What does a business development/product manager do?
A business development/product manager oversees the product development operations of a company. They spearhead the research put into determining product requirements, streamlining product roadmaps, and developing the ideal practices to optimize business operations. They also determine new business opportunities, study the customers' feedback, and identify the current trends in the market. Moreover, a business development/product manager is usually in charge of managing and supervising product development teams, ensuring they operate according to guidelines and company standards. Should there be any issues and concerns, it is their duty to resolve them right away.
Business development/product manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real business development/product manager resumes:
- Lead centralized, electronic referral center coordinating post-acute service needs of patients discharging from multiple acute facilities in Arizona region.
- Negotiate with OEM s to integrate products and establish royalty base contracts.
- Resolve OEM and wireless-carrier implementation issues.
- Lead centralized, electronic referral center coordinating post-acute service needs of patients discharging from multiple acute facilities in Arizona region.
- Work closely with QA team to supervise the test results and accepts it (sign off).
- Manage all development projects, including ERP implementation.
Business development/product manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Business Development/Product Managers are proficient in Product Development, Product Management, and Account Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Interpersonal skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Business Development/Product Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Product Development, 9%
Analyzed all concerns arising therein, provided inputs to the Product Development Director and other department managers and recommend solution.
- Product Management, 8%
Spearheaded product management for highly strategic Cisco Intelligent Routing product to strengthen Cisco routing leadership position.
- Account Management, 6%
Provide account management services to current customers.
- Business Growth, 5%
Manage all business growth operations, including strategic planning, marketing, sales and customer relations.
- R, 5%
Directed the product launch of R Wrap(R) Air Weather Barrier (house wrap).
- Business Plan, 4%
Evaluated potential strategic new businesses, conducted primary and secondary marketing research, and developed business plans.
"product development," "product management," and "account management" are among the most common skills that business development/product managers use at work. You can find even more business development/product manager responsibilities below, including:
Creativity. The most essential soft skill for a business development/product manager to carry out their responsibilities is creativity. This skill is important for the role because "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to generate new and imaginative ideas." Additionally, a business development/product manager resume shows how their duties depend on creativity: "supervised purchasing, managed inventory, and implemented all promotional and marketing programs for the hewlett-packard product line. "
Interpersonal skills. Many business development/product manager duties rely on interpersonal skills. "managers must deal with a range of people in different roles, both inside and outside the organization.," so a business development/product manager will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways business development/product manager responsibilities rely on interpersonal skills: "utilize strong interpersonal and organizational skills to provide outstanding customer service. "
Organizational skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of business development/product managers is organizational skills. This skill is critical to many everyday business development/product manager duties, as "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must manage their time and budget efficiently while directing and motivating staff members." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "created business development organizational framework and processes. "
Analytical skills. For certain business development/product manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "analytical skills." The day-to-day duties of a business development/product manager rely on this skill, as "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to analyze industry trends to determine the most promising strategies for their organization." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what business development/product managers do: "managed new product /business development and profitability of high-speed data communications product line generating $750 million in annual revenues. "
Communication skills. Another crucial skill for a business development/product manager to carry out their responsibilities is "communication skills." A big part of what business development/product managers relies on this skill, since "managers must be able to communicate effectively with a broad-based team made up of other managers or staff members during the advertising, promotions, and marketing process." How this skill relates to business development/product manager duties can be seen in an example from a business development/product manager resume snippet: "managed customer research and communication, pricing, negotiations, vendor/supplier interfaces, legal issues, business planning and product reviews. "
The three companies that hire the most business development/product managers are:
- Amazon11 business development/product managers jobs
- Siemens10 business development/product managers jobs
- Intelsat
3 business development/product managers jobs
Compare different business development/product managers
Business development/product manager vs. Product marketing manager
A product marketing manager is responsible for managing the company's goods and services, promoting brand awareness, developing effective marketing campaigns to attract existing and potential clients, generating more revenues, and achieving its profitability goals. Product marketing managers must have excellent knowledge of the marketing industry, as well as broad ideas on the current industry trends to meet clients' demands and identify business opportunities. A product marketing manager should be highly communicative and display excellent leadership skills to work with other departments and respond to clients' inquiries and concerns timely and efficiently.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, business development/product manager responsibilities require skills like "account management," "business growth," "sales strategies," and "relationship management." Meanwhile a typical product marketing manager has skills in areas such as "digital marketing," "project management," "marketing campaigns," and "b2b marketing." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
The education levels that product marketing managers earn slightly differ from business development/product managers. In particular, product marketing managers are 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a business development/product manager. Additionally, they're 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Business development/product manager vs. Product manager/sales
A sales product manager is responsible for monitoring the sales performance of a specific product and ensuring that the marketing strategies adhere to market standards and client requirements. Sales product managers work closely with the marketing and public relations team to enhance the product's brand image on various market platforms to reach the target audience. They also conduct data and statistical analysis to identify business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profitability.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that business development/product manager responsibilities requires skills like "business growth," "relationship management," "product portfolio," and "lead generation." But a product manager/sales might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "pos," "cycle management," and "project management."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Product managers/sales tend to reach lower levels of education than business development/product managers. In fact, they're 8.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Business development/product manager vs. Product line manager
A product line manager is an individual who provides product and market intelligence by increasing the market share of a company. Product line managers must create competitive analysis and interpret market trends so that they can provide recommendations and guidance to the company. They are required to identify target markets and should come up with strategies for market penetration. Product line managers must also monitor the creation and development of new products as well as to measure the success of the products in the market.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, business development/product managers are more likely to have skills like "account management," "business growth," "sales strategies," and "relationship management." But a product line manager is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "plm," "project management," and "continuous improvement."
Most product line managers achieve a similar degree level compared to business development/product managers. For example, they're 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Business development/product manager vs. Director new business development
A director of new business development is in charge of spearheading new programs and procedures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. It is their duty to set goals and objectives in adherence to the company's vision and mission, establishing guidelines, allocating budgets, and overseeing the progress of all efforts. Furthermore, as a director of new business development, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Types of business development/product manager
Updated January 8, 2025