What Is Product Management Hierarchy?

Roles in the product management hierarchy

Here is a guide to the standard product management hierarchy:

1. Junior product manager: A junior product manager is beginning their product management career. They may have prior experience in business, engineering, IT, or other fields. The junior product manager works with the development team on developing small products or features under the guidance of a senior product manager.
2. Product manager: The product manager's responsibilities vary in many companies. Product managers have a wide array of experience and skills demonstrating technical and managerial capabilities. They are responsible for facilitating customer journeys and leading the development team.
3. Product owner: A product owner serves as a representative of the customer. They ensure customer requirements are met and the product has a smooth user experience. A product owner also prioritizes product backlogs and monitors the progress of the team.
4. Senior product manager: Along with the responsibilities of a product manager, a senior product manager juggles a portfolio of products. They interact with executives and other teams as representatives of the product team. Senior product managers have many years of PM experience and expansive customer knowledge. Often, they contribute to ideating new products, enhancing existing products, and mentoring junior product managers in their line-management duties.
5. Product director: Product directors occupy a leadership role in the product team. A product director does not have much interest in the technical aspect of product management. They are less involved in the day-to-day tasks and more concerned with the strategic aspects of the product plan. Product directors identify the larger challenges outside the company, such as evaluating competitors' products and market impact. 
6. Product lead: The product lead focuses on the hands-on development of new products. This role is typically occupied by highly experienced product managers. Unlike senior product managers, product leads have fewer people-management duties and work with development teams to achieve product goals. Their role is mainly technical, though they are sometimes required to liaise with marketing or research team members. The authority of this role falls between the senior product manager and the head of product.
7. Head of product: The head of product is considered to be the face of the product. This person is responsible for funding and managing the business of the product. Heads of product (HOPs) are considered the most senior product experts in the product management hierarchy. Though their responsibilities may vary in different companies, the head of product is responsible for the product teams, processes, and delivery of tasks.
8. Chief product officer: The chief product officer (CPO) may do the same job as the head of product in a startup. However, in a large organization, a chief product officer is the most senior product expert responsible for the product teams, processes, and delivery of tasks. They manage multiple product managers and oversee product strategy, product architecture, and end-to-end product execution. The CPO is responsible for creating a functioning revenue-generation model for the product. 

While these are the standard roles in most technology firms, they are not restricted by their labels or titles. Each large company or startup may have unique responsibilities for product team members, regardless of their assigned roles. 

In startups, employees often take up multiple duties to make the product successful. However, knowing the dynamics and structure of the product management hierarchy can help you build a stronger and more collaborative team.