How To Become A Product Manager in Ireland

Product management is an exciting career which is ideal for those who have excellent business acumen, data analysis knowledge and management skills. 

Whether you are already on the way to becoming a product manager and want to know more or are simply curious about this popular career option, you’ve come to the right place to see how you can become a product manager in Ireland.

A product manager oversees the development of a product, using their technological, business and customer experience expertise to make key decisions throughout the process. This includes identifying customer needs, helping to create a product which adheres to those needs and also supports the business creating the product.

In relation to product managers, a product refers to the core business case, function, capabilities or website, which is central to the business. Therefore a good product manager will be able to identify customer needs and see how the business can meet customer needs and achieve their targets.

Product managers have to have a range of skills and knowledge to accurately collect and analyse data and help build products which fit the needs of the customer and business. They will also need to help the business acquire technology needed for the product’s development, monitor success, communicate effectively and manage outcomes.  

The diverse skill set needed to become a product manager can be developed through studying one of the many Management courses available online. 

Management courses can help you develop the fundamental skills you will need to become a product manager in Ireland which are outlined below. The completion of your course can increase your employability too, demonstrating to them that you have the expertise needed in this role. 

Also, a background in IT can be useful for a career in product, so taking on IT courses can help boost your employability.

There are several technical skills and soft skills needed to succeed in this role including:

Although the skills list is long, it is not exhaustive. Product managers hold a lot of responsibility, and therefore have to ensure that they have the skills and expertise to help the businesses they work with. 

Product managers will need relevant experience before gaining employment in this role. You will be a key player in your clients business’ and therefore they will want to see some evidence of relevant work experience. 

Relevant work experience doesn’t need to be directly in product management, but having experience in business can help demonstrate your business expertise. Gaining some work experience in a role where you carried some responsibility, had to make decisions and/or were able to demonstrate your leadership skills can also help you get product manager jobs.

Make sure to read the product manager job description if you come across a role you want to pursue, and studying an online management course can help you stand out to employers.

When it comes to the industry you want to work in, keeping up to date with industry trends and market trends, and having some experience working within the industry is often necessary.

Product management is a relatively recently defined term, and therefore many people are unsure exactly how a product manager differs from a product owner. The two roles are similar in some ways and the product owner and product manager will often work together in some areas. 

However, the roles and responsibilities of a product owner differ from that of a product manager. Whereas the product manager is more involved in the broader development process in terms of product creation, goals and user experience, the product owner manages the backlog of product,oversees the product development roadmap and communicates with stakeholders. 

Some of the key ways the two roles differ is in their day to day responsibilities:

Product managers have several day to day responsibilities including:

Product owners have several day to day responsibilities including:

There are many career prospects for a product manager in Ireland. In an entry-level or junior product manager role, you are likely to work in a team with other product managers, either part-time or full-time, and take on responsibility for an aspect of product management. As you gain experience and expertise however, you can get into managing a small team and then a larger team, perhaps taking on a loan product management role.

Once you are an established product manager with several years of experience, you can work your way up to becoming a senior product manager and then work in higher positions such as in the role of an executive board member or vice president of product. There are also several opportunities to work in related fields and roles such as a business analyst, market research specialist or project management.