Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
This question is about what a program manager does, what a product manager does, and program manager.
Program Manager vs. Product Manager
A program manager takes a lateral view of the organization and identifies interdependencies among projects, products, and strategic initiatives, while a product manager is forward-focused and looks at all of the elements needed to drive their products forward
A program manager identifies interdependencies across departments in an organization and then works with the relevant stakeholders in each of these departments to create a unified plan for launching a product.
Their day-to-day tasks include things like coordinating multiple products, reconciling interdependencies, and providing strategic guidance to project managers. Their main focus is to take a high-level view of the entire organization and strategically guide project managers to ensure everyone is working effectively toward the main goals.
A product manager is responsible for discovering what users need, prioritizing what to build next, and guiding the team on how to reach the desired outcome.
They will perform user research to uncover critical insights and collaborate with product and engineering teams to ensure alignment around the overall strategy and direction of the product. They have a holistic view of the entire product lifecycle from discovery to delivery.
There are many differences between a program manager and a product manager including the scope of their work.
Here are the key differences between a program manager and a product manager:
A program manager will have a lateral view of all teams involved in the creation and delivery of a product
A product manager will have an internally focused view of their teams' responsibilities for the creation of the product
A program manager is responsible for identifying and mitigating risks and timeline communication
A product manager is responsible for customer discovery and product vision
Choose from 10+ customizable resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
