The Darling Effect · 5 days ago
Product Development & Lifecycle Manager
Grand Rapids, MI
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
3+ years expThe Darling Effect is a young, energetic company offering a fresh perspective on lifestyle products. They are seeking a highly organized Product Development & Lifecycle Manager to support and coordinate all facets of the product development process, ensuring projects stay on track and teams are aligned.
E-CommerceLifestyleRetail
Responsibilities
Own and manage the end-to-end product development workflow from concept approval through launch, translating creative direction into clear timelines, milestones, and deliverables
Act as the central point of coordination across departments, ensuring accountability and alignment throughout the development process
Proactively identify risks, bottlenecks, or gaps and drive solutions to keep projects moving forward
Manage and maintain the Plytix PIM platform as the single source of truth for all product data
Create, organize, and maintain SKUs, product attributes, imagery, descriptions, and specifications across systems
Partner with Wholesale Sales and E-commerce teams to support successful product launches across all channels
Ensure all required assets, data, and approvals are completed and launch-ready on schedule
Coordinate launch timelines and cross-functional communication to ensure smooth execution
Review and edit non-creative product content for accuracy, clarity, and brand continuity
Serve as a secondary quality checkpoint to ensure consistent and accurate product presentation
Monitor product performance, inventory levels, and sell-through data to support lifecycle decisions
Provide insights and recommendations related to reorders, revisions, product refreshes, and discontinuations
Maintain and communicate lifecycle status tracking (new, seasonal, core, discontinued, etc.)
Document processes, timelines, and product information to support operational clarity and scalability
Contribute to special projects and evolving product initiatives as the business grows
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, merchandising, project management, or a related field (Required)
3–6+ years of experience in product development coordination, product operations, merchandising operations, or lifecycle management
Experience working cross-functionally with creative, sales, operations, and leadership teams
Exceptional organizational skills with strong attention to detail
Ability to manage multiple timelines and priorities simultaneously
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including editing and documentation
Experience managing product data, SKUs, or PIM systems (Plytix experience a plus)
Analytical mindset with comfort reviewing sales, inventory, and performance data
Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Excel, and/or Google Sheets
Proactive, calm problem-solver who anticipates issues and drives solutions
Brand-aware with sound judgment around consistency, quality, and accuracy
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, growing environment
Preferred
Experience with Shopify or other e-commerce platforms preferred
Company
The Darling Effect
The Darling Effect offers designed lifestyle products like drinkware, accessories, and apparel.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageLeadership Team
Elsa Vos
CEO/Founder
Steve Vos
President
Recent News
Gifts & Decorative Accessories
2025-09-17
Company data provided by crunchbase