Operations Manager Private Equity (m/f/d) – “CEO/Unternehmer in spe”

Munich / Stuttgart
German Private Equity Fund Focused on Operational Value Creation

The Company

Our client is an established small-cap German private equity fund/family office with a focus on operational value creation. For one specific portfolio company they plan to hire an Operations Manager (m/f/d) who will support the CEO (a former operating partner of the PE fund and ex-consultant) in all aspects of the transformation process of the portfolio firm (sales, process & product optimization, internal processes, etc.). After ca. 2-3 years of experience as wing-man of the CEO in the above portfolio firm, the candidate should be prepared to participate in the search process and subsequently take on a C-level role in the same company or a newly acquired small-cap portfolio firm and will be co-owner with a substantial stake.

In this specific case the portfolio company is a consumer goods company with approx. € 100 million revenue located near Stuttgart.

Your Tasks

  • Cross-functional operational transformation projects in a small-cap, hands-on environment with limited management resources, e.g.
  • Sales and marketing
  • Lean manufacturing/production optimization
  • Sales process optimization
  • IT/process improvements (e.g. implementation of a new ERP system)
  • Mid-term career perspectives: to become a CEO of a future portfolio company with shares

What You Bring With You

  • 4-7 years of professional experience, from top-notch strategy or operational consulting firm. Additional experience from a corporate management position could be helpful, but is not a must
  • Candidates with 2-3 years of experience would also be considered for a “Junior Operations Manager” role
  • Functional focus on general marketing & sales, operation, transformation
  • High affinity to sales & marketing
  • Operational performance improvement experience required within the manufacturing sector (industrials, automotive, consumer goods etc.) is an advantage
  • Profound management- and leadership skills in difficult situations requiring change: good combination of soft skills (motivating people in a consensual company culture) and clear target focus
  • Entrepreneurial mindset and passion – high drive to become a future CEO and shareholder
  • Absolute flexibility, willingness to travel (you will have to work on-site at the portfolio companies for 4-5 days/week over a longer period)
  • Ideally mid-market (German ‘Mittelstand’) exposure or at least ‘mindset’
  • Hands-on, ‘get-things-done’ type of person who likes to work in small-cap environments
  • Excellent German (native speaker) & English language skills