R&D Product Strategy Analyst

Project Management Office / Corporate Services

This position is not eligible for recruiting or sourcing by outside parties.  

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Mesa seeks a R&D Product Strategy Analyst that supports an R&D initiative focused on evaluating and defining potential software-based (software as a service, software as a product) product offerings. The position will analyze existing tools, workflows, and service delivery models (e.g., dashboards, simple and automated Excel-based tools, reporting tools, process frameworks) to determine how these capabilities can be translated into scalable, repeatable, and potentially licensed product solutions. This role is structured for a 2–5 years’ experience in product development, consulting, business analysis, or strategy roles and will focus on research, feasibility, and strategic recommendations rather than development.

This role is part time.

Responsibilities

• Product & Service Analysis:
  • Review existing deliverables (Power BI dashboards, workflows, templates, project controls tools)
  • Identify repeatable patterns and opportunities for standardization or productization
  • Document current-state vs potential future-state solutions
• Market & Competitive Research:
  • Identify industries and clients utilizing similar tools (utilities, engineering consulting, etc.)
  • Analyze competitors offering SaaS/SaaP or workflow-based solutions
  • Evaluate market demand and potential adoption barriers
• Feasibility & Strategy Development:
  • Work with internal SMEs (data/dev/BI resources) to validate technical feasibility
  • Evaluate whether solutions should remain within MS365 ecosystem or move toward standalone platform
  • Develop high-level cost, effort, and scalability estimates
• Deliverables & Reporting:
  • Produce structured reports, dashboards, and presentations summarizing findings
  • Present recommendations to leadership on product viability
  • Support development of go/no-go decision materials

Competencies

• Ability to identify, analyze, and solve difficult problems related to the specialty area
• Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills
• Ability to operate in ambiguous and evolving environments
• Strong communication and executive-level presentation skills
• Ability to connect business needs with technical concepts
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to synthesize technical data into executive-level summaries

Education and Experience

• 2-5 years of experience in product development, consulting, business analysis, or strategy roles
• Curiosity and a genuine interest in understanding how systems and ideas work
• Investigative mindset with a natural inclination to question assumptions and explore alternatives
• Experience working in startups, small teams, or early-stage product environments
• Exposure to prototyping, proof of concept development, or R&D style work
• Familiarity with Agile or iterative development approaches
• Past working experience with Project Management principles, such as PMBOK. PMP certification desirable but not required.

Accountability

This role is accountable for:

• Completion of defined R&D deliverables across all phases (marketability, feasibility, cost)
• Accuracy and quality of research outputs
• Ability to translate ambiguous requirements into structured insights
• Supporting leadership decision-making with data-driven recommendations

Authority

This role has the authority to:

• Recommend product concepts and strategic direction
• Propose improvements to research scope and structure
• Engage internal SMEs to gather required inputs

Notice to External Search Firms: Mesa Associates, Inc. and its subsidiaries do not accept unsolicited resumes and will not be obligated to pay a placement fee for unsolicited resumes. Mesa Associates, Inc. Talent Acquisition engages with approved search firms directly for specific hiring needs.