Written by Risa Kahn, Senior Recruiting Manager of New Dimensions in Technology, Inc. (NDT)
BPMA is here for you in your job search! Our feature Recruiter Corner dives into the mind of a recruiter to learn what factors are important in extending a job offer. To prepare you to hit the ground running in 2026, recruiting firm and BPMA sponsor NDT discusses current marketplace trends and tips.
The observations of the recruiting team at NDT are that employers remain prudent, placing a premium on candidates with deep industry or domain expertise. While it is challenging in this competitive market to break into a new industry, product managers can intentionally steer their career towards a company that targets multiple verticals, in turn leveraging current subject matter expertise and gaining experience with new industries. For earlier career PMs, gaining 0 to 1 product development experience is most important with industry expertise grown over time.
Employers seek product managers who are not just learners but explorers, especially in the realm of AI. AI isn’t here to replace product managers; it’s turbocharging their potential, powering personalization, accelerating prototyping and testing, automating competitive intelligence, and supercharging teamwork across disciplines. You must think of AI as an ally and not a foe.
The spotlight continues to shine on product managers who have taken ideas from spark to market, especially trailblazers from both mature and early-stage companies. Demand is strongest for Senior Product Managers, Directors, and VPs who roll up their sleeves to build and scale product teams, often as the team’s first and only product leader. NDT has placed several seasoned Director and VP of Product Management leaders over the past two years who have joined growing tech companies as their first and only product management professionals.
The recruiting team at NDT is seeing the current work landscape leaning towards more hybrid and in-office roles. This is especially true with companies based in the Northeast.
Candidates today prioritize roles that offer job security, visible pathways to growth, hands-on engagement with AI, flexible work setups, and a culture that fits them well. Salaries remain flat but competitive, with growth-stage companies sweetening deals with bonuses and equity. Yet, hiring is selective, spotlighting strategic thinkers with data-driven, adaptable mindsets.
To stay ahead, product managers should
• harness AI to streamline their workflows
• stay curious for new tools to expedite the product development process
• understand data-driven decision making and where data originates to ensure that data is “clean”
• align with fast-evolving sectors like AI, SaaS, healthcare, renewable energy, manufacturing, and industrial automation.
• Emerging fractional and freelance product roles open fresh doors, especially in startups.
Success in this dynamic landscape favors those who weave deep domain expertise, hands-on leadership, AI fluency, and versatile collaboration into their career fabric, setting themselves up for a breakthrough year in 2026.