Professor of Product Management (Business School)

Career Guide
Teaches product strategy and development in a business school, designs curricula and assessments, leads case discussions, and mentors students on projects and careers. May conduct applied or academic research and contribute to school service and industry partnerships.

Key Responsibilities

  • Design and teach courses in product strategy, discovery, and lifecycle
  • Develop syllabi, cases, projects, and rigorous assessments
  • Advise students and supervise capstone or practicum teams
  • Conduct and publish applied or scholarly product research
  • Build industry partnerships and bring practitioners into class
  • Deliver executive education and non-degree workshops
  • Serve on committees and support accreditation efforts

Career Progression

Can Lead To
Program Director, Product Management
Clinical/Full Professor of Product Management
Department or Academic Program Chair
Director, Experiential Learning or Innovation Labs
Transition Opportunities
Director of Product Management
Head of Product / VP of Product
Product Operations Director
Management Consultant (Product/Innovation)
Corporate Training Lead (Product)

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills
University-level pedagogy and syllabus designAssessment and grading aligned to learning outcomesCase writing and academic publishing processesResearch methods and IRB/ethics complianceAcademic service and accreditation standards (AACSB)
Development SuggestionsComplete a higher-ed teaching certificate (e.g., ACUE) and co-teach/guest lecture to build classroom experience; draft a teaching case with a faculty mentor and submit to a repository (e.g., Harvard Business Publishing).

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range
Entry Level$70,000–$110,000
Mid Level$95,000–$150,000
Senior Level$130,000–$200,000
Growth Trend
growing | MBA and online PM programs expanding; steady demand for practice faculty

Companies Hiring

Major Employers
Carnegie Mellon UniversityUniversity of California, Berkeley (Haas)Northwestern University (Kellogg)
Industry Sectors
Higher EducationOnline EducationExecutive Education & Corporate Training

Recommended Next Steps

1
Earn a college teaching credential (ACUE or university teaching certificate) and assemble a teaching portfolio with sample syllabus, rubrics, and lecture slides.
2
Adjunct or guest lecture at a local university; propose a practicum or capstone you can supervise to demonstrate applied teaching ability.
3
Publish a teaching case or practitioner article on product strategy and present at academic or industry forums (e.g., AOM, ProductCon) to build credibility.