Product Consultant (Contract)

About the role

Fama builds AI-based screening products and is currently designing the next generation of that product line. Our internal product managers own the work, and we are seeking a senior practitioner from the background screening industry to collaborate with them as a domain expert and design partner for a part-time contract engagement. Your background can be operations, product, or compliance. We value your judgment over output. Your role will be to help our product managers sharpen how they define problems, challenge assumptions that may seem reasonable but will not survive in real-world operations, and review their work with an operator's perspective. You will not own the roadmap, the backlog, or delivery, as those responsibilities belong to our product managers. This role has no direct reports. If you have managed screening operations without holding a formal product title, you are exactly who we want to hear from. We have product managers, and we need insights from someone with firsthand operations experience.

Work & compensation

• Remote position open to qualified applicants throughout the United States
• Independent Contractor (1099) engagement
• 10–15 hours per week, with some overlap during Pacific business hours
• Compensation targeted at $6,000–$9,000 per month ($150.00 per hour)
• Initial 90-day contract, extendable by mutual agreement
• Contractors are solely responsible for their own tax obligations, insurance, and benefits
• Final rate determined based on specialized expertise, scope of deliverables, and relevant market rates

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with product managers as they define new product initiatives, providing candid feedback where needed
• Offer an operator's viewpoint on how background screening processes function, highlighting areas of manual effort, delays, and real costs
• Identify compliance and workflow constraints that any design must respect
• Review requirements, specifications, and prototypes as the industry expert
• Help us understand how screening firms and their customers evaluate and purchase new technology

Requirements

• Significant experience in the background screening industry — workflows, vocabulary, and economics are second nature
• Have owned or managed components of case fulfillment, review, escalation, or disputes, and know where the system breaks down and what it costs
• Close experience with the work, whether in a consumer reporting agency, a screening technology vendor, an applicant tracking system with a screening integration, or a large employer's screening operation
• Practical knowledge of the regulatory landscape, particularly FCRA compliance as it relates to workflow, as well as state and local regulations (we do not seek legal advice, but rather insight into where rules impact processes)
• Structured thinking — capable of breaking down complex operational realities into parts and articulating which aspects are most critical in writing
• Grounded perspective on AI product design; critical mindset when evaluating demonstrations (technical depth not required)

Preferred qualifications

• Current or recent experience at a background screening firm in operations leadership, product management, or compliance
• Direct responsibility for a screening operations team or for quality assurance within one
• Broad understanding of various screening check types, rather than an in-depth focus on just one
• Product management experience (a plus, not a requirement)
• Involvement with PBSA or a comparable industry organization
• Previous consulting or advisory experience, making a short engagement format familiar

Confidentiality & compliance

• Existing Obligations: By applying, you confirm that participating in this engagement does not breach any valid non-disclosure, active non-solicitation, or contractual duties owed to your current or former employers.
• Proprietary Information: You must rely solely on your general skill, industry knowledge, and expertise. Do not share, submit, or utilize any confidential documents, trade secrets, or proprietary materials belonging to any third party. Fama will immediately reject and terminate any engagement involving unauthorized confidential material.
• No Customer Solicitation: We will not request or allow you to identify, introduce, or influence customers or clients of your current employer.
• Conflict Transparency: Applicants must disclose any active advisory roles, board positions, equity holdings, or competing business activities during the application process.
• Intellectual Property & Confidentiality: A mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) will be executed prior to substantive project discussions. All work deliverables produced specifically within the scope of this contract will be the exclusive property of Fama.