Senior Expert - Automotive Product Development

Do you want to work on complex and pressing challenges—the kind that bring together curious, ambitious, and determined leaders who strive to become better every day?

If this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place.

In this role as a Senior Expert - Automotive Product Development, you’ll advise clients on automotive challenges, leveraging expertise in full-vehicle development to optimize processes and drive innovation.

Your Impact

As a Senior Expert in Product Development, you will play a key role in helping clients address their most critical challenges in the automotive industry. You will collaborate with senior client leadership to identify issues, develop hypotheses, and design tailored solutions.

Your expertise will focus on full-vehicle architecture, efficiency, cost optimization, and best practices in product development, particularly in the context of electric vehicles (EVs) and CASE (Connected, Automated, Shared, and Electrified) technologies.

You will lead transformational change initiatives, helping clients build capabilities and implement strategies that deliver measurable impact. As a thought leader, you will shape McKinsey’s approach to product development in the automotive sector and contribute to the firm’s knowledge base. Additionally, you will mentor and develop consultants, sharing your expertise and providing guidance on client engagements.

In this role, you will work closely with McKinsey’s global network of experts and consultants, as well as with our Operations Practice and McKinsey Digital teams. Together, you will deliver integrated solutions that combine operational excellence with cutting-edge digital and data-driven approaches.

This position offers the opportunity to work on high-impact projects across the automotive industry, including engagements with leading OEMs, suppliers, and startups. You will also have the chance to shape the future of product development, driving innovation and sustainability.

McKinsey’s Operations Practice helps clients solve their most complex operational challenges by blending strategic thinking with hands-on practicality. Within the Product Development service line, we work with clients to develop products that meet market needs, deliver attractive margins, and enhance brand reputation.

Your qualifications and skills

• Degree in engineering, automotive engineering, or a related field preferred
• 10+ years of experience in product development within the automotive industry, ideally in roles such as Chief Engineer or similar, with responsibility for full-vehicle management and development
• Deep knowledge of full-vehicle architecture, systems engineering, and product lifecycle management
• Experience with electric vehicles (EVs) and CASE technologies
• Familiarity with advanced product development tools and methodologies
• Proven track record of leading large-scale product development projects, including managing cross-functional teams, budgets, and stakeholder relationships
• Strong analytical and critical thinking abilities, with a focus on delivering practical, high-impact solutions
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively with clients and teams
• Fluency in English is required; additional European languages are a plus