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Expectations by level

Sean Horgan
Last edited 78 days ago by Sean Horgan
Most established companies break the PM job ladder into a series of levels with increasing responsibilities. You can compare the level naming across different organizations at
levels.fyi
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Most of my experience with formal levels came from my time at Verily, which got its start within Google and their levels. There were times where the ladder/promo culture drove project decisions which is something to be mindful of when operating in bigger companies. It’s important to remember that levels & attributes within a level are merely the finger that points the way, it’s not your destination.
Here is a high-level overview of each level:
Associate PM (L3)
Focus on execution
Time horizon is usually 1-3 months.
Usually has 1-3 years of industry experience doing parts of the product role, e.g. program management, technical lead.
Product Manager (L4)
Time horizon is usually 3-12 months.
Usually has 3-5 years of product experience. MBAs/grad-students with related industry experience.
Senior Product Manager (L5)
Take on more responsibility for strategy while still responsible for most product operations
Time horizon is usually 1-3 years.
Usually has 5-7 years of product experience. Should have a body of work that includes some wins & losses that has helped sharpen their skill set.
Staff Product Manager (L6)
Team Leadership
Clear demonstration of great judgment; track record of making bets in ambiguous situations that paid off.
Takes on more leadership & direct management of other PMs
Time horizon is usually ~3 years.
Usually has 7-10 years of product experience with a strong portfolio of products they have launched and landed.
Group/Director (L7 & L8)
Multi-team, multi-product leadership
Signification impact to the company
Doesn’t just contribute expertise in each of the core areas, levels up the entire product team and influences the rest of the organization
10+ years of product experience
VP (L9+)
15+ years of experience

Level 4 Product Manager

Scope & Complexity
PM owns a complex set of projects/features (e.g. multiple personas, journeys, dev components) within a product. Is accountable for defining and delivering the projects and understands how it fits in the broader strategic context of the product. The product problem is clearly understood and there is clear consensus on the right way to solve it.
Impact
Completes work on product features with strategic impact with supervision from peer or manager PMs.
Significant impact on the project through product/feature excellence, timeliness and volume of work provided by self and others, as well as advice, reviews, and recommendations provided to others.
∙Contributes to cross-project and/or cross-team collaborations.

Level 5 Product Manager

Scope & Complexity
The PM owns a complex set of projects/features or the entirety of projects for a single product and is accountable for both execution and setting direction for their projects. Product decisions are more nuanced and oftentimes serve multiple customer segments including Healthcare Providers, Patients/Consumers, Researchers, Payers, etc. Whilst the product problem is clearly understood, there is a need to weigh multiple different solutions against various stakeholders needs. The PM is responsible for a 12-18 month roadmap.
Impact
Completes work on a single product or product component, with moderate financial or strategic impact, with minimal supervision from peer or manager PMs.
∙Key contributor or owner of a single product or product component.
∙Significant impact on the work group or project section through product/feature excellence, size or significance of teams and/or projects managed, influence on product strategy and direction, and delivery of value-added perspectives, e.g., on product-market fit.
∙Contributes to cross-functional and / or cross-organizational team collaborations.
Business & Entrepreneurship
The PM works across their area ensuring integration and strategic fit within the broader product and product line. Works with XFN stakeholders on a regular basis and is expected to identify and marshal resources as needed to be successful.
Drives the roadmap for their area. They are managing multiple projects in flight over significantly different time horizons. They keep everyone on the same page through clear communication and by setting up appropriate project processes. They escalate project timeline and coordination issues and are the primary negotiator for their team

Level 6 Product Manager

Scope & Complexity
PM owns a coherent portfolio of projects for a single product and is accountable for the entire product lifecycle and identifying new areas of investment (new projects) for the product. Product decisions are highly complex and have long-term strategic impact on the overall product, affecting all 'Customer' constituents, e.g., Healthcare Providers, Patients/Consumers, Researchers, Payers, etc. Product problems are more challenging here. It is likely that there is not clear consensus even on the options for the solution space.
Impact
Creates or owns a product with significant financial or strategic impact for the company, with minimal to no supervision from PM manager.
∙Owner of a single product that is significant for the company, e.g., in terms of mission or milestone criticality.
∙Significant impact on the product by leading product/feature excellence, managing a large or significant team(s), owning product strategy and direction, and leading delivery of value-added perspectives, e.g., on product-market fit or commercialization plan.
∙Builds and/or leads cross-functional and / or cross-organizational team collaborations.
Business & Entrepreneurship
PM work is highly cross functional involving a great deal of coordination with multiple eng and product teams and manages significant XFN complexity. They have mastered working within their tech team and are able to do that at a high level of excellence, and has regular interaction with multiple XFN groups including Legal, Sales, BD, Marketing, etc is the norm.
PM is the entrepreneurial negotiator for their team. They can identify, negotiate and secure resources needed for a plan that they define. They understand the priorities of their extended team (i.e. their Product / PA) and how to operate effectively within them. They proactively propose trade-offs in resourcing or scope and identify ways for disparate teams to work together to achieve a common goal.

Level 7 Product Manager

Scope & Complexity
PM owns 1-2 products or product suite and is responsible for setting the near term goals and long term strategy for the whole product. Is fully accountable for all aspects of the product's success. Product decisions are highly complex and affect the broader strategic plan within the PA. The problem space is considered extremely challenging by peers and leadership. It may not yet be fully articulated. It is not clear that there is an optimal solution.
Impact
Creates or owns 1-2 products, or a single product suite, with significant financial or strategic impact for the company, with minimal to no supervision from PM manager. Begins to manage and mentor other PMs working on the same product.
Key decision maker for the product.
Significant impact on the 1-2 products by leading product excellence, managing a large or significant team, owning product strategy and direction, leading delivery of value-added perspectives, e.g., on product-market fit or commercialization plan, encouraging product innovation, and providing thought leadership.
∙Leads cross-functional and / or cross-organizational team collaborations.
∙May create market opportunities.
Business & Entrepreneurship
PM work is leading all aspects of the XFN team to deliver product success and strong PA-level coordination. High level of executive involvement influencing PA-level strategy and direction. PM should start to take on mentoring responsibilities after having been at this level for some time as they grow their skills toward a GPM role.
PM is an organizational leader. They are a key participant in the organizational structures needed to enable the larger team to both stay organised and execute with autonomy (e.g. UI review, launch cal process, exec reviews). They identify possible collisions and proactively fix them by mediating between teams and finding mutual solutions. They start to manage cross-PA co-ordination and negotiation. Drive the broader roadmap with a view beyond the next 12 months
Level 4 Product Manager
Level 5 Product Manager
Level 6 Product Manager
Level 7 Product Manager
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