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Project manager

Hire a Shopify project manager to keep launches on track

Hire a Shopify project manager who owns scope, schedule and launch, coordinates developers, designers and vendors, and tells you early when something is at risk, not on launch day.

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Brands we have built for

FellerOcean State of MindPrince + BroomeSupa SuppsBeholderBodaLove by LilyLuna & WillowMovereRawwBahiaSalus SaunasMi AmorKartelRitzyWear This Not That

When to hire a Shopify project manager

Brands tend to hire a Shopify project manager when a project has more moving parts than one person can hold in their head: a redesign with several stakeholders, a migration with years of order history, a Plus build with an ERP and a 3PL, or an in-house team juggling two agencies at once. Without one owner for the plan, small delays stack up and launch dates slip quietly.

Our project managers work on Shopify projects day in, day out. They understand what a theme build, a checkout extension or a data import actually involves, so they estimate sensibly, spot dependencies early and ask developers the right questions. They can run a Starhead team, coordinate your own people, or both.

  • One owner for scope, schedule, risks and decisions
  • Sprint plans and weekly written status reports
  • Coordination across developers, designers, apps and vendors
  • A rehearsed launch plan with a rollback option

You stay in control of decisions. The project manager makes sure they get made on time.

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What a Shopify project manager owns

The day-to-day responsibilities, from kickoff to the weeks after launch.

  • Scope and requirements

    Turns goals into a written scope with user stories and acceptance criteria. Every page type, feature and integration is listed, so nobody discovers missing work at the end.

  • Timeline and milestones

    Builds a plan with milestones, dependencies and buffers, then updates it honestly as work moves. If a date is at risk, you hear about it with options, not excuses.

  • Sprint planning

    Runs planning, review and backlog grooming so each sprint has a clear goal. Work is sized against real team capacity, including holidays and other commitments.

  • Team coordination

    Assigns tasks, unblocks developers and designers, and keeps your internal team, copywriters and photographers working to the same plan.

  • Vendor and app management

    Works with app providers, ERP and 3PL partners and payment teams, so their part of the work is ready when the store needs it.

  • Change control

    Logs new requests, sizes them with the team and shows the effect on timeline before you decide. Scope can change, but never silently.

  • Risk and issue log

    Keeps a live list of risks, issues and dependencies, each with an owner and a next step, reviewed with you every week.

  • Status reporting

    A weekly written report in plain language: what was done, what is next, what is at risk and which decisions are waiting on you.

  • QA and acceptance testing

    Schedules testing rounds, tracks every bug to closure and organizes user acceptance testing with your team before sign-off.

  • Launch and hypercare

    Owns the go-live checklist and the first weeks after launch, triaging issues and moving remaining items into a prioritized backlog.

Shopify projects our PMs manage

Different project types carry different risks. We match you with a project manager who has run your kind of work before.

  • Delivery PM

    New store builds

    From discovery and design through theme development, content loading and launch, with sign-off points at each stage so design changes do not arrive during development.

  • Delivery PM

    Redesigns on a live store

    Rebuilding while the store keeps trading, with content freezes, preview reviews and a planned switchover that avoids your busiest days.

  • Migration PM

    Platform migrations

    Data mapping, test imports, URL redirects and cutover planning when moving from WooCommerce, Magento, Wix, BigCommerce or a custom platform.

  • Plus PM

    Shopify Plus programs

    Checkout extensibility, B2B, expansion stores and Shopify Flow, where several technical streams run at once and depend on each other.

  • Technical PM

    Integration and app projects

    ERP, PIM, 3PL and CRM connections or custom app builds, where the work depends on outside teams and careful testing of data flows.

  • Ongoing PM

    Continuous roadmaps

    A steady backlog of improvements for brands with dedicated developers, keeping priorities tied to trading plans and campaigns.

What good Shopify project management looks like

The habits that separate a calm launch from a stressful one, explained step by step.

Scope that developers can build from

A useful scope is not a feature wish list. It describes each page type, each feature and each integration in enough detail that a developer can estimate it and a tester can check it. For a product page that might mean which metafields drive the size guide, how variants display when one is sold out, and where reviews appear. For an integration it means which system is the source of truth for stock, prices and customers, and what happens when a sync fails.

Acceptance criteria are the most important part. They turn a vague request into a testable statement, such as the cart drawer shows the free shipping threshold in the shopper’s currency. When everyone agrees on these before work starts, review meetings stop being debates about what was meant and become quick checks of what was built.

Sprints, capacity and honest timelines

Our project managers plan in short sprints because they surface problems while there is still time to act. Each sprint has a goal you can understand without technical knowledge, for example collection and product templates ready for content entry. Work is sized against the team’s real capacity, which means accounting for code review, testing, meetings and public holidays in both countries.

An honest timeline includes buffers for the things that always take longer than expected on Shopify projects: content and photography arriving late, app vendors answering slowly, data that needs cleaning before import, and stakeholder feedback rounds. A PM who knows the platform puts these in the plan from the start instead of discovering them in week six.

Managing vendors, apps and integrations

Few Shopify projects involve only one team. There may be a subscription app, a reviews platform, a 3PL, an ERP partner, a payment provider and your own marketing team. Each has its own timeline and its own idea of priority. The project manager maps who is responsible for what, books the joint sessions early and chases dependencies before they block development.

For integrations, the PM makes sure test environments exist on both sides, sample data is agreed and someone owns the error-handling rules. This is where many launches slip, because integration testing gets squeezed into the last few days. Planning it as its own stream, with its own milestones, keeps it visible.

Launch day and the weeks after

A good launch is boring. The checklist has been rehearsed, test orders have gone through every payment method, redirects have been checked against the old URL list and analytics events have been verified. The PM schedules the switchover for a quiet trading window, confirms who is on call in each time zone and keeps the previous setup ready in case a rollback is needed.

After launch comes hypercare: a period of close monitoring where the team watches orders, checkout errors, search console reports and customer messages, and fixes issues quickly. The PM then turns leftover items and new ideas into a prioritized backlog, so the project closes cleanly and ongoing work starts with a clear list.

Artifacts and tools your PM uses

What you receive, and the checklists that keep a Shopify project under control.

Planning documents

  • Scope with user stories and acceptance criteria
  • Milestone plan with dependencies
  • Responsibility matrix for every team and vendor
  • Communication plan and overlap window

Weekly status report

  • Work completed and demo links
  • Next sprint goals
  • Risks and issues with owners
  • Decisions needed from you
  • Changes to scope or dates

Migration checklist

  • Product, customer and order data mapping
  • Test import checked against the source
  • URL redirect map
  • Customer account and password approach
  • Final delta import plan for cutover

Launch checklist

  • Domains, SSL and redirects
  • Payments, taxes and shipping rates
  • Analytics, pixels and customer events
  • App configuration and inventory sync
  • Test orders and rollback plan

Project tools

  • Jira, Asana, ClickUp, Linear or Trello
  • Slack or Microsoft Teams
  • Shared docs for decisions
  • Loom walkthroughs for async reviews

Handover pack

  • Final scope versus delivered list
  • Decision log
  • Open backlog with priorities
  • Access and ownership summary

In-house PM vs freelance PM vs Starhead PM

An honest comparison to help you decide which route suits your project.

In-house PMFreelance PMStarhead PM
Shopify knowledgeDepends on the hireVaries by personWorks on Shopify projects every day
Time to startSlow: recruiting and onboardingFast if availableFast once the brief and access are clear
Link to developersSeparate from any agency teamSeparate from the developersWorks next to our developers and designers
Technical challengeLimited without platform depthVariesCan question estimates and approach
Cover and continuityGap when they leave or are awayGap when they are awayTeam backup and shared documentation
Scaling with the projectFixed headcountOne personDedicated, part-time or launch-only
Knowledge of your businessDeep over timeBuilds during the projectBuilds during the project, documented as we go

For a long-term internal role, an in-house PM can be the right hire. Many brands use our PM during a major project and hand over to internal staff afterwards.

How we onboard your project manager

A project manager can be productive quickly when the handover is clear. These are the steps.

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  1. 01Brief

    Share the project

    Tell us what you are building, who is involved and which dates cannot move. Existing plans, tickets and documents are welcome, however rough.

  2. 02Fit

    We recommend a PM

    We suggest a project manager with experience in your project type and explain the fit. You can talk to them before deciding.

  3. 03Baseline

    Review and baseline the plan

    The PM reviews scope, risks and team capacity, then agrees a baseline plan, reporting format and meeting rhythm with you.

  4. 04Align

    Kick off with every team

    One session with your team, our team and key vendors to agree roles, approval steps, tools and the overlap window for meetings.

  5. 05Run

    Deliver in sprints

    Work moves in short cycles with demos on preview themes, so you see progress rather than hear about it. Weekly reports keep stakeholders informed.

  6. 06Launch

    Go live and stabilize

    The PM runs the launch checklist, leads hypercare and hands over a clean backlog and decision log for what comes next.

Scope, change and risk on Shopify projects

The parts of Shopify project management that decide whether a launch date holds. Here is how our project managers handle each one.

Scoping in phases, not all at once

Large Shopify projects rarely need everything on day one. A project manager helps you separate what must exist at launch from what can follow in a second phase. A migration, for example, may need products, customers, order history, redirects and checkout working on launch day, while a loyalty program, a new blog design or a wholesale portal can arrive a few sprints later without hurting trade.

Phasing makes the first release smaller and easier to test, and it gives the team real store data before the next round of decisions. The PM writes both phases into the plan with their own acceptance criteria, so phase two is a committed piece of work rather than a vague promise. If a launch date is fixed by a trade show, a season or a contract, phasing is usually the most reliable way to meet it.

Change control that keeps trust intact

Change is normal. A competitor launches a feature, a stakeholder sees the preview and wants a different layout, or an app turns out not to support a key use case. What causes trouble is change that slips in through chat messages without anyone sizing it. Our project managers log every new request, ask the team to estimate it and show you the effect on scope, dates and cost before anything is agreed.

You then choose one of a few clear options: add it and move the date, add it and drop something of similar size, or schedule it for a later phase. Each decision goes into the decision log with the date and the person who approved it. Months later, when someone asks why a feature looks the way it does, the answer is written down.

Risks and dependencies specific to Shopify

Some risks come up on Shopify projects again and again, and a platform-aware PM plans for them early. Checkout customization differs between plans, so a feature that needs checkout UI extensions on the information, shipping or payment steps may require Shopify Plus. Apps have limits that only show up in testing. Large catalogs and order histories take time to import because of API rate limits, and messy source data has to be cleaned before it can move.

Dependencies are tracked with the same care. Design approval comes before template development, product data structure comes before filters and metafield-driven sections, and integration test environments must exist before the sync can be tested. The PM keeps these links visible in the plan, so a late item shows its knock-on effect straight away rather than surfacing as a surprise in the final weeks.

A reporting rhythm people actually read

Good reporting is short, regular and written for the person reading it. Developers need a clear sprint board. Your marketing lead needs to know when they can load content. Your finance or leadership team needs to know whether the date and budget still hold. Our project managers shape the same facts into the level of detail each group needs, instead of sending one long update to everyone.

The rhythm is agreed at kickoff and then kept, because a report that arrives on the same day every week is trusted in a way that occasional updates are not. Bad news goes into the report as early as it is known, along with the options for dealing with it. That way, a slipping item becomes a decision you make in good time rather than a problem you discover at launch.

Common Shopify project risks and how a PM responds

Typical early warning signs on builds and migrations, and the practical steps our project managers take when they appear.

Early warning signHow the PM responds
Late content and photographyTemplates are ready but pages are still emptySets content deadlines per template and plans loading as its own task
Messy source dataTest imports show duplicates or missing fieldsSchedules a cleanup round with owners before the final import
App limitationsA chosen app cannot handle a key scenario in testingRaises it early with alternatives, such as another app or a custom build
Plan-specific featuresA requirement depends on Shopify Plus featuresConfirms the plan and adjusts scope before development starts
Slow vendor responsesAn ERP or 3PL partner misses agreed datesEscalates through the agreed contact and resequences dependent work
Feedback delaysReviews wait several days for sign-offBooks review slots ahead and shows the effect of delays on the date
Squeezed testingBug count rises as launch approachesProtects testing time in the plan and proposes a smaller launch scope if needed

Every project has its own risks. Your PM builds a risk log for your project at the baseline stage and reviews it with you each week.

Projects that needed careful coordination

Migrations, multi-market setups and rebrands where planning mattered as much as code.

Salus Saunas Shopify store

Magento to Shopify Migration

Salus Saunas

The problem
We designed and developed a high-performance Shopify webstore for Salus Saunas, ensuring a seamless shopping experience for their customers. Our team implemented custom JavaScript solutions to enhance functionality and…
What we built
Salus Saunas crafts premium, health-centric saunas blending infrared and traditional heat therapies for optimal wellness. Their elegantly designed residential and commercial solutions prioritize innovation, sustainability, and…
The result
Read the case study
Love by Lilly Shopify store

Woocommerce to Shopify Migration

Love by Lilly

  • UI/UX design
  • Theme customization
  • Search & discovery
  • Judge.me product reviews
  • Klaviyo integration and automated email marketing setup
The problem
Love by Lily’s previous website did not fully reflect the brand’s premium identity or design standards. The visual presentation felt disconnected from the high-quality product photography, and the overall user experience lacked…
What we built
We redesigned Love by Lily’s Shopify store with a strong focus on intuitive user experience, visual consistency, and performance. The layout was restructured to highlight high-quality imagery without overwhelming the interface…
The result
The redesigned Shopify store successfully positioned Love by Lily as a premium international lifestyle brand with a refined digital presence. Improved navigation, faster load times, and a cohesive visual identity created a…
Read the case study
Kartel Watches Shopify store

Shopify Redesign

Kartel Watches

  • UX/UI Design
  • Theme Development
  • Performance Enhancement
  • Shopify Search & Discovery
  • Judge.me Product Reviews App
The problem
Kartel Watches faced limitations with their existing e-commerce platform. Looking for a fresh Shopify store design and a solution to support faster growth, they partnered with us for a complete redesign and rebuild.
What we built
We structured the site with clear and engaging navigation, segmenting it into Watches, Experiences, Accessories, Gift Cards, and About. This intuitive layout made it easy for customers to discover both products and experiential…
The result
The new Shopify Plus storefront for Kartel Watches elevated both the brand’s digital presence and customer experience. The immersive homepage and intuitive navigation encouraged deeper exploration across products and experiences…
Read the case study
Movere Shopify store

Shopify Redesign, Rebranding

Movere

  • UX and UI Design
  • Custom Shopify Theme Development
  • Shopify Search & Discovery
  • Judge.me Reviews Integration
  • Klaviyo integration
The problem
A brand built on intention, quality, and effortless movement needed a digital home that felt the same way. The store MOVERE needed at launch had to do three things at once. Mirror the elevated positioning of the brand. Put…
What we built
One rule sat at the center of the build. Let the product lead. Design came first. A minimal layout, generous whitespace, restrained typography, and a neutral palette gave every piece the room it needed to feel premium…
The result
MOVERE now has a digital flagship that lives up to the brand behind it. Elevated, fast, effortless across every device. Product discovery is sharper, built around how real customers actually browse. Trust signals land earlier in…
Read the case study

Signs your Shopify project needs a PM

If several of these sound familiar, the problem is usually coordination rather than talent.

  • Dates keep moving

    Each update brings a new launch date. A PM rebuilds the plan around real capacity and dependencies.

  • Feedback goes in circles

    Design reviews reopen settled decisions. A PM sets sign-off points and records each decision.

  • Nobody owns integrations

    The agency waits on the ERP partner and the partner waits on you. A PM maps ownership and chases it.

  • Scope grows quietly

    Small requests pile up without anyone sizing them. A PM logs every change and shows its effect.

  • Testing happens last

    Bugs surface the week before launch. A PM schedules testing inside every sprint.

  • Founders act as PM

    Leaders spend evenings chasing tasks. A PM takes the coordination so leaders can make decisions.

  • Status needs a meeting

    Nobody can say where things stand without a call. A PM keeps a written status everyone can read.

  • Launch has no plan B

    There is no rollback or on-call list. A PM writes and rehearses both before go-live.

  • Vendors blame each other

    When something breaks, each team points to another. A PM keeps a responsibility matrix that settles who owns what.

  • Decisions are hard to trace

    Nobody remembers why a feature was cut or changed. A PM keeps a dated decision log with the approver for each entry.

A typical reporting and meeting rhythm

The cadence is agreed with each client at kickoff. This is the pattern most Shopify projects start from.

Every working day

  • Short standup or written check-in inside the overlap window
  • Blockers raised and assigned the same day
  • Sprint board kept up to date

Every week

  • Written status report for stakeholders
  • Risk and issue log reviewed with you
  • Decisions needed listed with a due date
  • Change requests sized and presented

Every sprint

  • Planning session with a clear sprint goal
  • Demo on a preview theme
  • Retrospective with actions for the next sprint
  • Plan and milestones updated

Every month or phase

  • Progress against the baseline plan
  • Budget and effort summary
  • Upcoming dependencies on your team and vendors
  • Scope for the next phase confirmed

Launch week

  • Daily go or no-go check
  • Final content and data freeze
  • On-call list across time zones
  • Hypercare plan shared with support

Engagement models for Shopify project management

Match the level of project management to the size and risk of the work.

  • Large or complex

    Dedicated project manager

    A PM focused on your project full time. Suited to new builds, migrations and Plus programs with many people and vendors involved.

  • Steady roadmap

    Part-time project manager

    A PM for an agreed share of each week to run sprints, reporting and stakeholder updates on ongoing improvement work.

  • Extend your team

    PM staff augmentation

    Our PM joins your organization’s tools and rituals to run Shopify work alongside your internal product or marketing leads.

  • Full delivery

    Project-based team

    A project manager leading a Starhead team of developers and designers against an agreed scope and milestones.

  • Short term

    Rescue and reset

    A PM who steps into a project that has drifted, rebuilds the plan with the team and gets delivery back on a clear path.

  • Mixed vendors

    Client-side PM

    A PM who represents you when several agencies or freelancers are involved, holding each to the agreed plan.

Working with a PM based in India

Our project managers work with brands in many time zones. The routines are agreed with each client.

  • Overlap agreed per client

    India Standard Time is UTC+5:30. At kickoff we fix a regular overlap window for meetings and decisions that suits your working day.

  • Progress while you are offline

    Developers in India can work while your team is away, so feedback given at the end of your day is often handled before you start the next one.

  • Short, useful meetings

    Standups, reviews and planning sessions are kept short, held inside the overlap window and followed by written notes.

  • Clear escalation

    You know who to contact if something urgent comes up outside the overlap window, and what counts as urgent.

  • Holiday planning

    Public holidays in India and in your country go into the plan early, so they never surprise a milestone.

  • Your format

    Reports follow the format your stakeholders already use, whether that is a document, a dashboard in your tracker or a slide for leadership.

Further reading

Guides that help with planning a build or migration.

Testimonials

What brands say about how we run projects

5.0from 8 client reviews

  • From creation of my site to working with them after for updates and changes to my site. The team goes above and beyond. Their communication, service and attention to detail is very good. They are wonderful to work with and very helpful with questions. I have found a team who believes in growth, creativity and good work ethic. Appreciate Starhead for always supporting our team!

    Alisha

    Ritzy

  • We are so happy with Starhead. They did an exceptional job at helping us create a new website with our new branding. We especially appreciate the good communication, the attention to details, the understanding and proactiveness. I am so happy we chose Starhead to help us, and 10/10 recommend them. We will continue to work with them in the future. Thank you so much for your work!

    Solveige Itervag

    Movere

  • ABSOLUTELY BEYOND AMAAZZING I HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND Prashant and Gaurav were super professional and kind. Their #1 goal is deliver everything you as the customer envision. Super detailed, very responsive, cares about the client Starhead Digital made every thing come true that i dream about having for my website I Definitely will be using Starhead Digital in future projects

    Julia

    Ocean State of Mind

  • It was a pleasure to work with Starhead Digital. They delivered the website extremely quick while also exceeding expectations of what we wanted. They ensured we were satisfied and were very communicative throughout the whole process. I will definitely be working with them again for any other projects, or even a website refresh. If you are looking for amazing quality work at a very reasonable price, I completely recommend!

    Chris

    Supa Supps

  • Very professional and focussed on exactly meeting my expectations. Any specifications I gave them they fully fulfilled or had an answer. I got quick replies to my questions at any time of the day and their communication in English is probably better than mine ';).
    Fully satisfied!

    Felix Brosi

    The Perfect Biquini(Bossa)

  • Working with Starheadtech was an absolute pleasure! They built and optimized our Shopify store beautifully — seamlessly integrating Google, TikTok, and Klaviyo. Their clear communication, problem-solving mindset, and clean custom coding truly stood out. Fast, professional, and genuinely results-driven. We're thrilled with our new site and can't recommend him enough!

    Jessica

    Love by Lilly

  • The team at Starhead digital was amazing to work with. They captured all the details I needed for an operational website. They were quick, understood the task, and even went above and beyond of the requirements. Thanks Prashant & team, would love to work with them again and recommend them to others.

    Sebastian

    Ina Malibu

  • Starhead Digital successfully helped us to migrate from Magento to Shopify. It was a great experience to work with them. The whole process was very much organize and smooth. The team was highly responsive, and internal stakeholders were particularly impressed with the Starhead Digital.

    Amy

    Salus Saunas

Related services

Project managers usually lead one of these teams.

Common FAQs

Frequently asked questions

  • What does a Shopify project manager do?

    A Shopify project manager owns the plan for a Shopify project: scope, timeline, team coordination, vendors, risks, reporting and launch. They make sure the right work happens in the right order and that you have what you need to make decisions on time.

  • Why hire a Shopify project manager instead of a general project manager?

    Hire a Shopify project manager when the project involves Shopify-specific work such as theme builds, migrations, Plus features or app integrations. A PM who knows the platform estimates more accurately, spots technical risks earlier and can challenge developers when an approach looks wrong.

  • Can your project manager work with my in-house developers or another agency?

    Yes. Our project managers regularly coordinate mixed teams that include your staff, our developers and third-party vendors. Roles and approval steps are agreed at kickoff so everyone knows who decides what.

  • Do you provide project managers for Shopify Plus projects?

    Yes. Plus projects often run several streams at once, such as checkout extensions, B2B setup and an ERP integration, and our project managers plan for the dependencies between them.

  • Can I hire a remote Shopify project manager from India?

    Yes. Our project managers are based in India and work with brands in many time zones. India Standard Time is UTC+5:30, and we agree a meeting overlap window with each client, with written updates covering the rest of the day.

  • How quickly can a Shopify project manager get started?

    A PM can start once the brief is shared and access to your tools is in place. The first task is reviewing scope and risks to agree a baseline plan, and how long that takes depends on the size of the project and how much documentation already exists.

  • Are your Shopify project managers technical?

    Our project managers are not full-time developers, but they work on Shopify projects every day and understand themes, apps, APIs, migrations and Plus features well enough to plan, estimate and question technical decisions. Developers and architects join when deeper detail is needed.

  • What goes into a Shopify launch checklist?

    A typical checklist covers domains, URL redirects, payment and tax settings, shipping rates, analytics and pixels, app configuration, inventory sync, test orders across payment methods and a rollback plan. Your PM adapts it to your project and rehearses it before go-live.

  • Can a project manager rescue a Shopify project that is behind schedule?

    Often, yes. The PM reviews what has been built, what remains and why it slipped, then agrees a realistic plan with the team. Sometimes that means reducing the launch scope and scheduling the rest for a second phase.

  • What should I share before a project manager starts?

    Share your goals, deadlines, the people and vendors involved and any existing plans, tickets or documents. Access to your store, tracker and chat tools lets the PM build a baseline plan quickly.

  • Can I hire a Shopify project manager only for launch?

    Yes. A launch-focused PM can join for the final stretch of a build or migration to run testing, cutover and hypercare. It works best when they have a few sessions with the team beforehand to understand the build.

  • How much does it cost to hire a Shopify project manager?

    It depends on the engagement model and how much of the PM’s time the project needs. Share your project and timeline and we will propose a setup and cost before anything starts.

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Share your project and the date you are aiming for. We will introduce a project manager who has run similar work.

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