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Product Development Consulting Jobs in California

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Product Development Consulting information

What is product development consulting?

Product development consulting involves providing expert advice and support to organizations as they create and launch new products or improve existing ones. Consultants in this field help businesses identify market opportunities, refine product ideas, manage development processes, and bring products to market efficiently. They often offer guidance on strategy, design, prototyping, testing, and go-to-market plans, leveraging industry knowledge to reduce risks and increase the chances of product success.

How does a product development consultant typically collaborate with cross-functional teams during a project?

Product Development Consultants often serve as a bridge between different departments—such as engineering, marketing, design, and sales—by facilitating clear communication and aligning project goals. They participate in regular meetings, gather input from stakeholders, and ensure that all perspectives are considered in decision-making. This collaborative approach helps identify potential challenges early, streamline development processes, and increase the likelihood of a successful product launch.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a product development consultant, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Product Development Consultant, you need expertise in market analysis, product lifecycle management, and a background in business, engineering, or design, often supported by relevant degrees or certifications. Familiarity with tools like project management software (e.g., Jira, Trello), prototyping platforms, and data analytics systems is typically required. Strong communication, creative problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills set top consultants apart. These abilities are crucial for guiding successful product launches and ensuring solutions align with client objectives and market demands.

What is the difference between Product Development Consulting vs Product Management?

AspectProduct Development ConsultingProduct Management
CredentialsTypically requires industry experience, technical knowledge, and consulting skillsRequires business, marketing, or technical degrees; often certifications like PMP or Scrum
Work EnvironmentConsults with multiple clients or projects, often in varied industriesWorks within a single company, managing its product lifecycle
Employer & Industry UsageConsulting firms, freelance, or internal teamsProduct-driven companies, tech firms, startups
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding consulting roles vs product management rolesClarifying differences between product development consulting and product management

Product Development Consulting involves advising companies on creating and improving products, often across multiple clients or projects. Product Management focuses on overseeing a company's product lifecycle internally. While both roles require industry knowledge and strategic thinking, consulting emphasizes external client solutions, whereas product management centers on internal product success.

What does a product development consultant do?

A product development consultant helps companies design, develop, and improve products by providing expertise in market research, product strategy, and design processes. They often analyze customer needs, coordinate with cross-functional teams, and utilize tools like CAD or project management software to ensure successful product launches. Their role involves problem-solving, innovation, and aligning products with business goals.

What cities in California are hiring for Product Development Consulting jobs?

Cities in California with the most Product Development Consulting job openings:

Infographic showing various Product Development Consulting job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 86% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution.

Workstream Product Development Lead

McCarthy Holdings, Inc.

Los Angeles, CA

Full-time

Re-posted 4 days ago


Job description

POSITION SUMMARY

McCarthy Holdings is investing in the future of construction through its AI Development Program – a growing team that builds custom applications on Palantir Foundry to help field, design, and corporate teams work smarter and faster.

As a Product Development Lead, you’ll own the product direction for a squad within this program – shaping what gets built, setting priorities, and ensuring every product solves real problems for the people who use it. You’ll partner with a dedicated Project Lead, Palantir engineers, and business stakeholders to move from concept to production.

Products span a range of complexity – from operational tools that streamline field workflows to applications that leverage machine learning and AI capabilities. Across all of them, you’ll work alongside AI-enabled development tools and technical teams to deliver meaningful impact at speed.

 RESPONSIBILITIES 

  • Define and maintain the product vision, roadmap, and backlog for your squad’s products, aligned with the overall platform vision and business strategy.
  • Gather requirements from stakeholders and subject matter experts, prioritize features, and define acceptance criteria to ensure work is ready for sprint commitment.
  • Serve as the primary voice of the business and frontline users – advocate for their workflows, pain points, and priorities in every product decision.
  • Facilitate product cadences: backlog refinement, sprint planning, sprint reviews, and retrospectives. Participate in standups and cross-team coordination, providing product context and surfacing dependencies.
  • Conduct user acceptance testing to validate features and iterations before release.
  • Define and track product KPIs to assess adoption, usability, and business impact.

 Scope and Growth

  • The program operates with AI tools integrated into daily workflows – agentic coding assistants, Palantir AIP, and AI-enabled development practices. No prior experience required, but you’ll be expected to adopt them.
  • Product delivery runs 3-9 months from inception to production. You may manage up to two products simultaneously, participating in transition planning as products reach go-live and hand off to a sustaining team.
  • This role does not currently have direct reports, but may grow to include product managers, interns, or consultants as the team scales.

 QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
  • 3+ years of experience in a software product delivery environment, preferably in product management, product ownership, or business analysis.
  • Familiarity with Agile methodologies and sprint-based delivery.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills.
  • Ability to translate complex business problems into clearly defined product requirements.
  • Comfort operating in ambiguity – this program is maturing its processes while delivering simultaneously.
  •  Experience in the construction industry or related fields (engineering, infrastructure, industrial).
  • Experience working in a matrixed or cross-functional team structure with shared accountability.
  • Experience with data platforms, analytics tools, or enterprise software products.
  • Familiarity with AI/ML concepts at a product level (not engineering depth – understanding what’s possible and how to frame requirements for AI-enabled features).


    McCarthy is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veteran status.
    NOTICE TO EXTERNAL SEARCH FIRMS: McCarthy’s Talent Acquisition Team is the only authorized representative permitted to engage with external search firms, staffing agencies, or other third-party recruiting partners. McCarthy maintains an Approved Agency List for recruiting partners, which is reviewed and updated annually.
    McCarthy will only consider submissions from agencies with a signed fee agreement in place for the current year. McCarthy does not accept unsolicited resumes, candidate submissions, or referrals from agencies that do not meet these requirements.
    If a candidate is submitted without an active agreement, McCarthy will have no obligation to pay any fees and reserves the right to contact, engage, interview, or hire such candidate(s) without any financial or other responsibility to the submitting agency. Unsolicited resumes, including those sent directly to hiring managers or other employees, will be considered the property of McCarthy.

    For California locations only, the salary range for this position is: $125,000 – $160,000 depending on location. This does not include a possible bonus and other benefits which can impact total compensation. Compensation offered may vary based on work location, experience, qualifications, specialty, training, and market and business considerations, among other factors.