PM GRADES EXPLAINED

5 product management grades

explaining each role and key responsibilities

Product Management GradesSunburst

5 PM skill groups covering 15 essential product management skills

Product Management Grades: Product Director

Associate PM

Entry-level PMs support discovery and delivery while building core PM habits. They help turn customer and stakeholder input into clear requirements. They keep execution moving by coordinating with design, engineering, and other partners. They also track progress, surface risks early, and keep everyone aligned on what ships next.

Key Responsibilities

Support discovery

Coordinate delivery

Share updates

Mid-level PM

Mid-level PMs own a feature or product area from planning through launch. They set goals, define scope, and make priority calls with their team. They drive execution across engineering, design, analytics, and go-to-market partners. They use customer feedback and data to evaluate results, iterate, and improve outcomes over time.

Key Responsibilities

Own a product area

Drive execution

Measure BUSINESS outcomes

Senior PM

Senior PMs lead larger initiatives with higher stakes and wider impact. They set direction over longer time horizons and connect day-to-day work to strategy. They analyze market and customer needs to shape bets and influence company priorities. They mentor other PMs and raise the quality of decision-making across teams.

Key Responsibilities

Lead major initiatives

Shape strategy

Mentor other PMs

Director

Product directors oversee multiple product areas and the teams behind them. They set strategy and priorities across product lines and make trade-offs across teams. They manage and coach PMs, strengthen product processes, and improve how teams plan and execute. They align product direction with company goals and ensure teams ship toward shared outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Lead multiple products

Manage team of PMs

Align company-level priorities

C-Level

C-level product leaders define the company’s product vision and long-term strategy. They decide where to invest, what to say no to, and how success gets measured across the portfolio. They own the roadmap at the company level and align product, engineering, design, and commercial teams around it. They also lead the product organization, setting standards, operating rhythm, and talent strategy.

Key Responsibilities

Set product vision

Own the roadmap

Lead the org

Set processes

PM grade progression

Associate PM to CPO Path

Associate

⟶

Mid-level PM

Moving from entry-level PM to mid-level PM means shifting from supporting tasks to owning outcomes.
It’s a step from learning to leading.

Product

1.3

⟶

2.3

Shape product vision and strategy

Customer

2.0

⟶

3.0

Understand your customers

Analytics

1.6

⟶

2.6

Make data-driven decisions

Process

1.6

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2.6

Optimize product workflows

People

1.3

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2.0

Lead cross-functional teams

KEY tasks

Owns features or products from planning to delivery

Drives execution and cross-functional collaboration

Aligns product work with product strategy

Product Management Grades: Associate PM to Mid-level PM

Associate Product Manager

Mid-level Product Manager

Grow to Mid-level

A curated set of top resources to build your expertise and reach the next PM grade.

Guide

15 PM Skills for Breaking into Product

productmap.io

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article

Backlog: Stories, Epics, and Initiatives

atlassian.com

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Guide

Guide to Product Analytics & Metrics

app.productmap.io

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Mid-level

⟶

Senior PM

Moving from Middle to Senior PM means shifting from managing features to leading larger, strategic initiatives. It’s a move from delivering products to shaping direction.

Product

2.3

⟶

3.3

Shape product vision and strategy