Associate Portfolio Manager - Retail

What is Teamshares? Teamshares is a mission-driven startup that buys small businesses from retiring owners and transitions them into enduring, employee-owned businesses through our software, education, and community products. There wasn't an easy way for small businesses, which make up 98% of firms in the US economy, to become employee-owned before Teamshares. We are seeking a strategic, results-oriented Associate Portfolio Manager to help oversee a group of 4–6 small to mid-sized businesses across the specialty food and beverage retail sector. This is an emerging portfolio leader role reporting to a senior Industry Lead, who retains ultimate P&L ownership for the portfolio. However, you will be accountable for driving financial performance, strategic alignment, and day-to-day portfolio support across the companies you cover. The ideal candidate is analytically rigorous, an emerging coach to business leaders, and a trusted liaison to the parent company. You will not manage daily operations. Instead, you will drive financial performance through company leaders and your senior Industry Lead. Success in this role requires an ability to balance analytical work with a hands-on understanding of business fundamentals. Responsibilities:

• Financial analysis: Support P&L management across the portfolio. Help business leaders build annual plans, and track achievement of revenue, EBITDA, and cash flow targets.
• Leadership support: Support the leaders of each portfolio company. Develop into a coach and accountability partner over time.
• Performance management: Track and drive KPIs across businesses. Identify underperformance and work collaboratively to implement turnaround strategies.
• Change management and execution: Help portfolio companies navigate periods of change, including leadership transitions, process improvements, implementation of new systems or initiatives.
• Strategic planning: Partner with company leaders to develop growth plans, capital investment strategies, and operational improvements.
• Reporting and communication: Serve as a point of contact between the network companies and Teamshares. Prepare and present regular updates on performance, risks, and opportunities.
• Synergy and optimization: Identify and drive cross-portfolio synergies, including shared services, procurement, and best practices.
• Governance and compliance: Help ensure that all businesses operate within legal, ethical, and financial standards.

Qualifications:

• 2–3 years in management consulting, investment banking, private equity, FP&A, or business operations, or similarly analytical and high accountability environment.

• Strong financial acumen: budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and performance analysis

• Demonstrated analytical rigor, including building P&L analyses and operating models from first principles

• Ability to build trust and influence experienced operators without direct authority

• Comfortable moving between high-level strategy and detailed financial and operational work

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with an interest in coaching business leaders

• Entrepreneurial mindset: Comfortable operating in an environment with imperfect information, evolving priorities, and limited resources.

• Willingness to travel periodically to portfolio company locations, with the frequency varying based on business needs.

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, economics, or a related field (MBA or similar preferred)