Have you been hearing more about Product Operations Manager jobs recently? If you are starting to wonder what all the fuss is about this month's article is for you!
Product operations management or product ops as its commonly called, is an emerging area within the product market that focuses on the operational aspects of managing and delivering products within a business. At Consortia, we have seen a huge increase in requests for talented product people for more and more Product Operations Manager roles over the last year.
Operational efficiency has become increasingly important in delivering successful products by providing a competitive advantage, enabling companies to deliver products faster, with higher quality, and at a lower cost. So with that, the role of product operations or product ops has flourished.
Our Product team have seen that general salary expectations for Product Operations Managers are quite high, sometimes even higher than product managers, as they are in short supply but in high demand! They also noted that product managers love working at a company with an established product operations function as it helps them focus on the core product work they need to do and is a big sell when companies are looking to hire product managers or other product team members.
If you need to learn more about what's involved in a product ops manager job role and the key skills needed within this field, you will find the following information useful:
What does the Product Operation Manager job involve?
While the day-to-day responsibilities will vary significantly from company to company, and with the seniority of the role, the general principles remain the same. Product operation managers will need a unique blend of strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and operational efficiency to succeed in this job sector. We've summarised what we've seen companies want from product operation managers below:
- Cross-functional Coordination: Product Operation Managers act as a bridge between various teams within an organisation, as well as being part of the broader product team they also need strong relationships with engineering and data teams, design and marketing, sales, and customer support. They collaborate closely with these teams to align strategies, set priorities, and facilitate communication to ensure smooth product development and delivery.
- Project Planning and Management: They create and maintain project plans, timelines, and milestones for product initiatives. Coordinating with different teams to define project scope, set realistic deadlines, and allocate necessary resources. Product Operations Managers track progress, identify and address potential roadblocks, and keep stakeholders informed about project status and updates.
- Process Improvement: Product Operations Managers continuously look to enhance operational efficiency and optimise product development and management processes. They analyse existing workflows, identify bottlenecks, and implement improvements to streamline operations, increase productivity, and reduce time to market. They may also work on establishing best practices and standardised procedures to ensure consistency across product teams.
- Data Analysis and Reporting: Product Ops utilise data-driven insights to monitor product performance, track key performance indicators (KPIs), and provide actionable improvements. Product Operations Managers analyse user feedback, customer behaviour, market trends, and competitive landscape to inform product decisions and identify opportunities for innovation and growth. They prepare regular reports and presentations to communicate findings and progress to relevant stakeholders.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Product Ops Managers collaborate closely with internal and external stakeholders to gather requirements, understand customer needs, and manage expectations. They conduct regular meetings, workshops, and presentations to facilitate effective communication, gather feedback, and build strong stakeholder relationships. They act as a trusted advisor, ensuring alignment between business objectives and product strategy.
- Quality Assurance and Risk Management: Part of the job will involve overseeing quality assurance processes to ensure products meet or exceed defined standards and regulatory requirements. Product Operations Managers work closely with product and engineering teams to develop testing methodologies, perform quality checks, and address issues or bugs. They also proactively identify and mitigate product development, launch, and ongoing maintenance risks.
Product Operation Manager Key Skills and Qualities:
The following are some examples of skills companies have stated as valuable when looking for some to fill a product operations manager job:
- Experience in product operations, product management, or an operational role that worked closely with product and engineering teams
- A passion for delivering an outstanding user experience
- An understanding of the value of data, analysing user feedback and using these insights to drive product improvements
- Empathy for user problems
- A problem finder and solver
- Strong attention to detail
- Assertive
- General technical knowledge of how software is built relevant to the field of the product (e.g. finance)
- Excellent presentation skills
- Strong communication skills with an ability to liaise with differing talents and personalities
- Strong project management / organisational skills
In summary, Product Operations Managers oversee the operational aspects of product development, launch, and management to ensure everything runs smoothly. They drive cross-functional collaboration, optimise processes, analyse data, engage stakeholders, and ensure quality and efficiency throughout the product lifecycle. Their ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution makes them invaluable in driving successful product outcomes.
An exciting area for anyone looking for a step up or change in their product career journey and indeed a field to consider with competitive salaries and high demand. Many businesses we have worked with covet those with product operations experience due to the processes and plans they bring, insights that will help any product team excel.
Whether you're looking to move to a product operations management job from product management or hoping to step up to a more senior product ops role, visit our jobs pages or contact one of our product team members today.
-min.jpg)
