Product marketing managers coordinate marketing efforts for both old and new products.
This post provides detailed information on the product marketing manager job description and career, to help you learn the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities that they perform.
It also shows how to become a product marketing manager, the requirements you need to fulfill to be hired, and the various job positions you can get with a product marketing manager career.
Please, read on:
What Does a Product Marketing Manager Do?
The product marketing manager job description entails orchestrating the marketing of existing and new products for his/her company.
According to Coursera, product marketing managers are responsible for developing and executing a marketing strategy roadmap in ensuring the success of a specific product in the market place.
Financial firms, information technology and manufacturing companies typically employ a product marketing manager with the responsibility to coordinate employees who are mainly engaged in either outside sales or advertising.
In most firms, the marketing team work hand-in-hand with the product development team in order for sales strategies to be developed for marketing new products before those products are released to the market.
Most companies require their marketing managers to have a college degree in advertising, marketing, business or any other field related.
While in college, many undergraduate students work for marketing firms as interns and these internships sometime lead to permanent job offers.
Members of the marketing team must arrange outside visits to prospective clients or corporate with advertising firms.
Those who are successful often get promoted to a manager position. Some small firms have small marketing budgets, when this happens, product marketing managers may have to work alone.
The manager’s duties also include determining ways to market the new product to the company’s prospective clients; he/she must also develop strategies and ideas for marketing the product to the company’s existing customers.
Ideally, the marketing budget must cover all expenses incurred by the employees during seminars and outside sales call as well as advertising costs.
Some managers have an annual budget that will cover costs of marketing all the company’s new products, whilst others are given a per-item budget.
In many cases, managers would receive bonuses depending on sales, staying within the marketing budget however is usually one of the several factors that can influence the size of the bonuses the product marketing manager as well as the rest of the sales team would receive.
Product marketing managers assign various tasks to marketing employees and send them to different sales territories as sales representatives.
Regular meetings are held between the staff and the manager to discuss marketing strategies and sales results.
The product marketing manager of a large firm will always report to a regional marketing executive or director who oversees a wide geographic area.
Successful product marketing managers often get promoted to executive positions within the same firm.
Here is a job description example for the post of product marketing manager, showing major duties, tasks, and responsibilities usually carried out by someone in that position:
Identify market opportunities
Identify customer problems
Define product capabilities and features
Forecast Return on Investment (ROI)
Recommend distribution strategies
Recommend pricing strategies
Define product positioning
Create market or sales share projections
Manage life cycle of the product
Manage the product road map
Formulate overall marketing strategy
Segment and analyze the business and help in formulating a future product development plan
Create and execute business plan annually in order to achieve annual sales goals
Maintain marketing, develop new product launch campaigns, produce training and sales materials like brochures, competitive database, price listing, sales letters, sales presentation, etc.
Product Marketing Manager Job Description for Resume
Creating a resume for the post of product marketing manager requires necessary information about the functions of the position.
The sample job description shown above provides relevant information for making the work history section of the resume.
Product Marketing Manager Requirements: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for Career Success
Here are important qualities product marketing managers are usually required to possess to be considered for employment by employer, and to be effective on the job:
3+ years of sales, marketing or design related experience
Ability to interpret and manage financial numbers
Must be able to make decisions relating to profitability
Strong design sensitivity
Problem solver, creative thinker, team oriented
Excellent computer skills, especially with Microsoft Office applications
Must be willing to travel 40% on a domestic level.
Product Marketing Manager Salary
The average salary of a product marketing manager in the U.S is $104,155 per year.
The top paying cities are Mountain View, CA, $135,483; San Jose, CA, $128,386; San Francisco, CA, $124,109; New York, NY, $112,398; and Houston, TX, $112,225 per year.
In the United States, there are over 44,124 product marketing managers.
The majority of product marketing managers are White, accounting for 71.2% of the total.
Product marketing managers are Hispanic or Latino in 11.9%, Asian in 9.7%, Black or African American in 4.3%, Unknown in 2.5%, and American Indian and Alaska Native in 0.4%.
With a product marketing manager career, you can work in various rewarding job positions, including as a product marketing director, business unit marketing manager, and director of marketing.
Product Marketing Manager Career Opportunities
Here are career opportunities a product marketing manager can explore:
Product Marketing Director
A product marketing director is a supervisor of managers in the department who are responsible for marketing a product from its conception to its final sale to customers.
As a director of marketing, the individual oversees the overall strategy and direction of a company’s product line, including pricing, distribution channels, and promotion.
2. Business Unit Marketing Manager
A business unit marketing manager monitors sales by region and supervises their product sales teams.
They also organize regional marketing events, trade shows and other direct marketing activities aimed at achieving greater market share in their region.
3. Director of Marketing
The director of marketing plans, organizes, and directs the marketing activities that help the company achieve its overall marketing objectives.
They help set the company’s marketing strategy, including pricing, product development, and sales goals.
4. Vice President of Marketing
The Vice President of marketing is in charge of a large marketing department and oversees a number of departments within the marketing team, including new product development and customer service.
They are a core member of the executive management team, overseeing the day-to-day operations with an eye on long-term growth.
5. Senior Vice President of Marketing
The Senior Vice President of marketing has ultimate responsibility for marketing strategy and acts as an advisor to the CEO.
They are in charge of all marketing decisions, including product development, pricing and promotion.
6. Vice President of Sales and Marketing
The V.P. sales & marketing is an executive position that oversees a team that coordinates the process of developing different markets or regions to maximize revenue potential.
They make recommendations to the CMO and report directly to the CEO.
7. Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
The Chief marketing officer is responsible for leading all marketing activities of a company and ensuring strategic goals are met in the form of inspirational communication that engages the customer.
They work with other top executives and perform a variety of duties, such as developing and articulating product strategy, managing high-level marketing efforts, and planning and monitoring market research.
Their duties also involve communicating with senior leadership and project management teams.
8. Associate Product Management Director (APMD)
The associate product management director focuses on new product development and keeps up with market trends to ensure the company’s products remain unique and relevant to customers.
9. Senior Director of Marketing
A senior director of marketing is involved in the company’s overall marketing strategy, as well as the development of various marketing plans.
He/she facilitates creative executions and makes sure all marketing functions are closely integrated with each other.
10. Director of Product Development
A director of product development is a key member of a product management team.
They monitor product development and assist with the merger or acquisition process to make sure the company generates maximum value from a merger or acquisition.
Challenges faced by Product Marketing Managers on the Job
Some of the challenges faced by a product marketing manager on the job include:
Disconnect between Marketing, Sales and Product Teams
This challenge occurs when marketing or sales teams don’t have a clear idea of what their target market wants and the product development team has no idea why the target market wants it.
A disconnect between these teams results in a poor product that doesn’t resonate with customers.
2. Insufficient Customer Data
For the most part, customers aren’t willing to spend time telling you what they want from your company’s products.
As a result, sales and marketing teams may have a difficult time understanding customer preferences when creating new products or services.
3. Marketplace is too Competitive
If consumers have too many choices available, they are less likely to buy a product.
This challenge occurs when customers have too many options and are confused about what makes a product unique or compelling.
How to Become a Product Marketing Manager
If you are interested in becoming a product marketing manager, here are steps you can follow:
Gain Relevant Education
A Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or a similar subject is necessary to become a product marketing manager.
A Master’s degree in Business Administration is desired or required by several employers.
2. Amass Useful Professional Experience
Before the company considers you for a managerial position, you might need to complete on-the-job training for specific positions.
Most employers prefer that a person has extensive experience before giving them the responsibilities of managing a product or brand.
To get appropriate experience, you can think about beginning your career in an entry-level role, such as a marketing assistant.
3. Obtain Qualifications in your Field
You can get ready for the wide range of tasks a product marketing manager is responsible for by obtaining professional qualifications in marketing, leadership, SEO, or team-building.
4. Develop your Resume
List your highest level of education, any pertinent certificates, and honors and experience in your resume.
Your work history should list the name of the business or organization you have worked for, the dates you were there, and an overview of the duties, contributions, and accomplishments you made while there.
5. Work towards the Positions you are Qualified for
Review the available job ads for your selected industry and area after completing your formal education, obtaining certifications, and accumulating experience.
Apply for jobs where your degree and experience make you qualified.
Include a cover letter that emphasizes your qualifications for the job and the organization.
Major Benefits of a Product Marketing Manager Career
There are many benefits that come with a product marketing manager career. These include:
Work that is fulfilling and intellectually stimulating.
The job of a product marketing manager is exciting and intellectually stimulating.
You will constantly be making decisions that affect the company’s products in a variety of ways.
2. Opportunity for creativity.
There is an abundance of room for creativity in the product marketing manager role.
Product managers and marketers are continually making decisions about what products to develop, how to market them effectively, and how to redefine the company’s brand image.
3. Work environments with flexible schedules.
The hours that a product marketing manager works are usually more flexible than those of an executive.
This type of position might also have the option to work from home when necessary.
4. Opportunities to work on multiple types of products and brands simultaneously.
Product marketing managers often work with several products and brands simultaneously.
These managers have various responsibilities, from developing the brand image to prioritizing new products to test in the marketplace.
5. Competitive pay.
Product marketing managers are commonly paid at a higher rate than other types of marketing professionals.
They are often given the title of “director” or “manager” if they have the requisite experience.
6. Low turnover rate
For the fact that product marketing managers work with many different products, brands, and teams in a company, there is little likelihood that they would be let go from their job.
This means that the product marketing manager career has good job security.
7. Growth opportunities.
As a product marketing manager, you will have many opportunities to advance in your career.
Your responsibilities may increase over time, and the position itself might move to a different part of the company.
However, there is always room to advance within a product marketing manager job.
Product Marketing Manager Employment
According to data on Zippia, the number of product marketing managers in employment in the United States is currently above 46,521.
While the average age of product marketing managers is 39 years, the Zippia data shows that 61.6% of them in employment are men and 38.4% women.
However, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, showed in its May, 2023 report that 368,940 marketing managers were employed in the United States within the period.
Employment by Industry
According to the Zippia data, the industries that hire the largest number of product marketing managers in the U.S. include:
Product Marketing Manager Employment by Industry. Data from Zippia
INDUSTRY
EMPLOYMENT
Technology
13,956
Fortune 500
9,304
Manufacturing
4,187
Health Care
2,791
Professional
2,326
Employment by State
Also shown in the Zippia report, the States that employ the most number of product marketing managers include California and Texas, with 9,713 and $132,518 employments respectively.
Product Marketing Manager Salary
The average yearly salary of a product marketing manager in the United States is $112,220. This is according to that data on the Zippia website.
However, Glassdoor and Ziprecruiter give $168K and $148,769 per year as average salary for product marketing managers.
Also, the BLS in its May, 2023 survey data gave the annual average salary of a product marketing manager as $166,410.
Salary by State
The States that pay the most salaries to product marketing managers in the United States include California and Washington, which pay average yearly salaries of $132,518 and $119,232 respectively.
Conclusion
Product marketing managers are a unique type of marketer that can be found in nearly every industry.
These professionals have a certain set of skills and educational requirements that enable them to be effective in their role.
If you have a passion for marketing and an interest in product management, this is the right career option for you.
This post is helpful to individuals interested in becoming a product marketing manager.
They will be able to learn all they need to know about the product marketing manager duties and responsibilities to decide if the career is the right one for them.
It is also useful to recruiters/employers needing to make a job description for the product marketing manager role in their companies.
They can apply the sample product marketing manager job description provided on this page.
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