The Lip Bar · 1 month ago
Senior Product Development Manager
Detroit, MI
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level
5+ years expThe Lip Bar is seeking a Senior Product Development Manager to lead product development across makeup and skincare categories. This role involves managing the full development lifecycle for new products, ensuring timely market launches, and optimizing existing product performance while collaborating with cross-functional teams.
ConsumerCosmetics
Responsibilities
Lead the full development lifecycle for new products across makeup, skincare, and accessories—from concept and briefs through prototype, validation, and commercialization
Create detailed product briefs outlining target consumer, key benefits/claims, ingredient and technology direction, packaging system, quality standards, COGS targets, MSRP, and margin goals
Identify, negotiate with, and manage external partners including formulators and packaging suppliers
Oversee all product testing (stability, safety, compatibility, claims) in partnership with Regulatory to ensure compliance and approval
Deliver product launches on time and within budget while proactively managing risks and cross-functional dependencies
Continuously evaluate existing products for performance, quality, consumer sentiment, competitive shifts, and regulatory updates
Lead reformulations and quality enhancements to uphold or improve efficacy, safety, and sensory attributes
Optimize COGS and margin through ingredient adjustments, process efficiencies, and packaging improvements without sacrificing quality, working with operations to understand how and when price breaks may apply
Update claims and packaging to maintain competitiveness and clarity; manage label, INCI, and regulatory revisions
Collaborate with Marketing and Sales on data-driven improvements and with Operations on supply continuity and cost management
Prepare and present to leadership with a beauty perspective, balancing forward thinking opportunities for the brand and our core customer base
Partner with Operations to ensure manufacturability, production readiness, and supplier risk mitigation
Work closely with Marketing and Creative to shape product positioning, claims hierarchy, copy, education and launch assets for DTC, in addition to retail brick & mortar and marketplace channels
Collaborate with Operations, Sales, and Finance on cost modeling, pricing scenarios, and unit economics decision-making
Track and analyze post-launch KPIs across e-com and retail quarterly to report out to the team at large for evergreen products and new launches 6 months post launch to provide the development perspective and lead continuous product optimization
Monitor emerging trends in ingredients, component technologies with a keen eye on high ROI development opportunities
Qualification
Required
Passion for beauty
3-4 years people relevant people management experience
5–8 years of developing beauty and skincare products, leading multiple projects from concept through launch
Perspective and experience developing beauty products
Excel proficiency
Presentation creation and confidence
Experience balancing the doing and delegating in a fast pace, small team environment
Have development experience across beauty categories
Have the ability to manage up and across functions to lead product development effectively
Are comfortable working in a fast-paced and energetic environment
Understand the balance of developing and marketing product for retail and D2C sales channels
Have a collaborative attitude with strong interdepartmental communication skills
Experience managing at least two direct reports, references required
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and communicating priorities and progress effectively to relevant stakeholders
Strong prioritization and planning skills
A team player, flexible and able to adapt to change
Strong interpersonal, communication and presentation skills
Ability to think both strategically and tactically with exceptional attention to detail
Company
The Lip Bar
The Lip Bar is a luxury cosmetic bar that produces and sells lipstics.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageTotal Funding
$6.7MKey Investors
Pendulum Holdingsgbeta
2023-11-11Undisclosed
2022-09-30Seed· $6.7M
2017-12-04Pre Seed
Leadership Team
Melissa Butler
Founder + CEO
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