What does a senior director, product development do?
A senior director of product development spearheads and oversees the product development operations of a company. They have the responsibility to manage product development teams, set goals, establish guidelines and timelines, liaise with key external parties, coordinate managers, and address issues and concerns, resolving them efficiently. They also have the authority to come up with decisions and delegate responsibilities among teams and staff. Moreover, as a senior director, product development, it is essential to implement policies and regulations, developing new ones that support the company's needs, vision, and mission.
Senior director, product development responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real senior director, product development resumes:
- Manage the software developers, SAAS hosting operations, documentation resources, technology partnerships and quality assurance teams.
- Manage interdepartmental groups using advance simulation methodology to guide technology development direction for device and process architecture base on application impacts.
- Reduce support costs of Siebel maintenance by incorporating offshore resources for both development and QA.
- Develop and launch an API upgrade project for prepay card ($ 2MM net revenue/yr).
- Manage company intellectual portfolio and develop key relationships with vendors and clients including leading global technology companies.
- Champion the creation of technical support operational dashboard leveraging Hyperion to provide key performance metrics to leadership teams globally.
Senior director, product development skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Senior Directors, Product Development are proficient in Project Management, Product Development, and Digital Marketing. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Creativity.
We break down the percentage of Senior Directors, Product Development that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 10%
Initiated a computerized Enterprise Project Management system to facilitate and monitor product development activities, with overview accessibility to executives.
- Product Development, 9%
Transformed development processes by combining the product management, development, and quality assurance departments to form cross-functional product development teams.
- Digital Marketing, 9%
Directed digital marketing strategy that serviced clients and their employees through multiple channels.
- Business Development, 6%
Develop Product Spec requirements with input from Brand Business Development & International Business Development teams.
- Product Management, 5%
Coordinated with all levels of engineering and product management to map out technology integration points.
- SR, 4%
Manage 58 direct reports including 8 Sr.Managers, Enterprise Architects, QA Team and onsite contractors.
"project management," "product development," and "digital marketing" are among the most common skills that senior directors, product development use at work. You can find even more senior director, product development responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a senior director, product development to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to analyze industry trends to determine the most promising strategies for their organization." Senior directors, product development often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "developed analytical tools, measuring product development progress and capacity. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform senior director, product development duties is communication skills. Senior directors, product development responsibilities require that "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." Senior directors, product development also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "conceived and implemented product and marketing communications strategies for small and mid size group markets using competitive intelligence and market research. "
Creativity. senior directors, product development are also known for creativity, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to senior director, product development responsibilities, because "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to generate new and imaginative ideas." A senior director, product development resume example shows how creativity is used in the workplace: "led cross- functional teams of technical, creative and manufacturing resources in product development projects from conceptualization through implementation. "
Organizational skills. For certain senior director, product development responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "organizational skills." The day-to-day duties of a senior director, product development rely on this skill, as "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must manage their time and budget efficiently while directing and motivating staff members." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what senior directors, product development do: "redefined product management team responsibilities to better respond to customer needs and align with organizational goals. "
The three companies that hire the most senior director, product developments are:
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Compare different senior directors, product development
Senior director, product development vs. Development & program manager
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.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between senior directors, product development and development & program manager. For instance, senior director, product development responsibilities require skills such as "digital marketing," "product management," "sr," and "cloud computing." Whereas a development & program manager is skilled in "professional development," "securities," "program management," and "hr." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Development & program managers tend to make the most money working in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $115,484. In contrast, senior directors, product development make the biggest average salary, $169,263, in the media industry.development & program managers tend to reach similar levels of education than senior directors, product development. In fact, development & program managers are 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Senior director, product development vs. Product management director
A Product Management Director is responsible for a business product planning as well as execution throughout the life cycle of the business. They create the product strategy and requirements, develop and execute tactical plans, and maintain product and market knowledge.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real senior director, product development resumes. While senior director, product development responsibilities can utilize skills like "sr," "fda," "clinical trials," and "qa," product management directors use skills like "analytics," "digital transformation," "product vision," and "customer service."
Product management directors earn a lower average salary than senior directors, product development. But product management directors earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $159,020. Additionally, senior directors, product development earn the highest salaries in the media with average pay of $169,263 annually.In general, product management directors achieve higher levels of education than senior directors, product development. They're 7.4% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 2.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Senior director, product development vs. Product manager
A product manager is responsible for ensuring product development, providing the best marketing strategies, and effectively handling the sales and marketing team. Product managers' duties include monitoring the market trends and conditions, identifying business opportunities and plan initiatives, and collaborating the product launch process with the appropriate departments. A product manager is also responsible for generating ideas on improving product features, determining timetables and reasonable pricing, and analyzing product sales. A product manager must have excellent strategic and decision-making skills to contribute to its growth and profitability.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a senior director, product development is likely to be skilled in "sr," "software development," "clinical trials," and "dosage forms," while a typical product manager is skilled in "user stories," "regression," "scrum," and "product specifications."
Product managers earn the best pay in the retail industry, where they command an average salary of $114,839. Senior directors, product development earn the highest pay from the media industry, with an average salary of $169,263.When it comes to education, product managers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to senior directors, product development. In fact, they're 0.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 2.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Senior director, product development vs. Product owner
Product owners are at the forefront of an organization's development cycle. They have various duties and responsibilities, which include ensuring that the value of products created by the development team is maximized, creating a vision and defining the goals for development projects, and working closely with all stakeholders. As the product owner, you are responsible for ensuring that the development team maintains a consistent vision and overseeing the product backlog. You are also expected to supervise the actual product development stages and anticipate the needs of clients.
Types of senior director, product development
Updated January 8, 2025
