Managing Director, Portfolio Operations & Value Creation

Firm Overview

A top middle-market private equity investment firm with a long-standing track record of partnering with management teams to build market-leading businesses. The firm is widely recognized for its operational depth, disciplined investment approach, and ability to drive sustained value creation across industrials and business services platforms. With significant capital under management and a diverse portfolio of control investments, the firm works closely with leadership teams to scale operations, professionalize management systems, and execute strategic growth initiatives.

The Managing Director, Portfolio Operations & Value Creation will be a senior leader on the firm’s operating team, partnering closely with deal teams and portfolio company executives to drive performance improvement and long-term value creation. This individual will work hands-on with management teams across industrial and business services companies, helping translate investment theses into actionable operating plans and supporting execution across people, process, and systems.

The role is remote
, with significant travel to portfolio companies and ongoing, high-touch engagement with leadership teams.

• Act as a senior operating partner to portfolio company CEOs and leadership teams, offering strategic perspective, credibility, and hands-on support to advance value creation initiatives.
• Collaborate closely with investment teams to ensure operating priorities remain aligned with the original investment thesis and evolving value creation goals.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to management teams by identifying challenges, setting priorities, and helping drive execution in complex, fast-paced operating environments.
• Lead and support initiatives focused on operational scale, performance management, organizational design, and continuous process improvement.
• Help portfolio companies implement effective management systems that promote accountability, transparency, and consistent execution.
• Support growth efforts, including organic expansion, integration of add-on acquisitions, and de novo initiatives, as applicable.

• Partner with portfolio leadership to strengthen executive teams, functional leadership, and operating rhythms.
• Work alongside human capital and talent partners on leadership development, succession planning, and overall organizational effectiveness.
• Promote best practices across people-intensive, multi-site, and service-oriented business models.
• Identify recurring themes and opportunities across the portfolio and help develop scalable playbooks, tools, and frameworks.
• Enable knowledge-sharing and best practice exchange across portfolio companies while tailoring approaches to individual business needs.
• Deliver clear, structured insights and updates to internal stakeholders to support alignment and informed decision-making.

Required

• At least 3 years of experience in an operating role within a PE-backed, industry-relevant company, with direct involvement in value creation, management systems, or operational scaling.
• Prior consulting experience (ideally 4+ years), demonstrating strong structured problem-solving and initiative leadership; experience at top-tier strategy firms is a plus but not required.
• The seniority, presence, and maturity to engage effectively with private equity partners, VPs/Principals, and portfolio company executive teams.
• A relationship-driven leadership style with the ability to quickly establish trust and credibility with CEOs, functional leaders, and deal teams; strong executive presence is essential.
• Demonstrated leadership styles aligned with “Captain” and “Persuader” profiles (Venturer experience is a plus).
• Experience in people-based, services-oriented, or multi-site business models, with a clear understanding of how people, process, and capability drive performance.
• Strong analytical skills, intellectual curiosity, and comfort operating amid ambiguity and change.
• Willingness to travel extensively and maintain a high-touch, on-the-ground engagement model with portfolio companies.

• Direct experience in industrials and/or business services sectors.
• Experience supporting or leading PE-backed exits, including exit readiness, diligence support, or CIM development.
• Exposure to high-velocity M&A activity and/or de novo expansion environments.

• MBA or equivalent advanced degree strongly preferred.