR for a product manager in the job description
Yes, even someone joining you at the level of a product manager needs to know this! But before we go into what is an OKR for a product manager specifically, let me briefly explain what an OKR is.
OKR stands for Objectives and Key Results.
Why should you include this in a job description? Because a person applying for the role of a product manager should know the basic objective of their role and how to measure and track various goals.
An OKR for a product manager would include the basic objective of why you are hiring them in the first place.
How to set an accurate OKR? Sign up with us as Asanify to find out!
How to write a product manager job description – Summary
FAQs
What are the duties of a product manager?
These are the duties of a product manager
1. Understanding the customer needs
2. Translating customer needs into a product
3. Ensuring that the product is constantly being developed in alignment with the vision and likes of all the stakeholders
What are the skills required to be a product manager?
The skills required to become a product manager are
1. Communication skills
2. Managerial skills
3. Analytical skills
4. Business abilities
5. Marketing skills
6. Financial know-how
7. Research skills
8. Ability to prioritize
9. Technical understanding of the product and industry
Do product managers need to know how to code?
No, they do not need to know how to code, but knowing the basics definitely helps
Not to be considered as tax, legal, financial or HR advice. Regulations change over time so please consult a lawyer, accountant or Labour Law expert for specific guidance.
