A group product manager (GPM) is in charge of leading and directing a product management team that represents a specific group of products in most companies. Research and development (R&D) of new and existing products, as well as determining marketing and sales strategies for products and overseeing their implementation are all part of the overall responsibilities. While a senior product manager is in charge of putting product strategy into action, the GPM is in charge of deciding on the actual strategy. This means that for each product he or she represents, the group product manager is fully responsible for the strategy, success, and failure. In this position, a lot of time is spent asking questions and gaining a firm understanding of the unknown.
A group product manager’s day-to-day responsibilities are diverse. He or she will devote a significant amount of time to writing sales and marketing plans and coordinating them with the various departments. Identification of new market opportunities and development of products that can effectively exploit those opportunities are all part of this responsibility. The GPM will collaborate with R&D to develop product development plans, determine investment requirements, and establish decision criteria for moving forward with product development.
The group product manager will work with all associated product managers to develop and bring a product to market once it has been decided on for development. He or she will provide feedback, ensure timely completion of all deadlines, and ensure that the product meets market expectations and customer requirements as part of this process. In addition to new product development, the manager will coordinate the dissemination of all market knowledge gained through personal research. Aside from coordinating and providing such information, the GPM will need to effectively gather and analyze that data in order to make qualified decisions about the product development’s direction. Asking questions is an important part of this process, especially when it comes to areas where the GPM is unfamiliar.
A product manager will coordinate and provide both product knowledge and market intelligence to support sales and marketing activities from the launch of a product through all phases of the product life-cycle. Customers are crucial in this process, and the GPM may devote a significant amount of time to engaging with and educating customers about the product. Most of the time, the group product manager oversees and ensures that the product strategy he or she developed is implemented correctly, while also contributing hands-on experience and expertise as needed.