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Product Manager Qualifications and Responsibilities - Google
A product manager at Google is required to have a bachelor’s degree in either computer science, mathematics, electrical engineering, statistics, or any other related field, while a senior product manager at Google is required to have a bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, technical, or have equivalent practical experience. An associate product manager is expected to have experience in using various programming languages such as Python, Java, and JavaScript.
To identify the job qualifications and responsibilities for the listed positions at Google, we began our search by looking through Google LLC’s official job postings. Through this channel, we were able to obtain the job qualifications and responsibilities for the positions of associate product manager, product manager, senior product manager, principal product manager, group product manager, and director of product management. However, there was no information found for the positions of senior director of product management and VP of product management.
We then extended our search to include Google’s corporate website, professional network websites such as LinkedIn, company profiler websites such as Bloomberg, and review websites such as Glassdoor. We were able to list the qualifications and responsibilities for the VP of product management at Google from the LinkedIn profile page of the current VP of product management of Google. It was observed that the current senior director of Google was an internal candidate and, thus, can be safely assumed that the job listing for this position is not externally advertised by Google. Based on this assumption, we found the current senior director’s profile page on LinkedIn and identified his present and past responsibilities as director of product management and senior director of product management. We used the job qualifications for a director of product management as a proxy to list the minimum qualifications for a senior director of product management.
Job qualifications and responsibilities: Product manager at Google
#1: Associate Product Manager
Job Qualifications:
- Minimum qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, mathematics, or a similar field of technical study or equivalent practical experience.
- Must have ample experience in software development with a strong focus on coding. It is essential that the candidate has experience in coding of various programming languages such as C, C++, JavaScript, Java, and Python.
- The candidate should have an internship experience or relevant experience as a research assistant or teaching assistants in a technical field.
- It is preferred that the candidate has experience in leading entrepreneurial efforts or project management experience in organizations.
- The candidate must be able to adapt quickly and demonstrate the ability to master new concepts. He/she must have an interest in analyzing and creating new products. It is required for the candidate to also have analytical, organizational, problem-solving, written, verbal, interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills.
Responsibilities:
- An associate product manager would have to analyze and understand the user’s needs.
- Would have to help define a product’s strategy and list out the vision of the project.
- An associate product manager will have to collaborate with engineers to create, build, and launch innovative features for the company’s products.
#2: Product Manager
Job Qualifications:
- A candidate for this position is required to have a bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) in electrical engineering, computer science, statistics, mathematics, or any related technical branch, or equivalent practical experience. It is preferred for the candidate to have a master’s degree or a Ph.D. in science or business with five years of relevant work experience.
- He/she is required to have at least four years of experience in product management or equivalent experience in a related field.
- Must have experience with product design or product management with a specific focus on software technologies and products. The candidate is also required to have experience in developing internet technologies and products.
- The candidate is required to have experience with building commerce products and/or online payments, and have a strong understanding of global payments.
- The candidate needs to have an understanding of multiple functional areas such as UX/UI, customer support, product management, sales, engineering, marketing or finance, along with an “understanding of go-to-market commerce enablers” such as loyalty, payments, and subscriptions.
- The candidate is required to possess the ability to reach strategic goals in a fast-paced and innovative environment. He/she would have to ensure the effective evolution of product strategy based on industry trends, data, and research. The candidate needs to have exceptional organizational skills, analytical skills, and problem-solving skills.
Responsibilities:
- A product manager would have to launch products at regular intervals.
- Would have to define product strategy and vision and identify the market opportunities.
- A product manager must collect product requirements based on the customer’s needs.
- He/she is responsible for enhancing existing company products and developing new innovative products.
- A product manager must engage actively with the company’s engineering team to ensure the implementation of the best technical methods along with an effective implementation schedule.
#3: Senior Product Manager
Job Qualifications:
- The candidate is required to have a minimum qualification of a bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, technical, or any other relevant field of study with practical experience.
- The candidate is required to have at least 10 years of product management experience or experience in B2B marketing with fluency in English communication skills.
- It is preferred for the candidate to have a strong experience in product management with a focus on software products and technologies or experience in working with creative agencies.
- It is required that the candidate have experience in working across multiple cross-functional environments.
- The candidate is required to have the ability to drive business impact and make strategic decisions.
- The candidate is required to possess the ability to reach strategic goals in a fast-paced and innovative environment. He/she would have to ensure the effective evolution of product strategy based on industry trends, data, and research. The candidate needs to have exceptional organizational skills, analytical skills, and problem-solving skills.
Responsibilities:
- A senior product manager is responsible for defining product management tactics and strategies. He/she is responsible for outlining the strategies required to engage customers around the company’s products while implementing the best practices at Google.
- He/she would be overseeing the strategy, positioning, and development of product and marketing plans.
- A senior product manager would be responsible for the analysis, design, and execution of the development of products while ensuring that opportunities are optimized and business goals are achieved.
#4: Principal Product manager
Job Qualifications:
- The candidate is required to have a minimum qualification of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent technical experience. He/she is required to have at least 10 years of experience in account planning, market consulting, digital marketing, and/or market research.
- It is preferred for the candidate to possess an MBA degree with an understanding of various digital marketing tools across social, video, local, display, mobile, and search spaces.
- The candidate is required to have the ability to analyze different perspectives and must have exceptional strategic thinking, analytical skills, and show strong attention to detail.
- He/she must be proficient in presentation and spreadsheet software.
- The candidate is expected to have excellent project management skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills, and organizational skills.
Responsibilities:
- A principal product manager is required to lead the development process that addresses various customer business challenges.
- He/she is required to collaborate with different industry leaders based on multi-quarter and in-quarter priorities for overseeing the implementation of the company’s quarterly engagement schemes.
- He/she is responsible for delivering insights and digital marketing through effective leadership for the company’s products.
- A principal product manager is required to create and lead various research programs to identify new industry and growth opportunities.
#5: Group Product Manager
Job Qualifications:
- Minimum qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer science, statistics, mathematics, or any related technical branch, or equivalent practical experience. It is preferred for the candidate to have a master’s degree or a PhD in science or business.
- The candidate is required to have at least 12 years of experience in the field of product management and product design with a specific focus on software technologies and products.
- The candidate is also required to have experience in developing internet technologies and products in order to specify technical product features.
- It is preferred that the candidate is experienced with managing products specifically for software developers with large-scale systems.
- The candidate needs to have an understanding of multiple functional areas such as UX/UI, customer support, product management, sales, engineering, marketing or finance, along with an “understanding of go-to-market commerce enablers” such as loyalty, payments, and subscriptions.
- The candidate is required to possess the ability to reach strategic goals in a fast-paced and innovative environment. He/she would have to ensure the effective evolution of product strategy based on industry trends, data, and research. The candidate needs to have exceptional organizational skills, analytical skills, and problem-solving skills.
Responsibilities:
- A group product manager must engage actively with the company’s engineering team to ensure the implementation of the best technical methods along with an effective implementation schedule.
- Would have to define product strategy and vision and identify the market opportunities. A group product manager must collect product requirements based on the customer’s needs.
- A group product manager would have to develop and launch new innovative products regularly.
- He/she is responsible for the overall product strategy and vision of the team in terms of design and drive. He/she is also responsible for managing the external partners and internal partnerships to ensure optimized growth.
#6: Director of Product Management
Job Qualifications:
- The minimum qualifications for this position include a bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical field or equivalent practical experience along with at least 10 years of experience in product management.
- The candidate must also have experience in developing internet technologies and products. He/she should have experience in mentoring and leading a team of qualified product managers.
- It is preferred that the candidate has over 15 years of experience in the field of product management with a focus on developing product roadmaps and working through all the stages of end-to-end product development.
- The candidate is required to have experience in developing technological services and platforms that result in high-growth and must possess a strong understanding of various payment services and technologies.
- He/she must be able to balance the priorities of the product development against timelines and budget. The candidate is required to have the ability to ensure that the “big picture” is in view at all times while effectively handling various individual projects.
- The candidate must have the ability to work in a competitive and collaborative environment with a strong focus on teamwork.
Responsibilities:
- The director of product management is required to clearly define the vision and strategy for the Merchant Payments group. He/she must collaborate with engineers to ensure that the goals are met for every product.
- The director is responsible to lead, design, and deliver multi-year product roadmap, investments, short term goals, and long term goals. He/she is also responsible for determining the key factors of growth and the goals for the department and business.
- He/she is required to manage a large team of qualified product managers who determine the direction of the company’s Merchant Payment group. The director is required to work closely with the company’s Consumer Payments and Platform department to create an effective integrated global strategy.
- He/she will have to work across various product groups to develop a cohesive offering which focuses on the “needs of the merchant as a business owner and developer”.
#7: Senior Director of Product management
Job Qualifications:
- A candidate for this position is required to have a master’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, or a relevant field of study with practical experience.
- It is preferred for the candidate to have a minimum of 10 years of experience in the field of product management, technology strategy, or a relevant engineering role. He/she is expected to have experience in developing technological services and products that result in high-growth.
- The candidate is required to have a strong record in balancing various product priorities against timelines and budget. He/she is required to have the ability to work in a highly competitive and collaborative environment with a focus on teamwork.
- He/she should be able to hire and lead a team of highly qualified product managers working in a fast-paced environment.
Responsibilities:
- A senior director of product management is responsible to lead and operate Google Cloud Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning product management teams. This department includes the products that deliver Google’s AI technologies and features to developers and enterprise customers.
- He/she is responsible for the development of “Android and Chrome for Business and Education” group at the company.
- The senior director is responsible for leading product management tasks across various functional teams such as sales, engineering, product, support, partnerships, and operations.
#8: Vice President of Product Management
Job Qualifications:
- A candidate for this position is required to have a minimum qualification of a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a relevant field of study. It is preferred for the candidate to have a master’s degree or a Ph.D. in the relevant field.
- The candidate is required to have experience in the field of digital advertising with a focus on “building and scaling multi-billion dollar businesses”.
- The candidate is required to be skilled in monetization strategy, ads quality, mobile advertising, managing product development teams, and leading large scale teams to deliver specific goals.
- It is preferred for the candidate to have spent more than 15 years in developing scalable online experiences.
Responsibilities:
- He/she is responsible for leading large teams in different departments such as travel and shopping.
- The VP is responsible for directing the creation of project ads, Merchant/Retailer tools purchases made on Google, and developing essential internal and external relationships.
- He/she is responsible for enabling users to connect with different merchants, help in developing effective modes of transactions, and reducing friction in the micro-moment and mobile-driven world.
- The VP is responsible for leading the departments of AdMob and Mobile Display Advertising Products network for the company, worldwide.