Product Manager
A product manager makes sure a service or product meets user needs and business goals. They decide what’s most important to build and help the team focus on delivering value.
What they do
- define and maintain the product vision, making sure it meets user needs and business goals
- prioritise features and manage the product backlog
- use user feedback to continuously improve the service
- ensure the service meets the Digital Scotland Service Standard (DSSS)
- work with multidisciplinary teams to create a user-centred service
- make sure accessibility is considered throughout development
- oversee the delivery of a minimum viable product (MVP) and its transition to live service
- ensure all product decisions follow legal and policy requirements
Key outputs
- Product roadmap - defines the long-term vision and key milestones
- Prioritised backlog - lists and ranks tasks for delivery
- Business case - justifies the service and funding
- User stories - describe features and user needs
Project tasks
- Discovery - define the product vision, research user needs, and align with policy and legal requirements
- Alpha - create and test prototypes, refine requirements, and check accessibility
- Beta - oversee MVP development, gather user feedback, and adjust priorities
- Live - monitor performance with analytics and continuously improve the service
Hiring considerations
Before hiring, consider whether the skills already exist in your organisation. Training or reallocating staff might be a more effective way to fill gaps.
- When to hire - if the service needs ongoing product development and iteration
- When to upskill - if a team member understands Agile ways of working, can prioritise work effectively, and has experience managing user needs
- Essential skills - product ownership, stakeholder engagement, Agile delivery, user-centred design.
- Common tools - Jira, Trello, Microsoft Planner (for backlog management), Miro (for roadmaps), Confluence (for documentation)