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Director of product development vs development & program manager

The differences between directors of product development and development & program managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a director of product development and a development & program manager. Additionally, a director of product development has an average salary of $140,507, which is higher than the $102,824 average annual salary of a development & program manager.

The top three skills for a director of product development include product development, project management and product management. The most important skills for a development & program manager are professional development, project management, and program management.

Director of product development vs development & program manager overview

Director Of Product DevelopmentDevelopment & Program Manager
Yearly salary$140,507$102,824
Hourly rate$67.55$49.43
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs175,429186,222
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age3939
Years of experience1010

What does a director of product development do?

A Director of Product Development supervises and implements product development policies, initiatives, and objectives. They conduct market research to determine consumer needs and identify competitors.

What does a development & program manager do?

The responsibilities of a development and program manager depend on one's place or industry of employment. Typically, they are in charge of overseeing the operations behind various projects and programs, ensuring everything is running smoothly and efficiently. They must also devise new strategies to improve workforce performance and services, identify new opportunities for profit growth, and determine the needs of clients. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team in the joint effort to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Director of product development vs development & program manager salary

Directors of product development and development & program managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Director Of Product DevelopmentDevelopment & Program Manager
Average salary$140,507$102,824
Salary rangeBetween $100,000 And $196,000Between $76,000 And $137,000
Highest paying CitySan Mateo, CAMenlo Park, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyAppleFoundation Medicine
Best paying industryManufacturingTechnology

Differences between director of product development and development & program manager education

There are a few differences between a director of product development and a development & program manager in terms of educational background:

Director Of Product DevelopmentDevelopment & Program Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia

Director of product development vs development & program manager demographics

Here are the differences between directors of product development' and development & program managers' demographics:

Director Of Product DevelopmentDevelopment & Program Manager
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 72.0% Female, 28.0%Male, 58.3% Female, 41.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between director of product development and development & program manager duties and responsibilities

Director of product development example responsibilities.

  • Organize and manage project meetings between partners, vendors, and associates using both scrum and waterfall methodologies.
  • Manage long-term care, hospital transition, and Medicaid- Medicare expansion initiatives, that includes model of care design and implementation )
  • Manage packaging design and nutritional labeling within QA guidelines.
  • Manage company intellectual portfolio and develop key relationships with vendors and clients including leading global technology companies.
  • Develop using Java, JSP, J2EE, CSS, DHTML, HTML, Plugins and JavaScript.
  • Prepare proposals for new projects, including project feasibility, ROI, expenses and costs.
  • Show more

Development & program manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage PLM data integrity report and PLM post launch report by project.
  • Manage a budget of $600,000 each year to maintain annual KPIs.
  • Develop, establish, and manage product families OEM in and out relationships.
  • Shape the strategic direction and implement CRM strategies to manage a corporate loyalty program.
  • Manage the vendor selection process among OEM candidates and manage requirements lock down across vendors.
  • Manage direct and indirect sales channels and strategic partners within the Americas for new development products.
  • Show more

Director of product development vs development & program manager skills

Common director of product development skills
  • Product Development, 12%
  • Project Management, 9%
  • Product Management, 9%
  • R, 7%
  • Product Strategy, 4%
  • Market Research, 3%
Common development & program manager skills
  • Professional Development, 22%
  • Project Management, 10%
  • Program Management, 8%
  • Business Development, 4%
  • HR, 4%
  • Program Development, 3%

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